Pod the Alien Sketch : ‘Christmas (4)’

Introduction and entrance (Compere, talking, is interrupted by spaceship landing sound effects, What’s that noise? I think there’s something happening outside, lets take a look on the school’s security camera.. Overlay external photo of school with spaceship slide, landing. Now what could that be?! Is it an aeroplane; a helicopter? Have any of you children got any ideas what it is?. Take suggestions from the children. OHP off.

Hello.
Hello Pod, how are you today?
Oh, I’m feeling puzzled.
And what is it that’s puzzling you?
Well, as I was getting near to your planet just now, I could see that there were far more lights than usual, and some of them were flashing.
Ah, that would be all the extra lights and decorations in the streets and houses
So what’s all that about then? It makes it very difficult to see where you want to land, you know.
Well it is nearly Christmas, and lots of people like to make Christmas a special time. They put up lights, decorate the Christmas tree, spray pretend snow on everything. Yes, lots of people enjoy Christmas, even people who don’t know Jesus
Hold on, hold on! But what is Christmas? And what’s it got to do with Jesus?
Oh I’m sorry, I thought everyone knew what Christmas was all about?
(Grumpily) Well not me. I suppose I must be stupid, or something.
(Ignoring) And it’s got everything to do with Jesus, why if it wasn’t for Jesus there would be no Christmas!
(still grumpily) Well I’ve never had one anyway
(Ignoring) You see thousands of years ago God decided to send His only son, Jesus, down from heaven, to be born as a little baby just like us, so that he could grow up among us, and show us how we can know God as our father, just like He knows God as His father.
Wow, that’s just wonderful (nods, pauses); but what’s it got to do with Christmas?
Christmas is the time that we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Oh. So all the decorations are like; party decorations.
Yes, that’s right..
And the all lights are like candles on Jesus’ birthday cake!
(confused) Well, I suppose you could say that…
And the snow is like the icing on Jesus’ birthday cake!
Er, no. I think you’re taking it a bit far now…
Maybe we should sing happy birthday to Jesus, yes, come on everybody, all together now…
No! No, that would be tacky.
Oh yes, you’re quite right; it would be painful wouldn’t it.
Very
And it’s a rubbish tune anyway… hasn’t even got a chorus.
No.
And it sounds worse if you’ve got a short name too. Mind you the name ‘Jesus’ would work… Happy birthday dear Je-sus.. That would work; we could sing it couldn’t we?
(shakes head)
No, you were right first time; it’s pants isn’t it. Anyway, I don’t really get why Jesus’ birthday is so special, after all he’s been dead hundreds of years hasn’t he?
I think you’re forgetting something, Pod. Jesus did die, but be didn’t say dead for long. He came back to life again remember, before he went back to heaven.
Well yeah, but it sounds a bit unlikely doesn’t it.
No, several hundred people saw him, and all his disciples believed it, in fact most of them were killed because they believed it. And no one’s prepared to die for something they know is a lie.
Yes, I never thought of it like that. But you said Jesus went back to heaven. Does that mean that he’s been there before?
Yes Pod; Jesus had always been with God the Father, since before they made the world together. But at the first Christmas, Jesus came on a daring rescue mission to lead us back to God. And he came just like one of us, and amazingly, chose to arrive like we all do – as a baby.
Wow, no way! A baby?! How could God squeeze himself down to the size of a baby?
I know it’s hard to get your head round isn’t it
Too right.
But that was what made Jesus so special, he was completely human, but completely God, too. There has never been anyone like Jesus, and never will. That’s why billions of people round the world believe in Jesus, and not just believe in him, but because he is alive, they know him in their hearts.
Wow, that is amazing. I can see that his birthday’s worth celebrating.
Now you’re understanding, Pod
Oh, no! Oh no! There’s something we’ve forgotten!
What?!
A birthday present! We haven’t got Jesus a birthday present; He must have a birthday present. What can we get Him?
(flustered) But, but there’s nothing we can get Him, He’s got everything!
What do you mean? There must be something he needs.
No really, listen, God says in the Bible that, “every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine … for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” You see God doesn’t need anything (pause): But there is one thing that He wants.
(Gasp) What is it, what is it? What could Jesus who owns the whole world possibly want?…
What would really make Jesus happy this Christmas, would be to have the love and obedience of each one of these people’s hearts
Oh wow, if that’s what he wants, I guess that Jesus must love each of you more than anything in the world
Yes, there’s no doubt about that. And that’s where the journey of Christmas begins. In understanding that Jesus came because he loves us more than anything in the world, and more than anything in Heaven too.
That’s just amazing. Well, I must go now while my Spaceship’s still warm, it’s so difficult to start on these cold mornings. But I’ve learnt something new on this trip: That at Christmas we remember, that God sent Jesus on a rescue mission to the world, and that the only present that you can give to Jesus is your heart. Well, good-bye now, I’ll see you again soon. Happy Christmas everyone.

Standard exit (Spaceship takes off on OHP overlay to accompanying sound effects through PA.)

(Over takeoff effects) Well, that was Pod. And there he goes off in his spaceship. We didn’t find out much about him did we. I hope that he can find his way back to see us again.

© M Day 13-Dec-1997 & 5-Dec-2002