Miracles at Christmas

© Jane Hulme 2015 Short Talk (SHT051) Miracles at Christmas Aim of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Props: (SHT051) To show that the true miracle of Christmas is God coming to us in Jesus, to restore our relationship with Him. Christmas, Incarnation Philippians 2:6-8, John 3:16 A very large gold balloon blown up and clipped with a “sealing bag-clip” so it can be easily untied during the talk, (you can purchase a three foot diameter gold balloon at a reasonable price from www.amazon.co.uk and you can also purchase bag sealing clips from Amazon), small plain box with lid on it (any small plain box will do – the deflated balloon needs to be able to fit inside it) SHORT TALK: “MIRACLES AT CHRISTMAS!” ........................................................................................................................ Over the Christmas season we can experience a number of what we might call “mini- miracles”  The Christmas tree lights working the first time we turn them on, having been unpacked from a box where they have been lying all twisted up for a year. The joy of Auntie Flo opening the present we have given her,  and telling us that this was something she had always wanted when we hadn’t had a clue what to buy her. The Turkey being perfectly cooked, having sat in an oven for hours. The children remembering their lines in the Nativity play! This morning I want to share with you the most incredible miracle of all that happened at the very first Christmas,  and to do this I have a large gold balloon and this small box. (Hold up inflated balloon and small box) I want you to imagine that this beautiful gold balloon represents God......  The gold reminds us that He is King......  and we have used an extra-large balloon to show that He is the King above all Kings, and He is seated in heaven. Now let’s imagine that this small little box is the world that we live in.  The box is much smaller than our balloon to remind us that God is the Creator and is far greater than His creation. Some people think that God isn’t interested in the world that He has made,  or in the people who live in it;  and that He is completely distant and unknowable. (Hold up balloon away from the box) Other people think that God is a stern and angry God who is waiting to punish and crush each one of us, (Press balloon down onto the box as if to crush the box)  however the Bible tells us a different story. © Jane Hulme 2015 2 The Bible tells us that the God who made the world loves each one of us,  In fact He loves us so much that He wants us to become His children and enjoy the many blessings of knowing Him as our Father,  both now and for all eternity. But there is a problem .......  All of us in different ways have rejected God.  All of us have lived our lives independently of him with the result that we are completely separated from Him. So God did something absolutely miraculous.......  On the very first Christmas, Jesus, God’s Son, emptied Himself completely of His glory, (remove sealing bag clip and slowly deflate the balloon until it is completely flat) and came to earth;  being born as a human baby in the town of Bethlehem. (place flat balloon inside the box) The main reason that Jesus came to earth was to provide each one of us with a way back to relationship with our Heavenly Father,  by dealing with the wrong things that we have done that have kept us apart from Him.  Jesus did that through his death on the cross on a day we know as Good Friday  and His resurrection from the dead three days later – on Easter Day. The biggest miracle of Christmas is not the Christmas tree lights working or the presents being just right.  It isn’t the food cooking perfectly or the nativity play going well, It is that God has sent us a message saying:  “I love you and I want you to be in my family,” He didn’t send that message by letter or by a special messenger,  He brought that message himself when He emptied himself and came to earth as Jesus.  That is the miracle of Christmas. © Jane Hulme 2015 3