Mary says yes: a children’s sermon for the fourth Sunday of Advent

What you need

Bring an envelope, sealed, with a card inside. Write “For you” on the front. On the card, draw a heart and write, “God loves you, and God is with you.” If you like, prepare a small envelope with a paper heart inside for each child to take home. A Bible marked at Luke 1:38 is helpful, so the children can see that the story comes from Scripture.

This talk fits the Fourth Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary, when the Gospel is Luke 1:26–38, the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary. In 2026 that Sunday is December 20. Many churches light the fourth Advent candle, the candle of love, that day.

The talk

(Invite the children to come forward and sit with you. Hold up the envelope.)

Good morning! Look what I have. What is this? (Let them answer: an envelope, a letter, mail.) Who likes getting mail? (Hands go up.) Me too! Getting a letter makes me feel special. Somebody was thinking about me.

This envelope is sealed. There is a message inside. What do you think it says? (Let them guess, and enjoy their guesses.) Those are great guesses. We will find out at the end.

Long ago, God had a message for a young woman named Mary. She lived in a small town called Nazareth. There was no mail carrier for this message. God sent an angel named Gabriel!

Gabriel came to Mary and said, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you.” That means: Be glad, Mary! God loves you very much, and God is right here with you.

Mary was surprised. Maybe she was a little scared. Have you ever gotten news that surprised you? (Let them answer.) So Gabriel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary.” Then he told her the big news. She was going to have a baby, and she would name him Jesus. Jesus would be called the Son of God, and his kingdom would never end.

Mary had a question. “How can this be?” Gabriel said that God’s Spirit would make it happen, because nothing is impossible for God. He told her more good news, too: her relative Elizabeth was going to have a baby.

Then Mary gave her answer. (Open the Bible to Luke 1:38.) Listen to what she said: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Those are fancy words for a very short answer. Can you guess what it is? (Let them guess.) Yes! Mary said yes to God.

Saying yes was brave. Mary did not know everything that would happen next. She trusted that God loved her and would be with her, so she said yes.

God’s message for Mary was a message of love. God loved the whole world so much that God came to be with us, as a little baby named Jesus. Today, on the fourth Sunday of Advent, many churches light the candle of love.

Now, I promised we would open this envelope. (Open it slowly and pull out the card.) Let’s see what it says. (Read it.) “God loves you, and God is with you.” (Show the heart.) That was God’s message to Mary. And it is God’s message for you too. Every one of you.

A question to ask the children

Ask: “Who could you send a message of love to this week?”

Children may name a parent, a grandparent, a friend, a teacher, or a neighbor. Receive every answer with delight, and then say: “When we share love, we pass God’s message along, just like Gabriel did.”

If you prepared small envelopes, give one to each child to give away this week.

Closing prayer

Ask the children to repeat each line after you.

Dear God,
thank you for your message of love.
Thank you for Mary,
who said yes.
Help us say yes to you
and share your love.
Amen.