Christmas Cookie Devotional

This is a great way to share the gospel message this season.  Wrap each individual cookie and add a tag with the scripture and message to give to family and friends.  You could also use this for an object lesson for Children’s church, Sunday school or Christmas tea party.

If you use this, please reference my blog.  Thanks.

Cookie cutter shapes needed:

Candle: Star, Candy Cane, Christmas tree, Gift or Stocking, Snow Man, Angel

Candle: 

John 1:1-5, 9-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God.  3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.  10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.  12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,  13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s Son and chosen savior.

John 3:16 16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Star:

Matthew 2: 10-11

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  11After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The visit of the magi fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament: Balaam prophesied about the coming Messiah marked by a star: Numbers 24:17 "I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob and a staff shall rise from Israel..."  Psalm 72 speaks of how the Gentiles will come to worship the Messiah: "The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts, the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay Him homage, all nations shall serve Him" Isaiah 60:6: "Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord”

Matthew recorded that the Magi brought three gifts, each also having a prophetic meaning: Gold, the gift for a king; Frankincense, the gift for a priest; and Myrrh-- a burial ointment, a gift for one who would die. In studies, the gifts were also interpreted to mean King, God, and Suffering Redeemer.

Candy Cane:

Many have heard of the story of the candy cane.  Truth be told, it is more legend than fact but a good symbol for teaching about Christ’s suffering. The J shape is for Jesus and Good Shepherd’s staff.  The cane is for the beating that Christ received.  The white color is a symbol of His purity, being without sin, and the red is for the blood that was shed for the atonement of sin. 

Isaiah 53

    1Who has believed our message?
         And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
    2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
         And like a root out of parched ground;
         He has no stately form or majesty
         That we should look upon Him,
         Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
    3He was despised and forsaken of men,
         A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
         And like one from whom men hide their face
         He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
    4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
         And our sorrows He carried;
         Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
         Smitten of God, and afflicted.
    5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
         He was crushed for our iniquities;
         The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
         And by His scourging we are healed.
    6All of us like sheep have gone astray,
         Each of us has turned to his own way;
         But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
         To fall on Him.
    7He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
         Yet He did not open His mouth;
         Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
         And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
         So He did not open His mouth.
    8By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
         And as for His generation, who considered
         That He was cut off out of the land of the living
         For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
    9His grave was assigned with wicked men,
         Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
         Because He had done no violence,
         Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
    10But the LORD was pleased
         To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
         If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
         He will see His offspring,
         He will prolong His days,
         And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
    11As a result of the anguish of His soul,
         He will see it and be satisfied;
         By His knowledge the Righteous One,
         My Servant, will justify the many,
         As He will bear their iniquities.
    12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
         And He will divide the booty with the strong;
         Because He poured out Himself to death,
         And was numbered with the transgressors;
         Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
         And interceded for the transgressors.

Christmas tree:

A symbol of the season.  Has anyone ever seen a Christmas without a Christmas tree?  Maybe you have read the controversy in the news about this tree.  No longer a Christmas tree:  let’s call it a holiday tree or a family tree, even a Hanukkah bush.  Many try to remove Christ from their lives, some by simply ignoring and avoiding the truth, some by blatantly denying it. 

1^st Peter 2:24

24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Gift or stocking:

Have you ever received a gift and asked, “What’s this for?”  Does anyone refuse or say, “I don’t need this.”  If you don’t believe you have a use for a gift then it has no value.  Jesus dying for your sins will make no sense if you don’t believe you are a sinner, at least not a bad one.  Or perhaps you believe that you can somehow make it all right by being a good person.  You may be a good person by comparing yourself to other people but are you a good person according to God’s standard?

God’s standard for measuring goodness is simple, take a look at the Ten Commandments.  Pretty basic:  Have you ever stolen anything? Ever? Lied? Dishonored your parents? Used God’s name in vain?   Ever killed someone?  The Word says if you hate your brother it is the same as murder and if you have looked in lust, it is the same as adultery.  By this standard, would you be guilty?

Galatians 3:24

24Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

Romans 3:1-24 and 6:23

21But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,  22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;  23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Will you receive His gift, the payment for your sins or will you pay for them yourself?

Snowman:

Isaiah 1:18

18"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD,  "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Romans 10: 8-11

8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,  9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  1 1For the Scripture says, WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

Angel:

Luke 15:10

“…I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Have you repented, which means turn from your sins? Ask God to forgive your sins and become your Lord.  Being a Christian doesn’t mean you will never sin again but it does mean you will desire not to sin and the Scripture says you will have the Holy Spirit to help you.

John 14:26-27

26"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  27"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Isaiah 25:8-9

  8 he will swallow up death forever.
       The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
       from all faces;
       he will remove the disgrace of his people
       from all the earth.
       The LORD has spoken.

 9 In that day they will say,
       "Surely this is our God;
       we trusted in him, and he saved us.
       This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
       let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."