Two Bible talks for Christmas time - Dr. Sam Doherty

LOVE CAME DOWN AT CHRISTMAS

TRUTH: Jesus Christ came to this earth to save sinners.

VISUALS

Make a series of six cards with the six words – Who? When? Where? What?

Why? You? Or write these words on six cards shaped like a question mark

LESSON:

Do you like birthdays? Isn’t it a pity they only come once each year?

Do you like Christmas also?

I’m sure you do. Why do we have Christmas? What does it celebrate?

(Give an opportunity to respond). I am sure you know that Christmas is the special birthday of Someone very special celebrated by many millions of people all over the world.

WHO? (Show card)

Who is so important that so many people celebrate His birthday? The answer is – the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. Of course He was alive before He was born!

What do I mean? Well He lived in Heaven with His Father before the world ever existed, but He did not have a body. He was God, not man. But on the first Christmas day He, the Son of God, became human. He was born. He now had a body!

WHEN? (Show card)

This happened about 2000 years ago. And it was such an important birthday that we date our time from His birthday. This year is 2005 AD (or whatever the year is) and that means it is 2005 years after He was born. The letters A and D mean Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. The years before He was born are called BC or Before Christ. So you can see how important He is and how important His birthday was.

WHERE? (Show card)

He was born in a little town called Bethlehem in the country we now call

Israel. One of the writers of the first part of the Bible (700 years before His birth) had prophesied that He would be born there (Micah 5 v2) – and it happened exactly as he had written.

Was He, the Son of God, born in a palace, in a special cot for royal babies?

No! He was born in a stable or cattle shed - and was laid in a simple little box or feeding trough made of rough wood.

WHAT? (Show card)

What happened?

His mother Mary gave birth to Him just as any mother gives birth to

her baby.

Angels told the shepherds what had happened and they rushed to see

Him.

Later on wise men were guided by a star to come and worship Him.

WHY? (Show card) 

But why did this happen? Why did the Son of God become a baby and why was He born in such humble conditions?

He came to die for us and to take the punishment for our sins. Thirty-three years later He died on the Cross for us. He came, lived and died to save us.

That is why He was called Jesus. His name means Saviour. He wants to be your Saviour. Have you trusted Him? (Show card with the word “you”). Why not do so today? If you are saved thank Him for coming and dying for you. 

 

GOD’S GIFT TO A SINFUL WORLD

TRUTH: God has a special gift for every boy and girl.

VISUALS:

A chair. Make four cards and print the following words on each:

GOD LOVES

GOD GAVE

I TRUST

I HAVE

If you wish you can include pictures on each card along with the words – a red heart (representing God’s love), a cross (representing the death of the Lord Jesus), praying hands (representing faith) and a white heart (representing salvation).

LESSON:

What do you think is the best known verse in the whole Bible? (Give the

opportunity to respond). Most people everywhere agree that the best known verse in the Bible is John 3 v16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believe in (trusts) Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We learn four things from this verse:

GOD LOVES (Show card) This verse tells us what God is like.

This is the first thing we learn. God is love and He loves each one of us.

Love is what God is like. And He just keeps on loving us.

Who does God love? He loves the world and everybody in it – no matter how bad or how sinful they are. This verse says, “For God so loved the world.” That means He loves you and me.

How much does God love you?

GOD GAVE (Show card)

Love can be measured by what is given by the one who loves. God loves

you and me so much that He gave His best and His greatest gift to the

world. Our verse says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His

only begotten Son.” He gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ Who came to this earth and died on the cross, and took the punishment for our sin, so you and I could be saved. But we need to do something about it.

I TRUST (Show card)

You need to put your trust in Jesus Christ. Our verse says, “that whoever believes in Him.” To believe in Him means to trust Him, to put your confidence in Him, to ask Him to save you. What does it mean to trust Him? Do you see this chair? It is a good strong chair. I think it would hold me if I sat on it. But it is not enough for me just to look at it or think about it. Am I willing to trust it? How do I trust it? I sit on it (Do so).

Now I trust it.

It is not enough to think about Jesus Christ or talk about Him. You need

to do something. You need to put your trust and confidence in Him as I

did with this chair. And if you trust Jesus Christ God promises first of all

in our verse that you will never perish or be lost. He says that you “should not perish”. But He promises more than that.

I HAVE (Show card)

This Bible verse tells you that if you trust Jesus Christ you will have

everlasting life. And so our verse says, “have everlasting life”. The moment you trust Jesus Christ all your sin will be forgiven and you will receive the gift of eternal or everlasting life – and when you die you will go to Heaven to be there forever more.

Have you received this great gift? Trust Jesus Christ now, today, and you can be sure that you will be saved and that you will live forever.