Children’s Sermon

Luke 2: 22-40

Christmas Spirit

Object suggested: Cup of hot chocolate

We do all sorts of things to feel the Christmas Spirit. Picture this: The Christmas tree, a fragrant evergreen, is decorated and all the lights in the room are turned off except for the lights from the tree. There is a fire crackling in the fireplace and it is quiet except for soft Christmas music playing in the background. You settle into your favorite chair and sip from a cup filled with hot chocolate – marshmallows melting on top. You taste, see, hear, touch and smell the delights of the Christmas season. There is more to Christmas, yes even more. You may also feel peace, joy, and love – The Spirit of God.

In the Bible there is a story about two people who saw the Spirit of God in Jesus, even when he was a child. Jesus’ parents brought him to the temple and an old man named Simeon was there. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and “blessed God” (2:28) because he saw the Spirit of God in him.

The second person was an old woman named Anna. When she saw Jesus, she too immediately recognized the Spirit of God that was in the child and “she gave thanks to the Lord” (2:38).

God’s Spirit allowed Simeon and Anna to recognize that this child, Jesus, was special and we are told that, “the child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him” (2:40).

God’s Spirit is also in you and helps you recognize the things of God. At Christmas time we sometimes feel that Spirit a bit stronger – a deep feeling of love, warmth, and joy, not connected to Christmas lights, music, or hot chocolate, but by recognizing that we are all children of God and loved by God. This is a story about The Spirit! Praise God!

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible