Celebrate the Promise

What if you could step into Christmas… before anyone even knew it was “Christmas”?

Celebrate the Promise, written by Kathryn Chopee, follows two kids, Abby and David, who sneak into the Temple looking for the mysterious “Crazy Anna.” Instead, they collide with Simeon, an aging man carrying a holy weight: God promised he wouldn’t die until he saw the Messiah with his own eyes. When the children share a wild-sounding report from their shepherd uncle—angels, singing, Bethlehem—Simeon dares them to go find out if it’s true.

Their journey leads straight into the wonder of the manger, and back again to the Temple, where Mary and Joseph bring Jesus for dedication. That’s when everything breaks open—promise fulfilled, worship unleashed, and a fuming priest who can’t stand the interruption.

Framed by Simeon’s opening and closing monologues (spoken straight into our “modern” world), this Christmas drama gently but clearly pulls the spotlight off the stress and sparkle—and back onto what Christmas really is: God keeping His promise to send a Savior… for all of us.

Add the suggested songs between scenes and you’ve got a full, moving Christmas program that feels both heartfelt and stage-friendly.

• Run-Time: ~60–70 minutes with music (shorter if you trim/omit songs)
• Cast Size: Small cast of 8 (includes 2 children, 5 adults, plus Baby Jesus — often played by a doll)
• Plus optional choir/vocal ensemble (onstage for opening, then offstage)
• *Note:* Your script also includes a Clerk, Priest, Innkeeper, and Serving Girl—many churches will double-role these to stay at 8.
• Biblical Reference: Luke 2 (esp. Luke 2:22–38 for Simeon & Anna); prophecy nod to Micah 5:2 (Bethlehem)
• Setting: Jerusalem (Temple) and Bethlehem (stable) at the time of Jesus’ birth

Sample Script

Written by Kathryn Chopee

Download Sample Script

ACT 1 – SIMEON’S OPENING MONOLGUE

*(Lights up. Men, women and children singers, in colorful festive attire, carrying brightly wrapped packages, mill around the stage singing “ IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR” or a similar upbeat festive song) .*

*Towards the end of the song the singers casually exit the stage . Lights down. Spotlight on center stage . Enter an elderly man (SIMEON), wearing a full length long- sleeved tunic covered by a woven sleeveless garment typical of a man living in the land of Israel in Bible times. At centre stage he stops, looking out over the audience. )*

SIMEON: *(with a broad smile)* Wasn’t that lovely?... Such a wonderful time of the year!! *(peering out over the audience looking surprised)* Oh dear?! Do I see some of you ladies shaking your heads no? ….It’s not so wonderful??

Oooohhhh… I get it! You’ve spent weeks shopping for just the right presents for the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker!! You’ve spent hours in the kitchen baking your family’s favorite treats; evenings writing letters and cards to friends and family you never see…. planning dinners… entertaining company … Oh my…You poor dears! You’re totally exhausted!!!.. I bet you’re thinking that it’s not a very wonderful time of the year…. and where on earth is this Christmas spirit that you’re supposed to be full of? *(Pacing, shaking his head)* Oy vay!!

Well…it might interest you to know that in my day…. which was a very, very long time ago, there was no such thing as ‘having the Christmas spirit’! In fact… it may come as a surprise to you…. there was no such thing as Christmas!!! Can you believe it?.... NO SUCH THING AS CHRISTMAS!!!

No stockings hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would there!.... No Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer!..... No gentle Jesus meek and mild lying in a manger! Truly! There was NO SUCH THING AS CHRISTMAS!!! Jesus Christ had not yet been born so there was nothing to celebrate!

Did you know that what you people call Christmas is simply the celebration of the birth of the Christ child… the Son of God…. the Savoir of the world… the Messiah we Jews had been eagerly awaiting for hundreds and hundreds of years!

I’m sure you know that what you call the Old Testament is in fact the only Bible we Jews have to this day and it contains many prophecies of how God would send a Messiah to save the Jewish people – and to save you Gentiles too!

And you know, when I was just a wee lad , God promised me that I would not die until this Messiah had been born and I had seen Him with my very own eyes!.... Now if you’ve ever received a promise from God, you’ll understand how excited I was! I was going to see the promised Messiah come in my lifetime! Of course people laughed at me and ridiculed me! ….Who was I that God should promise me such a thing?

As the years passed, I asked myself that question many times and I always came up with the same answer- I was nobody… but God… He was somebody! He was mighty!…. He was majestic!… He was mysterious…. and for some strange reason He loved to work out His plans for mankind through poor insignificant people just like me!

Oh I could go on and on… My dear wife always said I was a talker!. But enough talking! I want to show you something that may help you have a better appreciation for this celebration you call Christmas. So if you’ll just humour an old man and close your eyes we’ll take a journey back in time, back to the land of Israel some 2000 years ago…..*(looking out over the audience)* Are you ready?

*(Lights down, wisps of cloudy roll across the stage as SIMEON exits. OFF STAGE a choir or vocal ensemble sings ‘ COME THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS’ (or carol of choice) while stage is being set. 2 or 3 very tall pillars to represent the temple as well as several benches are placed on stage )*

ACT 2- MISCHIEF IN THE TEMPLE

(Scene opens- the setting is inside the temple in Jerusalem in 5BC. Stage is dimly lit. A soft spotlight focuses on an older woman (ANNA) who is kneeling by a bench in front of the stage, praying. Then spotlight shifts across the stage where two children (DAVID and ABBY) slowly and cautiously creep onstage(stage right) They stop and hide behind a tall plant. The girl giggles..)

DAVID: Shhh!

ABBY: *(whispers loudly)* Sorry….. it’s spooky in here

DAVID: *(continues whispering)* Spooky? They why’d you laugh?

ABBY: Well it’s better than crying!

DAVID: *(groans)* Girls are so dumb!

ABBY: *(shrieks)* What!

DAVID: *(clamping a hand over ABBY’S mouth)* Hush up! D’you want us thrown out of here?

ABBY: *(yanks his hand away and whispers loudly)* Sorry!

DAVID: *(pointing to ANNA)* Look…. there she is!

ABBY: Wow… she looks kind of scary!

*(Enter SIMEON towards the back of the temple, carrying a large candle or torch)*

DAVID: *(pointing to SIMEON)* Hush!!

*(SIMEON moves across the back of the temple lighting wall sconces as he goes. Lights go up on stage. SIMEON exits stage right)*

DAVID: *(in a loud whisper)* Okay we’ve seen her now let’s get out of here! They’ll skin us alive if they catch us!

*(The children frantically turn and run right into SIMEON who comes up behind them. SIMEON grabs their tunics)*

SIMEON: Well, well, well! What do we have here?

*(The children silently struggle to break free)*

SIMEON: *(menacingly)* I’d suggest you state your name and your business immediately if you know what’s good for you!!

(DAVID gestures to ABBY to be quiet)

SIMEON: *(with a loud sigh)* Very well, you leave me no choice but to take you to the temple guards. I’m sure you know what they do to intruders, don’t you?

DAVID and ABBY: *(shriek in unison)* The temple guards!!!?

Download Sample Script

Want to see how the story unfolds? Get the complete script and bring this powerful moment to your stage.