Star Light, Star Bright
THEME: Jesus is our only hope for peace.
OBJECT: A Christmas star.
SCRIPTURE: And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:12-13 (NIV)
When I was a little boy, there was a rhyme we would say in the evening when it would begin to get dark. As soon as it was dark enough for us to see the very first star in the sky, we would say,
Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.
After we said that, we would make a wish for something that we would like to have. Have any of you ever heard or said that rhyme before? Did you really expect to receive your wish? I know that when I said that rhyme, I never really expected my wish to come true. I looked up the word wish in the dictionary and this is what it said, "to have a desire for something impossible, such as, 'he wished he could live his life over'." When we wish upon a star, we have no reason to expect our wishes to come true.
Today, I want you to think about another star -- Jesus. One of the names that is given to Jesus is the "Bright Morning Star." (Revelation 22:16) Jesus is not a wishing star, but a star of hope. What is the difference? Well, I looked up the word hope in the dictionary too. Here is what it said, "to desire something with the expectation that you will receive it." There is a big difference in wishing and hoping, isn't there? In wishing, you have no reason to expect it to come true, and in hoping, you have every reason to expect it to come true.
In our Scripture reading today, the apostle Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah who said, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." Jesus is the one that the prophet was talking about. When we put our hope and trust in the "Bright Morning Star" we are filled with the peace that only he can give. Jesus, the bright and morning star -- our only hope for peace on earth.
Dear Jesus, as we see the many stars in the decorations of this season may we be reminded that you are the "Bright Morning Star" and that when we put our hope in you, we will be filled with peace. Amen.
Group Activities Page (Crafts, games, songs, and more!)
Coloring Page
Christmas Crossword Puzzle
Christmas Word Jumble
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