Children’s Sermon

Luke 1:39-55

Magnify the Lord

Object suggested: Magnifying glass and objects that would be interesting to view when magnified such as a leaf, blade of grass, print in a book, a bug.

It is fun to look at ordinary things through a magnifying glass. The magnifying glass makes an object appear larger. We can see details we didn’t know were there. A magnifying glass helps us get a closer look at things.

Let’s take some time to see what we can discover. See how the print in this book gets larger as you pull the magnifying glass away from the page? Look at your fingernails and hands through the magnifying glass. Do you see anything that surprises you? (Provide various objects that would interest children.)

The word “magnify” has two meanings. It means to make things larger, as when we look through a magnifying glass, and it also means to “praise” or “give thanks.”

In the Bible, as we read about the birth of Jesus, we learn that Mary felt joy because she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus and she gave thanks to God. She said, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (1:46). “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…” (1:47).

The joy that Mary felt, as she prepared for the arrival of Jesus, is available to us as we celebrate his birth.

Tonight, Christmas Eve, we have the opportunity to praise God and give thanks for his love. We “magnify the Lord” as we sing Christmas carols, read from the Bible, light candles, pray, and listen to the story of the birth of Jesus.

Take a closer look at God’s love that is offered to us through the Christ child. “Magnify the Lord.”

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible