Where’s Joseph?
A Christmas Skit

I wrote this skit to meet a very particular need. Our Sunday School coordinator had surveyed the young people, and nobody (really nobody) wanted to play Joseph. Could I write a pageant that didn’t include Joseph? The result is what’s below.

We didn’t have any children who wanted to play the magi, either, so the original script didn’t include them. As rehearsals began, more of them wanted to participate, and so the size of the shepherd’s flock increased, a second shepherd got lines, and so did more of the magi.

By Eric Anderson

CHARACTERS

Mary: A young woman
Gabriel: An angelic messenger
Angels: A musical chorus
Star: A bright object in the sky
Shepherd: A tender of sheep
Sheep: A wooly creature
Magi 1: A scholar dressed a lot like a king
Magi 2: Another scholar dressed a lot like a king (non-speaking)
Magi 3: One more scholar dressed a lot like a king (non-speaking)

SCENE 1: [MARY enters and sits at center stage, twiddling her thumbs]

Mary:                          I’m bored.

[GABRIEL enters]

Gabriel:                       Hail, O favored one!

Mary:                          (to audience) Well, this might be more interesting.

                                    (to Gabriel) Who are you, and what kind of “Hello” is that?

Gabriel:                       What would you prefer?

Mary:                          “Hello” would be nice.

Gabriel:                       In that case, hello. My name is Gabriel. I’m an angel. Do not be afraid!

Mary:                          Was I supposed to be afraid?

Gabriel:                       It’s not required. I’m supposed to say that, though.

Mary:                          Are other people afraid?

Gabriel:                       People tend to get nervous talking to an angel, yes.

Mary:                          Oh, right. You’re an angel. You said. Well, I’m glad to talk to anybody. I’m bored.

Gabriel:                       Why are you bored?

Mary:                          I’m supposed to be getting married soon, but my family is doing all the wedding plans. Every time I try to suggest something, my father or my mother will say, “Oh, no, it’s better this way.” Actually, they both say it. Then they disagree about what the best way is, and send me out of the room. So I don’t have a lot to do.

Gabriel:                       Couldn’t you talk to your fiancé? What’s his name?

Mary:                          Joseph. And no. Now that we’re engaged, we don’t spend a lot of time together. He’s working. And I’m… not.

Gabriel:                       I think I can promise that your life is about to get more interesting.

Mary:                          Well, that’s good. What’s happening?

Gabriel:                       Mary, you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

Mary:                          What did you just say?

Gabriel:                       Mary, you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb…

Mary:                          (interrupting) Did you just say I’m going to have a baby?

Gabriel:                       Yes. Yes, I did.

Mary:                          How is that going to happen?

Gabriel:                       Nothing is impossible with God.

Mary:                          And this is God’s plan? It seems a little… unexpected.

Gabriel:                       I grant you that God hasn’t done this before.

Mary:                          And I’m having this baby… why?

Gabriel:                       He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David…

Mary:                          (interrupting) Did you just say I’m going to be the mother of the Messiah?

Gabriel:                       Yes. Yes, I did.

Mary:                          Wow.

Gabriel:                       You did say you were bored.

Mary:                          Yes. Yes, I did.

Gabriel:                       Are you less bored?

Mary:                          Now I’m terrified.

Gabriel:                       That’s not bored.

Mary:                          I think I need to go talk to Joseph. He’ll want to know.

Gabriel:                       I’m sure that’s true. Where is Joseph, anyway?

Mary:                          This way.

[MARY and GABRIEL exit]

Narrator:                     Nine months later…

Scene 2:    

[SHEPHERD and SHEEP enter]

Shepherd:                   Well, another boring night.

Sheep:                         Baa!

Shepherd:                   Why don’t you ever seem to sleep, sheep?

Sheep:                         Baa!

Shepherd:                   Have you ever thought of counting sheep, sheep?

Sheep:                         Baa!

[pause]

Shepherd:                   Well, I agree. Counting to one isn’t all that helpful.

[ANGELS enter]

Angels:                        Hallelujah!

Shepherd:                   What?

Angels:                        Hallelujah!

Shepherd:                   Are you hearing what I’m hearing, sheep?

Sheep:                         Baa!

[GABRIEL enters]

Gabriel:                       Do not be afraid!

Shepherd:                   OK.

Sheep:                         Baa!

Gabriel:                       I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.

Shepherd:                   Could you repeat that?

Sheep:                         Baa!

Gabriel:                       I am bringing you good news…

Shepherd:                   Did you just say that the Messiah has been born down in Bethlehem?

Gabriel:                       That’s exactly what I said.

Shepherd:                   And we can go see him?

Gabriel:                       You can do exactly that.

Shepherd:                   And greet the father and the mother?

Gabriel:                       The mother for sure. The father, well, that’s a little tricky.

Shepherd:                   Are you going to explain that?

Gabriel:                       No.

Sheep:                         Baa!

Gabriel:                       Are you going to go visit the child?

Sheep:                         Baa!

Shepherd:                   You heard him.

Angels and Gabriel:    Hallelujah!

Scene Three:

[ANGELS, GABRIEL, SHEPHERD, and SHEEP exit]

[MARY enters with BABY]

[GABRIEL enters]

Gabriel:                       Where’s Joseph?

Mary:                          He went looking around the town for baby things. We hadn’t brought anything. All we’ve got are these bands of cloth and a manger.

Gabriel:                       That’s going to be tricky this late at night.

Mary:                          Everything has been tricky. Explaining my pregnancy to my family, my friends, and to Joseph was tricky. Then getting summoned down to Bethlehem for the census was tricky. Then finding a place to stay the night was tricky. Having a baby in a stable was tricky. All in all, it’s all been tricky.

Gabriel:                       Well, I’ve got good news.

Mary:                          I’m not sure I’m ready for more of your good news. That’s what’s got me here in a stable with a newborn.

Gabriel:                       You’ll like this one. I’ve brought some people to give thanks for the birth of the Messiah!

[ANGELS, SHEPHERD, and SHEEP enter]

Angels:                        Hallelujah!

Mary:                          More angels?

Sheep:                         Baa!

Mary:                          And sheep.

Shepherd:                   Hi! Are you the mother of the Messiah?

Mary:                          And a shepherd. Where’s Joseph? When’s he coming back?

Gabriel:                       I know this isn’t what you expected, Mary. This is no palace. It’s not even your own home. Or a house, in fact. But you know what a miracle this is. You know, better than anyone, that God has been at work. These are people…

Sheep:                         (interrupting) Baa!

Gabriel:                       …and creatures who have come to understand God’s miracle as well.

Angels:                        Hallelujah!

Mary:                          That is pretty wonderful, now that you put it like that.

[THREE MAGI ENTER]

Gabriel:                       And look! More visitors!

Mary:                          Couldn’t they have waited until Joseph got back?

Magi 1:                        Look, it’s been a long trip. And we got lost. So we stopped for directions in Jerusalem.

Mary:                          Jerusalem? Where the king is?

Magi 1:                        That’s the place. That’s where a new monarch should be born, right?

Mary:                          Gabriel, this sounds like trouble. The king is not going to be happy to hear about the birth of a Messiah. Would you go fetch Joseph, please?

Gabriel:                       Ah. You’re right. This is trouble. We’ll take care of it. No problem. You guys, magi, king-like people: Don’t go home via Jerusalem. OK?

Magi 1:                        Really? The king seemed to want to meet this child. A lot.

Mary:                          Seriously, where’s Joseph?

Gabriel:                       Go home another way.

Magi 1:                        Well, OK. You’re the angel. In the meantime, we’ve got some gifts for the child. Here they are: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

[EVERYBODY stares at the gifts]

Mary:                          Wow. Joseph needs to see this.

Gabriel:                       He will. And you won’t need to worry about your safety. Shepherds, creatures, wise people from far away have come to rejoice in this child. The heavens themselves are celebrating. Take a look:

[STAR enters]

Mary:                          Oh, wow.

Star:                            Welcome, newborn Messiah!

Mary:                          Where’s Joseph? He should see this.

Star:                            He’s three streets away on his way back. I’ll light the way for him.

Mary:                          Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you for welcoming my baby into the world.

Gabriel:                       We’re glad to do it. Happy Birthday, little Jesus!

All:                               Merry Christmas!

[ALL SING] “Go Tell It on the Mountain”

Watch the Recorded Pageant

Photo by Eric Anderson