Children’s Sermon

Matthew 2:1-12

Finding Joy

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Picture of earth taken from space

Have you ever seen a satellite blinking and moving across the night sky? It looks just like a star, but this kind of satellite is made by men and women and sent into space where it circles the earth.Many satellites orbit our earth continuously and some are no bigger than a beach ball.

Satellites are used for many different things:

Some look at the weather and warn us about storms.

Some relay television programs and telephone messages.

Some give us information about the universe.

Satellites take pictures of things on earth and are able to locate mountains, rivers, deserts, cities and even individual buildings. With help from a satellite and a computer you can find your house or school and see what it looks like from space.

Satellites help travelers find their destinations. Airplane pilots, boat captains, and drivers of cars are able to receive information from satellites so they know their exact location almost instantly.

When Jesus was born there were no such things as man-made-satellites. There is a story in the Bible about wise men who used a star to help them find what they were looking for.

These men saw a star rising in the east and they had heard that the “King of the Jews” had been born. They wanted to find him. They followed the star until it stopped over the place where the child, Jesus was. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” (Matthew 2:10).

When they saw the child with his mother, Mary they knelt down and worshiped him and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The wise men found joy when they found Jesus and that same joy is available to each one of us today when we accept God’s love. Find your joy!

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2008, Richard Niell Donovan