Christmas is coming! As we wear ourselves out getting ready, we may wonder why we bother. Why? Why because, it is the biggest birthday party of the year. It is one of the biggest celebrations to give thanks for the greatest gift ever given, God's only Son, the Savior of the World.
When you feel yourself ready to throw in the towel and give up, take a deep breath and remember the Christmas story, the true meaning of Christmas. All of this started with the birth of a baby in a manger in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.
When you wonder why? Consider the presentation below. I did this for my Sunday School class of 4-5 year olds. They loved it.
Supplies: poster sizes paper (either cut out or draw on it the outline of a Christmas tree), coffee filters, scissors, yellow fluorescent highlighter, black light.
Prep: cut coffee filters into the shape of ornaments, draw on them with the highlighter things that represent Christmas: 1) candy cane/shepherd’s staff, 2) manger, 3) star, 4) camel, 5) sheep, 6) angel, 7) cross)
Presentation:
(tape Christmas tree up where everybody can see it) About now everybody is getting ready for Christmas.
1. We are decorating the tree (tape a coffee filter to the tree)
2. We may be decorating the house with lights and wreaths. (tape another ornament),
3. We may be baking cookies (tape another ornament)
4. We may be shopping for gifts (tape another ornament)
5. We may be going to parties (tape another ornament)
6. We may be going to see Christmas movies or Christmas plays (Tape another ornament)
7. We may even go caroling and sing Christmas songs (tape another ornament)
But is that what Christmas is all about? Is that why we celebrate Christmas? No (get black light ready)
1. We celebrate Christmas to honor the Son of God (turn black light on and point to the cross. The yellow will shine bright.)
2. We celebrate Christmas to remember the story of the King of Kings as just a babe born in a manger (point to manger)
3. We go to watch Christmas movies like the shepherds had to go watch their flocks at night (point to sheep)
4. We sing Christmas songs like the angels did when they told the shepherds the good news (point to angel)
5. We go to parties like the shepherds did when they went to the manger and then told everybody they could find to come and see and celebrate the new born king (point to candy cane/shepherds staff)
6. We buy gifts like the wise men did (point to camel)
7. We decorate our homes like the star above Bethlehem did so many years ago. (point to star)
Christmas is not about toys and food and decorations. It is about God’s love for you and for me. It is the about the greatest gift ever given, God’s only son. It is about Jesus Christ’s birthday. Jesus Christ, the savior of all the world, has given us a gift, a chance for everlasting life.
Enjoy your Christmas and all it’s traditions, but don’t forget where it all started in a manger in Bethlehem. Don’t forget why it started, to celebrate the birth of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.
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