Kevin Costner’s ABC Christmas Special Faithfully Recounts the Nativity Story

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A new ABC holiday special featuring Kevin Costner narrating the story of Mary and Joseph feels like a throwback to classic Walt Disney storytelling – and it adheres closely to the biblical account in a way likely to please even the most devoted.

Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas airs Tuesday night (Dec. 9) at 8 Eastern on ABC, tracing the Nativity story from the angel’s announcement to Mary through the birth of Christ and beyond. Unlike many retellings, it continues past the manger, showing Simeon encountering Jesus at the temple and then suggesting the Wise Men visited when He was a toddler or young child – a view long held by many biblical scholars, despite conventional wisdom.

Director David L Cunningham told Crosswalk Headlines the goal was to take an “honest approach to this story and not be cynical about it” and “try not to be jaded in any way.”

The show is “kind of the concept of the old school Walt Disney presenting a movie,” he added.

The First Christmas opens with Costner sipping a cup of coffee and reminiscing about his time as a child in a Nativity play. From there, the show transitions to reenactments, interspersed with interviews with biblical scholars.

It was shot in Morocco, a land that closely resembles the landscape of Israel.

Cunningham said it’s like “Uncle Walt saying, ‘Hey, come on. Come experience the story with me.’”

“We feel like Kevin is just such a down-to-earth, genuine person and character – that perfect guy to kind of welcome you along on this ride.”

The special does include scenes of violence during reenactments – including Herod’s slaying of the children – and also features Costner openly declaring his faith in Christ when he tells the story of the crucifixion and burial. “Many, including myself, believe He didn’t stay in that cave for very long, and that He rose from the dead, saving those who would believe in Him,” Costner says in the show.

Cunningham said the goal of the special is not merely to retell the Nativity, but to point viewers to the deeper meaning behind it.

“This is all about pointing people to Jesus and the story of how He came, why He came, and learning more about His character, and this upside down Kingdom that He represented,” Cunningham said.

“And as we celebrate Christmas, which is an awesome time of the year, time of family and all of that – [I hope] that we will be reminded about why we do this and Who we do this for.”

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Photo Credit: ©ABC

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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