Good news for everyone: a children’s sermon for Christmas Eve

What you need

Bring a box about the size of a shoebox, wrapped in bright paper. Wrap the lid separately and tie a ribbon around the whole box, so it opens in one easy motion. Inside, lay a baby Jesus figure from a nativity set, or a small doll wrapped in a strip of cloth. A Bible marked at Luke 2:10 helps the children see that the story comes from Scripture.

This talk fits Christmas Eve, the Nativity of the Lord, in the Revised Common Lectionary, when the Gospel reading is Luke 2:1–14, with verses 15–20 as an option. The Christmas Eve readings are the same every year, so the talk works in any year.

The talk

(Invite the children to come forward. Hold the box on your lap.)

Merry Christmas! Look what I brought. (Hold up the box.) What do you think this is? (Let them answer.) A present! Who likes presents? (Hands go up.) Me too.

Let me give it a little shake. (Shake it gently.) What do you think is inside? (Let them guess: a toy, a sweater, a puppy.) A puppy? I hope there is no puppy in here. That would be one squished puppy!

Tonight is Christmas Eve. All over the world tonight, Christians remember a present that God gave on the very first Christmas.

Here is the story. Mary and Joseph went to a little town called Bethlehem. The town was so crowded that there was no room for them in the guest room. When Mary’s baby was born, she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger. Does anyone know what a manger is? (Let them answer.) A manger is a feeding box for animals. Baby Jesus’ first bed was the place where the animals ate their dinner!

That same night, some shepherds were out in the fields, watching their sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared, shining bright, and the shepherds were scared. (Open the Bible to Luke 2.) Listen to what the angel said: “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.”

Good news for all the people! I wonder who “all the people” means. Does it mean grown-ups? (Let them answer.) Does it mean kids? People who are happy tonight? People who are sad tonight? People who live far away? People who have never been to church before? (Let them answer yes to each one.) Does it mean you? (Yes!) It means everyone.

Now I need some help opening this present. It is a present for everyone, so everyone can help. Reach out one finger and touch the ribbon. If you can’t reach, put your hand on the shoulder of someone who can, or wave your hand from where you are. (Wait until every child is connected.) On three, let’s pull together. One, two, three!

(Pull the ribbon together, lift the lid, and hold up the baby Jesus.)

It’s baby Jesus! He is the present God gave on the first Christmas. God came to be with us as a tiny baby. Jesus came for the shepherds in the fields and for Mary and Joseph. He came for all the people. And he came for you.

And here is the best part about this present. It is for every one of us, every single day, and it never runs out.

A question to ask the children

Ask: “Who would you like to tell this good news to?”

Children may name a parent, a grandparent, a friend, a teacher, or a pet. Receive every answer with delight. Then say: “The shepherds were so happy that they told everyone. You can tell people about Jesus too, and you can show them God’s love by being kind.”

If a child names someone who is sick, far away, or has died, thank them gently and say, “God loves that person too.”

Closing prayer

Ask the children to repeat each line after you.

Dear God,
thank you for the gift of Jesus.
Thank you that your good news
is for all the people.
Help us share it.
Amen.