🌲 Jesus and God’s Everlasting Love
A Christmas Family Devotion: God’s Everlasting Love
Based on Luke 2:25–35
📖 Bible Passage
Adjust how much Scripture you need to read or focus on according to your family’s dynamic (ages, attention spans, maturity, etc.). The selection below may be enough for younger kids, while older ones may enjoy the full passage.
Luke 2:25–32
At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him … 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
You may also like: Is having a Christmas tree a sin, according to Jeremiah?
🎯 Main Idea
Every December, many of us decorate a Christmas tree in our homes. With its twinkling lights and evergreen branches, the tree brings warmth and joy. However, it can also remind us of something even greater—the everlasting love of God, as shown through Jesus Christ.
When Simeon held baby Jesus in his arms, he said that Jesus would be a light to reveal God to the nations. As the Light of the World, Jesus shows us what God is like: holy, perfect, and full of love. His sinless life reminds us that we could never keep God’s law perfectly. But His light doesn’t just expose our sin—it also shines with hope.
Romans 5:8 tells us:
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
The Christmas tree, standing tall and evergreen, can remind us of God’s never-ending love. Its lights point us to the One who brings light into our darkness. And just as the tree in your living room is hard to ignore, Jesus came so that God’s love could never be missed.
This Christmas, when you look at your tree, remember: the baby born in the stable came to die for sinners like you and me—so that we could live with Him forever.
🎉 Hands-On Activity: Christmas Tree Reminders
Idea: Decorate your Christmas tree with intentional reminders of Jesus.
🧰 What You’ll Need:
- A Christmas tree (real or artificial)
- Lights and ornaments
- A star or cross for the top (if available)
- Provided Ornament Craft OR Index cards and string
🛠️ Instructions:
- Read Luke 2:25–35 together.
- As you look at your tree, talk about what each part reminds you of:
- Evergreen branches → God’s everlasting love.
- Lights → Jesus, the Light of the World.
- Ornaments → The beauty of God’s grace, gifts, and presence in our lives.
- Star/Cross on top → Jesus’ birth and His ultimate sacrifice.
- Make Ornaments
- If your church has provided you with a DIY ornament, make it and hang them on your tree.
- If you are doing this on your own, you can write one way you see God’s love in your life on an index card. Hang it on the tree as a “love ornament.”
- Step back, look at the tree together, and give thanks to God for sending His Son.
💬 Discussion Questions
- What does it mean that Jesus is the Light of the World?
- How does the Christmas tree remind us of God’s everlasting love?
- Simeon waited his whole life to see Jesus. How do you think he felt when he finally held Him?
- What does Jesus’ perfect, sinless life show us about God?
- How can our family share God’s everlasting love with others this Christmas? (Perhaps you can make more ornaments to give to family, friends, or neighbors and share the love God has for them?)
🙏 Prayer
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to be the Light of the World. Just like the lights on our Christmas tree brighten our home, Jesus brings light and joy into our hearts. Thank You that He lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and rose again to give us everlasting life. Help our family remember Your love every time we look at our tree, and help us shine that light to others this Christmas. Amen.”
Other Ideas for this Devotion
- If you and your family go looking for the “perfect tree” each year, maybe do this devotion on the go as you take your annual adventure.
- Purchase and read the book “The Pine Tree Parable” if you have children between the ages of 3 and 7, as it teaches about God’s love for your kids through, you guessed it, an evergreen tree. I also personally love “The Pumpkin Patch Parable”, which is an excellent read near and around Halloween, as it describes what God does for us when we follow Jesus by looking at the process of carving a pumpkin.
- If you plan to use this devotion in a ministry setting, you may want to check out these easy and cost-effective DIY Crafts that incorporate the Manger and the Cross and provide them for each family unit.
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