Christmas Message Idea

 

I've heard some pastors say that their tenure is done at their current church when they have preached all the Christmas messages that they can preach.  Although, what is meant to be funny, can have an element of truth to it.  Christmas comes around once a year and that means there always must be a Christmas-themed message to go with it.  There are only so many different takes you can have on the birth of Jesus.  Today I give you one more idea to use if you wish to keep you in your current position for one more year!

Working with youth I like to have some things be hands-on to keep their attention.  I made a trip to our local supermarket to pick out some items that had a connection to the prophecies about Jesus' birth.  I called it "The Twelve Gifts of Prophecy."  I wanted to put all 12 items in a stocking but my stocking wasn't big enough.  Before the youth group night I printed off a sheet that had all twelve verses I wanted to use on it (see below).  I cut each verse into strips of paper and taped them to the item that correlated to it.

On the night we celebrated Christmas together, when it came time for our message I went around to twelve different students.  I had each one pull out an item from my bag.  As each student pulled out an item I had them read what the item was.  I gave the rest of the group the opportunity to guess what the item had to do with the prophecy about Jesus being born.  Then I had the student who pulled out the item read the verse taped to it and explained how it related to the prophecy.  Some of them were a stretch, but we had a good time with it.  The students who picked out the item got to keep the item.

I then closed the message explaining that we have many Christmas traditions.  One of the major ones being giving gifts.  I reminded our students that in amongst all their family traditions, not to forget the best gift that has ever been given to any human being - Jesus.

Feel free to use this just as it is or tweak it to your own group's needs.

12 Gifts of Prophecy Bible Verses

Micah 5:2 - “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

 Isaiah 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

 Psalm 72:9,10 – “May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust.  May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.”

 Jeremiah 31:15 -  “This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

 Hosea 11:1 -  “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

 2 Samuel 7:12-13 – “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

 Jeremiah 23:5-6 - “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.”

 Isaiah 11:1 – “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”

 Numbers 24:17 - “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.”

 Genesis 22:18 -  “The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, ‘I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 

and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.’” 

 Isaiah 9:1-2 – “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— 

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

 Genesis 49:10 -  “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.”

The Grocery Store Items and How They Relate to Each Verse

The New Lion King movie:  Genesis 49:10 - A lion is associated with the tribe of Judah

Jesse from Toy Story figurine:  Isaiah 11:1 - The name Jesse is in this verse and has to do with David's father Jesse, where the line of Jesus came from.

A picture of the music group Little Big Town:  Micah 5:2 - Bethlehem was a little town that became big (well known) because it was where our Savior was born!

A Sling gift card (this card had no money on it):  Jeremiah 23:5-6 - Jesus would come from the line of David.  David used a sling to slay the infamous giant, Goliath.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:  Isaiah 7:14 - Do I really need to explain this one?

Reign energy drink:  2 Samuel 7:12-13 - He will reign forever.

Honest T tea drink:  Genesis 22:18 - This one was a bit of a stretch, but Abraham Lincoln was known as honest Abe.  Abraham from the Bible was promised by God that all nations would be blessed by his offspring.  The offspring being spoken of here was Jesus.

Candy canes:  Psalm 72:9,10 - This psalm foretells of the Magi coming to visit Jesus.  Some people take the "dessert tribes" spoken of in these verses to be the shepherds who worshiped baby Jesus.  Many people know the tale of the candy cane where the shape can be "J" for Jesus and also can be the shape of the shepherd's hook.

A flashlight:  Isaiah 9:1-2 - Jesus was the fulfillment of this prophecy that he would be a light to the Gentiles.

Hugs:  Jeremiah 31:15 - This prophecy foretells the slaying of boys who were two years old and under that Herod had murdered in order to protect his throne from being taken over by the King of the Jews.  Real hugs are what you give to people who are mourning.

A stretchy wrestler figurine:  Numbers 24:17 - The star refers to the one the Magi followed to find Jesus.  This verse said it came out of Jacob.  Jacob was the one who wrestled with God.

Kinetic sand:  Hosea 11:1 - This verse refers to the time Joseph took his family to Egypt to escape Herod.  Then they returned to Israel after Herod died.  Egypt is a big sand box.