Christmas

Introduction

Hi today we are going to be carrying on the theme of Christmas. And we’re going to be looking at the first Christmas and how it changed people’s lives.

Sketch – Policeman and Shepherd

Policeman: Hello, hello, hello. My name is Inspector Bob and I’m from (looks round) the secret police. I have been sent by King Herod to investigate some very suspicious behaviour.

(Shepherd enters)

Policeman: Well who are you?

Shepherd: Hello sir I would be one of the shepherds from these ‘ere parts, who might you be?

Policeman: I work for King Herod. And I’ve been sent to investigate some suspicious behaviour.

Shepherd: Well that’s good there has been some very suspicious behaviour recently I have to say, I mean just the other night my Missus cooked me up some kind of foreign food, curry of some sort she said it was, and I when I say the other night I mean last Friday, Friday well you know that Friday is Pie day.

Policeman: (slightly confused) Well what I meant was more along the lines of those bright lights in the sky and people who were dressed more oddly than you, talking about the saviour of the world being born. You wouldn’t know anything about that would you?

Shepherd: Well now you mention it I do remember something that happened one night last week….well me n my shepherding friends Tom and Harry, well we was sat up on that hill up there, or was it that one no no no it was that one there. And anyway well we had just gotten back from the pub and thought we’d better go n count the sheep. And well when we got there Tom and Harry started pointing into the sky and shouting, well I wasn’t paying much attention, you know thought they’d had a bit too much of the old spirit or something, when all of a sudden an angel appeared right in front of us.

Policeman: Now hold on a minute, an ‘angel’ appeared, now pardon me but that isn’t normal…for a Friday night is it?! What did this angel look like?

Shepherd: Well first of all there was a very bright light in the sky and then this person just floated down, well they looked pretty ordinary ‘cept they was flying n all that. Dressed a bit funny big wings, white nighty that kind of thing.

Policeman: Well ok then, did this angel say anything to you?

Shepherd: Oh yes yes yes of course the angel said something to us Well actually there was more than one, there was a whole load of them they just kept on coming.

Policeman: Well yes yes yes but what did they say?

Development

Well you can see in the sketch that the shepherd’s life was changed quite considerably. Back in the days of the Bible shepherds were considered rather low in society. They were looked down on, thought to be stupid. In the Bible it says that Jesus came to earth for everyone not just the people who everyone likes and not just the people who are really good at maths. If you feel a bit like a shepherd, a bit like you’re not as good as everyone else you can remember that at Christmas Christians believe that Jesus came to earth for you as well as everyone else, just as he did for the Shepherd in the story the news that Jesus came for everyone is good news for everyone and Christians believe that if we choose to let it, it can change our lives too.

Reflection and Prayer

Thank you God that at Christmas you sent Jesus to earth for me and everyone else. Thank you that your invitation is available to us all the time and that you want to change our lives to make them better.

Amen