"The King is Born" is the nativity-themed episode of Nest Entertainment's direct-to-video series Animated Stories from the New Testament, an Animated Bible Stories/Rich Animation Studios co-production for Family Entertainment Network.
Synopsis[]
In Jerusalem, an old woman named Anna asks an old man named Simeon why he is here. He tells her he is looking for the Messiah, as he had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he'd see Christ the Lord before dying. Meanwhile, a scrawny man suspiciously spies on him.
He then reports this to King Herod the Great, who is dismayed and claims to be their Messiah. The spy whispers to Herod, but Herod says not to kill Simeon, but watch him. He says that if Simeon claims to find this Messiah, then the killing will start.
Meanwhile, in Nazareth in Galilee, a young woman named Mary is vocalizing while gardening, and suddenly, the angel Gabriel appears to her, scaring her. He assures her to not be afraid, as the Lord is with her, she is blessed among women, she has found favor with God, and she would bring forth a son named Jesus. He mentions that the child will be called the Son of the Highest, and that the Lord would give Him the Throne, and He would reign forever. Mary asks how it can be, since she is only engaged, and not even married yet, to a carpenter named Joseph. Gabriel tells her that He would be the son of God, as everything is possible with Him. Mary accepts the will, and Gabriel vanishes. Mary then prays.
Meanwhile, Joseph is doing wood work when Mary arrives with some news. It turns out Joseph "knows everything," since an angel had come the night before. Mary had been afraid he'd be angry, but he promises to be her husband as they had always planned, and to love the child like his own. Mary tells him she must thank her father for choosing him (Joseph) as her husband.
On behalf of Caesar Augustus, Romans tell the Nazarites and the Jews that every man had to be counted and taxed, and that he had to receive this action in his birthplace. Joseph tells Mary Bethlehem is just too far away, and though he knows they have no choice, it isn't safe, and asks what will happen if the baby is born along the way. Mary says that under that circumstance, instead of paying the tax for two, he'd have to pay it for three. After many days, before they are even in Bethlehem, Mary comes to the decision that the baby is coming, but mentions that they have a little more time... she thinks.
Every inn they have tried has been full. Every innkeeper has turned them away due to a shortage of room. At one inn, after knocking, Joseph opens the door himself, and calls the innkeeper, who has his arms full of a big pile of dishes. He has to walk back and correct a mistake of missing a customer's drink, and puts a bowl of broth on the floor for one of those sitting there, and he has to tiptoe. The innkeeper tries to force Joseph away, but he protests. After attempted pleadings, the innkeeper yells "NO ROOM!" to him and slams the door, but reopens when he remembers hearing him say that Mary is about to have a baby. The innkeeper brings Joseph, Mary, and the donkey the latter is sitting on, to a stable in a cave, takes the donkey into a stall, and shoves logs in front of it. Joseph thanks him on both his and Mary's behalf for this hospitality, but the innkeeper leaves, figuring he is out of his mind, since the idea of "babies being born in stables" is no way to run a business. Joseph comforts Mary, but she says she has him by her side.
The animals are sleeping in the dark until the newborn baby cries, and the light goes on. Mary wraps the baby in swaddling clothes, and Joseph takes him in his arms, and asks him if he knows that Jesus is his name. He then puts Jesus in the manger and tells Mary to sleep.
Outside on a hill, the boy of three shepherds (accompanied by a dog) looks at the lights in Bethlehem, while the other two are trying to sleep, as mentioned by the tough shepherd when the dog barks in excitement. The boy shepherd wishes he were in Bethlehem, as there are stories, but the tough shepherd says they're all the same: the true ones are boring, while the good ones are just lies. The old one states that nothing important has ever happened there, and the tough one tells the young one to go to sleep. But then an angel appears to the scared shepherds, but he tells them not to fear, and about Jesus' birth, bringing tears to the tough shepherd's eyes. The shepherds and dog leave for Bethlehem (though the boy questions what will happen to the flock, but the old shepherd says they'll be safe enough). They walk over to find Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. We see a new, special star twinkling, and then to the home of the Three Wise Men. One in yellow sees it. One in green says it is a new one. And the one in blue says it is about the birth of the King of Heaven. The Wise Man in yellow says he wants to see Him before he dies. So they start to bring him gifts. The blue-garbed Wise Man takes gold of Persia, the yellow-garbed one takes frankincense of Abyssinia, and the green-garbed one takes myrrh of India (and pours a drop of it into his own hand).
Joseph and Mary take Jesus (and a cage of doves) to the temple of Jerusalem to present Jesus. Simeon stops them and asks to see him. Mary shows and tells him. Simeon says he knows Him as the Messiah. Anna arrives, and Mary lets her hold him. She announces to the other people at the temple to thank the Lord, and presents the baby as the Redeemer for those looking for redemption (while Herod's spy is spying). Simeon is ready to die in peace, as he saw salvation in his eyes.
The spy mentions the birth of Jesus to Herod, much to his initial amusement, but Herod remembers that babies grow up quickly. He asks the spy if he found out who the parents were, or where the baby lives. Both times, he shakes his head, much to enough anger that Herod squeezes his neck and calls him a fool. Just afterward, the Wise Men arrive, and Herod lets go of his spy. The Wise Men talk about the part of their journey before they arrived, and why they came: to worship the Messiah. Herod asks his scribe, Kadmiel, to find out where the Messiah was born. He reveals Bethlehem as the birthplace. Herod tells them to go, find the newborn King, and bring him word so he may worship him, too. They promise, leave, and wish peace unto him. Herod returns them this wish, but becomes uneasy that there'll be a new king.
Meanwhile, in another house, Joseph is working on carpentry, while Mary is sewing besides Jesus' cradle, but then a knock is heard. The Wise Men arrive, having followed a star, ask to see the baby, and mention they came to honor Him. Mary tells them to come in. Joseph tells them His name, and then presenting their gifts (from yellow to blue), they bow.
Afterward, the spy has mentioned to Herod that the men had found him, and Herod asks him why he thinks they went home another way. He takes it as a plot against him, which will not work. Herod doesn't want the baby Jesus to live long enough to challenge him. He yells at the spy... and decrees that the baby must die. He sends his soldiers to kill him... and every baby boy (just to make sure).
The soldiers rush to do away with the baby boys. Briefly, the innkeeper who provided the stable to Mary and Joseph earlier, opens up, and slams the door when he sees this happen. While the holy family is asleep, an angel warns Joseph in a dream of this search, and tells him to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt. He finds it a strange dream, but he wakes Mary and tells her about this. He packs bread. While Herod's men are killing the rest of the babies, Joseph saves Mary and Jesus and takes them away to Egypt. A soldier stops and breaks in, but finds the baby gone.
Later, as narrated, the family remains in Egypt, until Joseph hears from an angel about Herod's death, and they return to Nazareth, and after getting a little older, Jesus helps Joseph with his work.
Song[]
Trivia[]
- Part of the nativity scene is reused in Samuel and the Sign.
- None of the Wise Men are mentioned by name, not even in the credits.
- It can, however, be presumed that Melchoir is the blue-garbed Wise Man (because he's the one bringing the gold), Gaspar is the yellow-garbed one (because he's the one bringing the frankincense), and Balthazar is the green-garbed one (because he's the one bringing the myrrh).
- Other than who brought which gift, the order in which they stand from left to right is either Caspar (yellow), Balthazar (green), and Melchior (blue), like when they explain to Herod what brings them to Palestine and when they finally bow to the baby Jesus and present their respective gifts, or vice-versa (when they arrive at Mary and Joseph's house in Bethlehem) and explain why they have arrived.
- Throughout most of the program, Joseph does not have any facial hair, but he does grow a short beard and two-part mustache at the end, when Jesus is a little older.
Goofs[]
- While Joseph is whacking a mallet onto a straight knife thingy onto a long piece of wood, the shavings fall off, especially when Mary arrives. Close-up, there is a shaving of the wood still hanging over the edge touching the knife. Two clips later, when he tells Mary he knows everything, the shaving is gone. In real life (which this special is based off), it couldn't have stayed up hanging earlier and then chosen to jump off.
- In the scene where the Wise Men visit King Herod, when Herod sends them off to find the newborn King, the blue-garbed Wise Man (presumably Melchior, as he was the one who displayed the gold) has a yellow beard, and it is usually black.
Cast[]
| Voice actress/actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Pat Jackson | Mary |
| Maikel Bailey | Joseph |
| Michael Flynn | Herod |
| Nelsen Maxfield | Gabriel |
| John Vincent | Young Shepherd |
| Eric Vaughn | Old Shepherd |
| Mark Braza | Tough Shepherd |
| Gene Pack Harry Russell John Nicolaysen |
Wise Men |
| Noel Twitchell | Innkeeper |
| Ruth Hale | Anna |
| Oscar G. Rowland | Simeon |
| Bruce Ackerman | Kidmiel |
| Don Bishop | Narrator |