All Age Carols Christmas talk

 [This is for our All Age Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve. We are using two sets of props: first, a string tied from the back of church to the front on which to send a balloon (angel) with names. Secondly, a box wrapped up which folds out to a cross shape.]

All Age Carols 2012

Song – Silent night

Intro

Will and Kate are expecting a baby, God willing. When a baby is born it’s a real gift from God (hold up wrapped up box). And when a baby is born we need to name him or her. Great excitement over what baby Cambridge might be called. Of course the Christmas story involves the birth of a baby. And because he is so special he has lots of names.

Watch the first video of Luke 1:26-38. Listen for what the angel says the baby should be called.

Talk 1

Did you spot the name? Jesus. [angel (balloon rocket) sends name ‘Jesus’ from back to the front of church.]

I wonder if you could choose your own name, would you change it. This is (formerly) George Garratt, who changed his name to, wait for it, Captain fantastic faster than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine The Hulk and the Flash combined. He changed his name by deed poll online for £10. There’s an idea for a late Christmas present for Dad!

Perhaps you just don’t like the name your parents gave you. In some countries you can’t cal yourself whatever you want. In New Zealand, a girl became a ward of court after her parents named her Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii.

A couple were banned from calling their child 4real so they chose Superman instead.

But normally it’s the parents who choose the name for their child. Here the parents are told to call their baby Jesus, by an angel. Why?

Because this is a child from God, a special gift given in an impossible way. This is no ordinary child. God Himself is stepping into history, to act. And the name evokes some of the great heroes of the OT. This is the same name as Joshua, the great army captain of earlier in the bible, and Elisha, the great prophet who came to give people God’s great message. But what is it that Jesus has come to do? What is his job going to be?

We’ll need to wait for the next name to find out. But lets put the name Jesus in our present.

Song – Away in a Manger

Talk 2

Watch video 2 of Luke 2:8-20. What do the angels tell the shepherd the name of the baby is? Saviour

[angel (balloon) sends ‘Saves’ from back of church to front.]

So the shepherds are told that the Saviour has been born. A Saviour is someone who saves. That’s the meaning of the name Jesus.

Did you know your name means something? You may or you may not. And you might or might not like the meaning.

Read out a few. Georgia means farmer! Connor means dog lover!

Well Jesus means ‘He saves’.

Why did God step into the world to save? What do we need saving from?

Well, the world is in a mess. There have been some horrible things happening in the last week which tell us that! Shootings, people in Syria being bombed, people saying nasty things or doing nasty things, sickness and illness.

And the bible tells us that’s like a symptom of an illness. When we get measles it shows itself when we get lots of spots. So the bible says sin is an illness that everyone of us has, and it shows itself when we do or say horrible things. And that sin, that illness in each one of us, is when we ignore God, forget about Him, don’t live His way, don’t live with Him as our rightful ruler. That’s what’s gone wrong with the world, us! But Jesus has come into the world to be the Saviour, to save us from our rebellion against God. That’s the good news of Christmas.

Let’s put that in our Christmas present.

Song – Jesus Saves (to Jingle Bells)

Talk 3

Watch video 3 of Matthew 2:1-12. What did the wise men call Jesus? King of the Jews (also prophet said a ruler/shepherd)

[Angel sends crown from the back of church to the front.]

God has given us a forever King [place crown in box]

This baby in the manger is God’s forever King, then. Doesn’t look much like the birth of a king! I imagine when our future heir to the throne is born there will be thousands of people lining the streets to celebrate. Not just some smelly shepherds and some foreigners from miles away with some strange presents. This king forever was laid in an animal feeding trough, not a golden crib.

And Jesus grew up to show that He was the forever King; the words he spoke had kingly authority and power, they healed people, stilled storms, cast out demons.

But actually he never wore a crown. Oh, no he once did. But that was a crown of thorns, which was placed on him as he died on the cross.

Have you seen the Save the Children advert (on screen)? No child is born to die. Absolutely right. Except in this case. Jesus was born to die. (open up box into cross shape with crown at top, Jesus underneath and ‘Saves’ at the bottom.)

This is what it means for Him to be King forever, the one who came to die for sins, to save us from all we deserve for disobeying God, to bring peace for us.

What a wonderful Christmas present! Have you accepted it? Have you come to Jesus and said sorry for all you’ve done wrong and asked Him to be your king? Why not speak to me afterward about that?

That’s the message of Christmas, Jesus was born to die, born to save!

Puppets – Born to Save

Prayers

Carol – Once in Royal David’s City