This was inspired by hearing the Ed Sheeran / Elton John Christmas song, “Merry Christmas”, which went to Number 1 in December 2021. It was then re-written and released as the charity song “Sausage Rolls for Everyone” by Ladbaby in support of The Trussell Trust foodbank charity, which became Christmas number 1 in 2021. It got me thinking, if Ladbaby could re-write a song for charity, why couldn’t I? What if it was written to retell the Christmas story? I put some lyrics down and we performed the song “Good News for Everyone” at the end of our evangelistic Christmas Eve service. I then wondered if it would be possible to write some more lyrics to classic Christmas pop songs, so that we could end up with a Christmas musical, and in July, sat down and had a go, using classic songs from Mud, Band Aid, Mariah Carey and Chris Rea.
We performed “Good News for Everyone” – A musical for Christmas on Christmas Eve 2022. Together with the congregational carols, the whole event/service lasted around an hour and had a real impact on those who attended. Why don’t you give it a go in your setting? Feel free to change the carol choices for whatever works in your setting.
Introduction
Narrator:
Welcome everyone, to “Good News for Everyone”, a Christmas musical. I don’t know about you, but I love the Christmas tunes that fill our airwaves and shopping centres from mid-November time – those Christmas classics from Wham, Mariah Carey, Band Aid – well, you’re going to hear those tunes this afternoon, as we tell you the Christmas story in a completely fresh way. There are also some carols for you to join in with, so please do sing along! Let’s begin by singing together …
CAROL 1 – Come and join the celebration
Scene 1 – An Unexpected Visitor
Narrator:
[IN A FORMAL-SOUNDING VOICE] ‘God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered… [TRAILS OFF]’
[IN A MORE NATURAL SOUNDING VOICE]
Hold on… let me tell you this in my own words… Once upon a time, in a little town called Nazareth, lived a young woman called Mary. She was young, just a girl really, but she loved God. She wasn’t particularly special, that’s not the point, but what happened to her was pretty incredible. She was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter and their plans were simple: they would marry, have children; he would work and she would spend her life looking after her husband and children, and they’d live happily ever after. Except… well, let’s see.
[CHARACTERS ENTER STAGE]
One day, Mary was daydreaming about her life, thinking about her future husband and how happy they’d be and wondering how many children they’d have together, when a figure appeared suddenly in front of her and she jumped in fright.
Angel Gabriel:
Hey Mary, favoured one! God is with you!
Narrator:
Mary was confused, bewildered, and very frightened. I mean, you would be, it was an angel! And, also what could the angel mean?
Angel Gabriel:
Mary, don’t be afraid, you’ve found favour with God. You are going to have a baby and you’ll name him Jesus. He will be great – in fact, he’ll be called the King, the Son of God – and he’ll reign forever.
Mary:
But how can this happen? I’ve never been with a man.
Angel Gabriel:
God’s Holy Spirit will make it happen in God’s power. He’ll be no ordinary baby; he’ll be the Son of God. Because nothing is impossible with God.
Mary:
I’m God’s servant. If that’s what he wants then let it all happen to me, just as you’ve said.
Narrator:
With that, the angel left and Mary’s life had changed forever. Her people had waited for generations for God to send the promised saviour king; and now God had chosen her to be that one’s mother. That certainly hadn’t been part of her plans. And then, of course, there was Joseph… Oh, gosh, Joseph… How would he feel about this? Would he believe her? Would he still care for her? Would he love and care for her?
Mary looked for the right time to tell Joseph, but the right time never seemed to come. But she was running out of time; soon everyone would know, because the baby was growing inside of her and she wouldn’t be able to hide it much longer. So, one evening, after dinner when they were alone, Mary found her courage and began the most difficult conversation she would have in her life.
Joseph:
Mary, are you ok, you’ve not been yourself today – or recently, actually. Is there something wrong? Anything you’re worried about?
Mary:
Actually, Joseph dear, there’s something I need to tell you.
Joseph:
Uh oh, that sounds serious. What is it?
Mary:
I’m going to have a baby.
Joseph:
Yes, I know. I can’t wait to have children with you. It’s ok to be worried, I think it’s natural, but your family will help you when the time comes.
Mary:
No, Joseph, you don’t understand. I’m going to have a baby – soon, I mean. I’m pregnant.
Joseph:
No, that’s – that’s impossible. You’re joking, aren’t you?
Mary:
No, I’m not. It’s true. But it’s not what you think.
Joseph:
Oh, really, whose is it?
Mary:
I know you won’t believe me, but an angel visited me and told me that I was going to have a baby – that he would be God’s Son, and that I was to call him Jesus, – God’s Holy Spirit would make it happen. I’ve not been unfaithful to you, I promise.
Joseph:
I, I don’t know what to say. How can you do this to me? How can you expect me to believe this is some sort of miracle baby? What have you been doing? I was so looking forward to a life with you, but… this… I’d rather be alone than be cheated and taken for a fool.
Song 1 – Lonely in Nazareth
(to tune of ‘Lonely this Christmas’, by Mud
[Joseph:]
Try to imagine a house that’s not a home
Try to imagine being all alone
Mary, you betrayed me,
I thought we were close
You’re having a baby,
Whose? No one knows.
It’ll be lonely in Nazareth without you to hold,
It’ll be lonely in Nazareth, lonely and cold
It’ll be cold so cold, without you to hold,
In Nazareth.
[Mary]
Try to imagine what the angel said is true
Joseph, believe me,
I’d never lie to you.
The baby in my tummy
is God’s only son
A Saviour, Jesus,
who’ll be born for everyone
It’ll be lonely in Nazareth without you to hold,
It’ll be lonely in Nazareth, lonely and cold
It’ll be cold so cold, without you to hold,
In Nazareth.
[Angel Gabriel]
Joseph, wake up now,
you’re getting it all wrong
Mary’s telling the truth now
and she needs you, my son.
So, Joseph, wake up now
and take her to be your wife
Look after the baby
Protect that little life.
It needn’t be lonely in Nazareth
With each other to hold,
Don’t be lonely in Nazareth,
lonely and cold.
It needn’t be lonely in Nazareth
With each other to hold,
Don’t be lonely in Nazareth, lonely and cold.
God’s plan is working out, just as you’ve been told
In Nazareth.
Mary and Joseph, you’ll be just fine.
Narrator:
Thanks to the angel’s intervention, Joseph knew that Mary was telling the truth and they married as planned. Wherever Mary went, she would have Joseph at her side helping her bring up this very special baby.
We’ll return to this story in a bit, but before we do, let’s sing together:
CAROL 2 – Mary’s boy child
Scene 2 – The Census and journey to Bethlehem
Narrator:
A few months later, and the time was coming close for Mary’s baby to be born. They were making plans when everything was turned upside down by some unwelcome news. The Romans were in charge and the Emperor Augustus decided to count everyone in his empire. This wouldn’t have been so bad, except that he required everyone to return to their home town so they could be counted. For Joseph and Mary, like for many, this would was a pain, a huge inconvenience – but the Romans didn’t care about that; they were in charge and they didn’t much care about anything else.
Song 2 – It’s census time
(Tune of ‘Do they know it’s Christmas’ by Band Aid)
[Centurion]
It’s census time, it’s time to count you I’m afraid
Without census time your taxes simply won’t get paid.
We Romans have plenty but we’d like plenty more
Because we rule the world, it’s census time.
You can try and say a prayer
But that won’t change anything
At census time, it’s hard for you and your offspring.
Because we’re sending you away
Away to your hometown
We don’t care how far that is
How much it gets you down,
Because all that really matters
Is that we get the cash
So tonight, you’d better pack, you’d better dash!
And there won’t be peace for anyone this census time
At least we’re letting them keep their life.
Everyone’s on the go
Because we’ve told them so
They will know it’s census time for all!
Here’s to us, raise a glass, yes, everyone!
Here’s to us, we’re the best, the chosen ones.
They will know it’s census time for all!
Tell the world, tell the world.
Tell the world – Let them know it’s census time!
Tell the world – Let them know it’s census time!
Tell the world – Let them know it’s census time!
Tell the world – Let them know it’s census time right now!
Narrator:
So, Joseph and Mary would have to make a long journey to Bethlehem, 70 miles away. And, they’d have to do that with the baby due any day. Joseph wondered if they’d make it all the way in time. They packed their bags and set off. Would they be ok? They desperately hoped God was looking after them.
Song 3 – Riding on a donkey
(Tune of ‘Driving home for Christmas’ by Chris Rea)
[Joseph]
We’re riding on a donkey,
All because of that census
We’re riding on a donkey, yeah,
And it’s gonna take some time,
It’s a long, long way, to Bethlehem, yeah
I sing this song to pass the time away
Riding all the way, Riding on a donkey.
It’s gonna take some time, but we’ll get there
I hope it won’t be too long, though,
She’s having the baby soon.
But step by step we’ll get there yeah,
Get there safe and sound.
Lord, I sing to you, and I hope you hear me,
Please help me get through and feel you near me
Riding all the way, riding on a donkey.
Riding on a donkey, all the way to Bethlehem
I take a look at Mary next to me
I hope she’ll be ok, be ok.
I hope it won’t be too long
She’s having the baby soon
We’re riding on a donkey, yeah,
We’ll get there safe and sound.
Lord, I sing to you, and I hope you hear me,
Please help me get through and feel you near me
Riding all the way, Riding on a donkey.
Riding on a donkey, all the way to Bethlehem
I take a look at Mary next to me
I hope she’ll be ok.
We’re riding now, riding now,
Riding on a donkey.
Riding on a donkey.
Scene 3 – Jesus is born
Narrator:
Mary and Joseph did make it to Bethlehem. But now they needed to find somewhere for their baby to be born. The town was very crowded, so there were no guest rooms available for them. So, Jesus was born and – as you’ve probably heard – they wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger. It wasn’t ideal but they’d made it that long journey, they were warm and safe and they had a sense that God was looking out for them. They looked in wonder at their new baby son as every new parent does. Except, of course, this wasn’t any ordinary baby. Jesus, the promised Saviour had been born.
Let’s sing about that Saviour now:
CAROL 3 – Away in a manger
Scene 4 – Shepherds and the angels
Narrator:
Meanwhile, in the fields outside Bethlehem …
Song 4 – A Saviour has been born you
(Tune of ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ by Mariah Carey)
Verse 1
Now there were shepherds on the hillside
Watching over their flocks by night
An Angel of the Lord appeared
And the night sky filled with light
The shepherds they were so dismayed
But the angel said “Don’t be afraid.
I bring you good news –
a Saviour has been born for you.”
Verse 2
“This news is good news of great joy
The birth of a baby boy
Born in Bethlehem this night
A baby who’ll make all things right.
His birth is good news for everyone,
This baby is God’s only Son
So go and find him right away
He’s in a manger filled with hay.
Chorus 1
This is God’s sign to you
He loves you more than you could know.
He’ll make your wish come true
A Saviour has been born for you.
Oh, oh, Jesus
Bridge
Oh-oh, then the lights were shining so brightly everywhere
And the sound of angels singing filled the air
Oh, yeah, you could hear them singing
Angel praises ringing
“Glory to God and peace on earth
Good will to all humankind.”
Verse 3
Oh, then the shepherds on the hillside
Hurried down to Bethlehem
To go and see baby Jesus,
the one who had been born for them
Chorus 2
Oh, baby Jesus, there he lay
In the manger filled with hay.
Their wishes had come true
Outro
A Saviour has been born for you, Jesus!
A Saviour has been born for you, Jesus!
A Saviour has been born for you, Jesus!
A Saviour has been born for you, Jesus!
Narrator:
The shepherds had had quite a night! Once they’d paid their respects they left, and went out into the village telling everyone they saw about all they’d seen. Everyone who heard their story was amazed. They were pretty amazed themselves, and, as they made the journey back to their flocks, everything felt somehow different. As they talked to each other about all that they had heard and seen, their hearts were aglow. They hadn’t imagined the angel thing. Everything had happened just as they’d been told. They’d met the Saviour, just a child but one that would somehow change their whole world.
CAROL 4 – See him lying on a bed of straw
Narrator:
Mary and Joseph were overwhelmed. What a night it had been. Mary would keep all these things in her heart and remembered them often. But the drama wasn’t done yet … because something was happening in the east, a long way away.
Song 5 – We’re Magi
(to the tune of ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham)
Oh, oh-oh, ooh-oh-oh-oh, Ah-ah
Chorus x 2
We’re Magi, we look to the skies
Because there we’ll see our destiny.
When a new star appeared
We knew it was something special
Verse 1
This new star lit up the sky
In the distance it really caught our eye
We had to find out, “What does it mean?
This star that’s appeared, this star that we’ve seen.”
A new king.
God wrapped him up and sent him.
With a note saying, “I love you, “
He meant it.
Now we know what this star means
We will follow it now,
no matter where it leads.
Chorus x 2
We’re Wise Men, we look to the skies
Because there we’ll see our destiny
(our destiny).
When a new star appeared
We knew it was something special
Verse 2
So we set off to follow the star
No matter where it led or how far
A thousand miles on a dusty track
A bumpy ride on the camel’s back.
And then we made it to our destination
In Bethlehem, in the Jewish nation
Ooh-hoo, Now we’d found the place where we’d worship the King
Chorus x 2
We’re Wise Men, we look to the skies
Because there we’ll see our destiny (our destiny).
When a new star appeared
We knew it was something special
Outro
So, we bowed down to worship the King (worship the King)
Gave him gifts to honour him
So we know now, that he is someone,
He is someone special (special!)
The king!
Talk – Good news for everyone
What an amazing night it must have been 2,000 years ago, especially for those shepherds who were serenaded by those angels and told the most incredible news – today, in Bethlehem, a Saviour has been for you – and you will find him, in all places, in a manger. The angels chose shepherds to be the recipients of this good news, even though they weren’t very important – in fact, because they weren’t very important. You see, the wonderful news of Christmas is that we all matter to God. Each of us. We are so important to God. This good news of great joy is for you and me too – God became human, giving the world the greatest possible gift of a Saviour – this is good news for everyone, because we all need a Saviour.
There’s so much mess and pain in this world that we don’t know what to do about. The good news is that God saw that the world was in a mess; he saw how we hurt ourselves and each other and that we get so much wrong so often and that there was nothing we could do about it. So he stepped in, became human to do nothing less than save the world.
This makes all the difference to us, because we can see that we are deeply loved. God loved us enough to come and save us. That’s the first thing. The second is that we are never alone – Jesus came to be God with us. Incredibly he gives us the chance to become his children – all those who receive him become children of God – which means we join a worldwide family, the church – we’re just a tiny part of that. The third is that we can have peace. If Jesus is our saviour then all the mess we experience in our lives, all our worries, we can hand over to him.
I’d like to invite you to accept this gift of Jesus this Christmas, accept that he has saved our lives and then to live our lives with a sense of gratitude in response. Perhaps you’d like to explore more – join our church community, consider doing Alpha – whatever it may be, take that next step. A Saviour has been born. It’s good news for everyone. Let it be good news for you.
Song 6 – Good news for everyone
(to the tune of ‘Merry Christmas’ by Ed Sheeran and Elton John)
Intro
Build the fire and gather round the tree
Celebrate Jesus’ amazing love with me.
Verse 1
This is a story from long ago
Yet it’s world changing news for everyone,
don’t you know?
The news of a Saviour
who would never let us go
Yes, he loves us so;
Oh yeah, what a Saviour
Verse 2
The babe who was born in Bethlehem
Is God’s perfect love,
a love that was the best of all
I wish you could see you through his eyes,
then you would know
To God, you are beautiful;
oh yeah, how he loves us.
Bridge
The angels in their throng,
singing praises to God in their song
“Good news for everyone,
glory to God, peace on earth.”
All because of the Saviour’s birth.
Good news for everyone.
Chorus
Hallelujah, // Hallelujah
Verse 3
So, the shepherds who saw the angels’ glow
hurried to Bethlehem
so that they’d really know
That God’s love for everyone
simply overflows
Even for those you know
who don’t feel important.
Verse 4
Yes, everyone matters to Jesus Christ
who came to this earth
so he could give us eternal life
he banished our sins on the cross,
what a sacrifice
The third day he rose to life;
Oh yeah, what a Saviour
Bridge
So join the angels’ song,
singing, “Good news for everyone,”
He’s given so much love,
Saviour Jesus the King
Who is also God’s only Son.
Good news for everyone.
Chorus
Hallelujah, // Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, // Hallelujah.
Ending
It’s Christmas time for you and I
So let’s all join in this celebration.
(x3)
It’s Christmas time for you and I
So let’s all join in this celebration now.
STAGE CLEARS, NARRATOR STANDS ALONE.
Narrator:
So, that’s my story… a young Nazarene woman, an understandably shocked fiancée and a trip to Bethlehem.
It’s not really the end to this Christmas tale
Coz its impact is felt today as well
We hope you liked all the songs… and the fun
More than this, know, it’s Good news for everyone.
FINAL CAROL – Hark! the herald angels sing.
Halwill Publishing 
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