Here is a brief devotion for Christmas based on some observations of the Christmas lights. Put these ideas into your own words and you could easily use this content as a Children’s Sermon around Christmas or Advent Season.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
–John 1:4-5
I love to look at Christmas lights. Back home in St. Louis, we would go by the Shrine every year to see the bazillion lights and animals and Nativity stories as a family. There is also a place near the Six Flags in St. Louis called Santa’s Magical Kingdom where there were more than a bazillion lights and decorations. My family would make an evening or two of just driving around and checking out all of the Christmas lights and displays. I am sure many of your families do the same thing at your church.
What is the fascination with Christmas lights? For one, they are beautiful to look at. Knowing how much effort went into each display greatly enhances the beauty. The creativity behind some of the displays, I am thinking of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra display, blows my mind. Second, they are only around for a couple months at the most each year. Therefore, the brevity of time sets an urgency to our “need” to take in all the lights.
I believe the fascination with Christmas lights is deeper than that, though. I believe our fascination with lights is stated in the above two verses from the Gospel of John. We talk about the “God-sized vacuum” in our hearts quite regularly and with good reason–there is truth to the statement. We see above that Jesus is the light of the world and, praise be to God!, the darkness cannot overcome it!
Share this with your children in your ministry or your home. It is a great way to share the gospel with them all while having fun checking out the Christmas lights.