The Centurion’s Christmas – Simplified Version
Chris Field – 2023 – copyright
A small choral group stands across the back of the stage during this short play.
The play opens with the choral group singing.
Chorus: Why do they not believe Him? Why do they not receive Him?
Why don’t they come to Him born to set them free?
Why don’t they come to him?
Why don’t they bow the knee?
Why don’t they run to Him, who came to set them free?
Soldier One strides from back of church toward stage, carrying a bundle of parchment scrolls.
Soldier Two follows slowly.
One: “Come on Soldier! We have a lot more to do.”
Soldier Two follows, hesitant.
One: “The sooner we finish the Emperor’s Census the sooner we can do something useful!”
Solder One stands centre stage and Soldier Two eventually catches up to him.
One: “See the World, they said. People will cringe at the sight of you. Fight important battles. Prove yourself. Ha! Here we are in Judea counting heads. (turning to Soldier Two) And you can’t even keep up!”
Two: “But, we just can’t walk away from all that.”
One: “What? A sleepy village full of Jews, all descended from the great king David – yet as useless as that Innkeeper.”
Two: “But we saw it ourselves.”
One: “Saw what? You’ve been spooked by these local superstitions. So we meet some shepherds who’ve been drinking too much.”
Two: “They weren’t drunk! They were amazed. You heard their story. They saw angels and got a message from God.”
One: “God! Isn’t the Emperor God? And HIS message is to register the people. The shepherd’s God only talked about ONE baby. (waving his scroll) We have thousands of babies in our records.”
Two: “But the promise. Peace on Earth.”
One: “Do you seriously think there’s going to be peace anywhere? We’ve fought enough battles and seen enough crazy people to know we’re not going to see peace, even in sleepy Beth-whatever.”
Two: “Bethlehem. It means House of Bread.”
One: “Ha! There wasn’t much bread to go around with so many people crowding down there.”
Two: “But we saw the baby!”
One: “Yeah! Can you believe these lying Jews? (mimicking) ‘Sir, there are no more people in the inn’, he says, then we find a whole crowd in the stable!”
Two: “And the shepherds were there too! They said it was the baby they were looking for.”
One: “They were hiding from the census, that’s all. And I wasn’t going to stand for that.”
Soldiers Stand Still
Chorus: Why do they not believe Him? Why do they not receive Him?
Why don’t they come to Him born to set them free?
Why don’t they come to him?
Why don’t they bow the knee?
Why don’t they run to Him, who came to set them free?
Soldiers move again
Two: “Bethlehem is mentioned in their prophets.”
One: “That’s superstition again.”
Two: “A baby born in the family of their great king.”
One: “Baby’s are born every day!”
Two: “The shepherds saw the angels.”
One: “The shepherds were drunk!”
Two: “We saw the light in the sky – as we came into Bethlehem.”
One: “It was a storm!”
Two: “They said the woman was a virgin.”
One: “Now you’re going crazy! She was with her husband!”
Two: “I can’t help it. It really seems important and significant.”
One: “Significant?! (unfurls scroll) I’ll tell you how significant it is. (finds the record he’s looking for) Here it is. Baby Jesus, born to Joseph and Mary. Take it from me, no-one’s ever going to hear about Beth-whatever …”
Two: (interrupting) “Bethlehem”
One: “No one’s ever going to hear about Bethlehem, and a baby Jesus born in a stable to Joseph and Mary EVER AGAIN!” (rolls up scroll and strides off stage – then both soldiers stop)
Soldier Two is still on stage.
Chorus: Why do they not believe Him? Why do they not receive Him?
Why don’t they come to Him born to set them free?
Why don’t they come to Him?
Why don’t they bow the knee?
Why don’t they run to Him, who came to set them free?
Soldiers move again
One: (calling back to Two) “Are you going to serve the Emperor, or trust in a nobody baby?”
Soldier Two stands uncertain for a long while, looking back to Bethlehem, to the sky above, then shrugs and heads off to follow Soldier One.
One: (half way up the aisle as he exits) “You’ve made the right decision. This Jesus is never going to be heard of again!”
Both exit out the back.
Choral Group steps forward to front of stage and sings to audience.
Chorus: Why do they not believe Him? Why do they not receive Him?
Why don’t they come to Him born to set them free?
And why do you not believe Him? Why do you not receive Him?
Why don’t you come to Him who came to set you free?
Why don’t you come to Him?
Why don’t you bow the knee?
Why don’t you run to Him, who came to set you free?
Soldier Two returns to stage
Two: “As Jesus hung on the cross, 33 years later, a Roman Centurion watched and declared, “Truly this is the Son of God.”
That centurion could have been a young man working on the Emperor’s census, in Bethlehem, on the night Jesus was born.
Believing in Jesus is not just for church people, or Jews, but even dreaded Roman Soldiers, or criminals, like a man on the cross near Jesus.
And so, today, you too can make the same wonderful decision to acknowledge Jesus, the son of God who died for your sins. Believing in Jesus brings all of God’s wonderful grace into your life.”
Choral singers: Choose today to believe Him,
Choose today to receive Him
Choose today to come to Him, so he can set you free.
Choose now to come to Him
Choose now to bow the knee
Choose now to run to Him
And he will set you free.
End
CHORDS FOR CHORAL SONG
C Dm7 G7 C – Am7
WHY DO THEY NOT BELIEVE HIM? WHY DO THEY NOT RECEIVE HIM?
Am7 Dm7 G7 C
WHY DON’T THEY COME TO HIM BORN TO SET THEM FREE?
C C7 F Dm7 G7 C
WHY DON’T THEY COME TO HIM? WHY DON’T THEY BOW THE KNEE?
Am7 Dm7 G7 C
WHY DON’T THEY RUN TO HIM, WHO CAME TO MAKE THEM FREE?
Ps Chris Field, Melbourne Australia – cfield096@gmail.com