Children’s Sermon

Luke 3:1-6

Getting from One Place to Another

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Object suggested: A road map
Pictures of highways and tunnels

Sometimes, as we travel, we are stopped by road construction. Workers may be repairing the road or building a new road. It may feel inconvenient at the time and we may become impatient having to wait until we can go on, but providing safe roads is important work.

People who design roads want us to be able to get from one place to another as easily as possible. In the mountains roads must be designed so they are not too steep. Curves are removed to make the road as straight as possible and sometimes tunnels must be blasted through rocks to allow us to get from one side of the mountain to the other. Have you ever gone through a tunnel? It is a much easier way to get to where you are going than driving around the mountain. All of these things prepare the way for us to get to our destination.

Long ago there was a man named John who came to tell the people about Jesus. John was preparing the people’s hearts to recognize Jesus and know that he was coming to offer them love and forgiveness. It was as if he was building a road that would make it easier for people to get to Jesus.

The Bible says, “Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight” (3:4). Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low.  The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth” (3:5). “All flesh will see God’s salvation” (3:6).

The lesson for us is that we too can make the way easier for people to recognize and accept God’s love. When we pray, study the Bible, and try to live our lives in a way that honors God, we are preparing our own heart and the hearts of others to get to God’s truth.

We are like workers who build roads, straightening out curves, making the climb less steep, and tunneling through obstacles to prepare a way that leads to Jesus and his love.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2008, Richard Niell Donovan