Countdown to Christmas with Zach - An Advent Podcast for Kids

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After playing for a while in the basement, little Penelope came upstairs and walked into the living room with an armful of bundles. “Look!” she cried. “I made presents!” She handed one to each member of her family.

Bryce wrinkled his nose. “Something stinks!” He sniffed the present in his hand. “I think it’s this . . . whatever it is.” He held up a slightly damp object made from old newspaper.

“See? It’s an airplane!” Penelope announced. “We learned to fold them in preschool. I made one for Anna too. And see—I folded hats for Mommy and Daddy. We learned to do them in preschool too!”

“Why, thank you,” said Mom with a faint smile. “That’s sweet of you, but . . . Penelope, where did you get newspapers to make these?”

“In the basement,” Penelope replied. “There was a whole pile of them by the window.” She looked at her mother anxiously. “Is that okay?”

“I noticed that it was damp by that window, and I’ve been meaning to get rid of those old papers!” Dad said. “They’re all wet. That must be why they smell so bad.”

“Don’t you like my presents?” asked Penelope.

Mom tried to soothe Penelope’s hurt feelings. “It was a very nice idea! Come on, let’s find some construction paper so you can make new ones.”

After Mom and Penelope left the room, Bryce and Anna quickly scooped up the smelly “presents” to take them out to the garbage can. “Penelope really did mean well, and I’m afraid she was surprised and disappointed when we weren’t delighted with her presents,” Dad said with a sigh. “She thought they were so nice, but we just see them as smelly junk.” He grinned at the two kids. “Kind of like good deeds.”

“Good deeds?” echoed Bryce.

“A verse in Isaiah says that the good deeds people do to earn their salvation are like filthy rags,” Dad explained. “Some people think they can please God just by doing their best, but all their good deeds are like those smelly presents from Penelope. Only Jesus can remove the smelly, filthy sin from our lives. We need to trust Him to save us and make us clean.”

Do you think God will be pleased with the good things you try to do and let you into heaven? God won’t accept your good deeds as payment for salvation. They look—and smell—like filthy rags to Him. You need to trust Jesus as your Savior in order to be saved and have eternal life. He will remove your sin and give you a clean heart.

"We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6 NLT

Good deeds can’t save you

Titus 3:3–7

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Speaking parts were being assigned for the church Christmas program, and Kaylee eagerly waited for her name to be called. She was sure she was the perfect one to take the part of Mary, the mother of Jesus. No one can memorize lines as well as me, she thought. 

“Braelyn.” Mrs. Roberts’ voice interrupted Kaylee’s thoughts. “I think you would be a good choice to play the part of Mary.”

Kaylee gasped. Braelyn! She stutters sometimes, Kaylee thought. What kind of Mary would she be? Kaylee scowled. Well, that’s just fine with me. Who wants to be in this dumb play anyway? When Mrs. Roberts offered her another part, Kaylee made excuses and refused to be in the production at all.

On the night of the program, Kaylee sat in the front row. She had come to laugh at Braelyn’s mistakes. Mrs. Roberts will be embarrassed for making such a dumb choice! she thought in disgust as Braelyn walked up front. That drab outfit looks like it was made from a feed sack. Mom would have made me a much better costume than that! She snickered to herself and rolled her eyes. 

Hesitantly, Braelyn began reciting from Luke chapter one: “My soul magnifies the Lord…because…because…” She paused briefly. “Because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant.”

Humble condition, thought Kaylee. That sure fits Braelyn! Suddenly another thought struck her, causing her mouth to drop open in surprise. It fits Mary too! Kaylee tried to push that thought away, but she couldn’t. More unwanted thoughts persisted as she watched the rest of the Christmas performance. Mary was willing to obey God and carry out His commands, and Braelyn’s like that too, Kaylee realized. She’s a good Mary!

In her heart, Kaylee knew that if she had gotten the part, she would be saying Mary’s words only to make herself look good and be the star performer. But Braelyn was humble like the real Mary was—and like how Jesus was too. They were both willing to obey God and make sacrifices for the good of others. Feeling ashamed, Kaylee prayed silently, asking God to forgive her proud spirit and to help her be humble like Mary—and Jesus.

Are you humble like Mary? Or do you think you should be the one chosen to sing the solo, answer the questions, or lead the group because you do it best? Jesus wants humble servants who are willing to serve His purpose instead of their own so that He will be honored. Even though He is God, Jesus was willing to die for our sins so we could be saved. Mary was His humble servant. Does that description fit you?

"Whoever wants to be first among you, let him be your servant." Matthew 20:27 NLV

Be a humble servant.

Luke 1:26-33, 46-49

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Anthony flicked off the radio. He couldn’t stand to hear one more Christmas song. Ever since his dad walked out on him and his mom on Christmas Eve two years ago, Anthony dreaded the holiday season. He sighed and flopped onto the couch as Mom walked into the room.

“Hey, Anthony. Uncle Sam just called. Aunt Tricia had the baby this morning! I’m going down to the hospital to see how everyone is doing. Want to join me?”

“I guess,” Anthony answered, “as long as I don’t have to listen to any Christmas carols on the way.”

When they got to St. Thomas Hospital, they took the elevator to the newborn unit on the third floor. Everyone looked so happy. Great, Anthony thought, more cheery people.

When they reached the room, Anthony walked over to a clear-sided bassinet and peered in. There lay his new cousin, all wrapped in blankets.

“Anthony, meet Caleb,” said Aunt Tricia. “Would you like to hold him?”

“Um…sure,” said Anthony, a little hesitant. Mom had him sit in a chair and told him how to hold his arms to support the baby’s head. She then gently laid Caleb in his arms. He looked down at the baby. He seemed so helpless all wrapped up like that.

Anthony glanced across the room and noticed a painting of the Virgin Mary on the wall. She was cradling a wide-eyed, newborn Jesus. The title under the painting read: A Gift for You. Anthony turned his gaze to Caleb and was startled to see similar dark blue eyes looking back at him. “Wow,” said Anthony softly.

“What is it?” asked Mom.

“I never really thought about how helpless Jesus was as a baby. He sure had to give up a lot to come to earth, didn’t He?”

Mom nodded and wrapped an arm around him. “I know Christmas is hard for you because of what happened with your dad. But that’s exactly why Jesus came to earth as a baby—so He could die for our sins and give us hope. Because of Him, we know that even though things go wrong, one day He’ll come again and make everything right. Christmas doesn’t have to be about what happened to you—it can be about what happened for you. Jesus gave it all up for you.”

Does the Christmas season stir up bad memories for you? You are not alone. Holidays can be hard when you’ve lost a loved one. But this year, instead of focusing on what you don’t have, focus on what you do have—Jesus. He gave up all of the glory in heaven to come to earth as a baby and die to save you from your sins. He’ll always be there to help you, and one day He’ll make everything right.

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" Matthew 1:23 NLT

Jesus came to earth for you.

Philippians 2:5-11

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“That was a good play,” said José, an exchange student from Mexico who was living with Ronan’s family. They were returning home after attending a Christmas program at church. “I’ve heard a lot about the Bible, but I’ve never been to a pageant like that one.”

Ronan pointed. “Look! There are some carolers. They go from house to house singing Christmas songs. Do you have carolers in Mexico, José?”

“No,” said José, “but we do have what we call Los Peregrinos. Like Mary and Joseph, people go from house to house. They pretend to be looking for a place where they can stay. It’s planned ahead so that the third one they stop at lets them in. There’s a piñata ready for the children and hot drinks for the adults.”

“Sounds fun!” said Ronan.

“When we get home, I could show you pictures of that and other Christmas traditions we have,” José said.

Ronan nodded. “I’d like that.”

Later that night, Dad and Ronan wrapped gifts while José talked to his family in Mexico. “Do you like having José stay with us?” asked Dad.

“Yeah, I do,” Ronan answered. “We’ve studied Mexico at school, but learning that way isn’t the same as knowing somebody who’s from there. Having José live with us and listening to him explain what people were doing in the pictures he showed me is a better way to learn.” Ronan fastened a bright red ribbon to a package. “If I had just read about Mexico but had never met José, I wouldn’t know half as much about his culture as I do now.”

Dad put down his scissors and tape. “You know, it’s the same with knowing Jesus too. Just knowing things about the Bible is much different from having a personal relationship with Jesus and trusting Him with every part of your life.”

“Yeah,” Ronan said thoughtfully. “I think we should explain that to José. He seems to know quite a bit about the Bible, but we should make sure he understands why Jesus died and that he needs to know Him personally.” Ronan paused. “I’ll try to talk to him some more about it when I get a chance.”

“That’s a good idea,” Dad said. “I’ll do the same.”

Do you know Jesus personally? Do you trust Him as your Savior and Lord? Studying the Bible is great, but just knowing Bible stories, facts, and verses is not enough. You need to understand that you’re a sinner who is unable to earn your own salvation and that Jesus died to pay the price for you to have eternal life. Trust Him as your Savior. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.)

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. Philippians 3:10 NLT

You can know Jesus personally.

Ephesians 3:14-21

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“Rayna, how would you like to have a roommate for a few days?” Mom asked when she picked Rayna up from school. “Pastor Rollins is looking for places for the Peterson children to stay while their mother is in the hospital. I thought maybe we could take Morgan.”

Rayna groaned. “Mom, no! She’d want to tag along everywhere I go.”

That evening, Rayna’s family read part of the Christmas story during family devotions. “Imagine Joseph’s disappointment when he asked for a room and the innkeeper turned him away,” Dad said as he closed the Bible. Then he prayed that they would be careful not to do the same thing.

Rayna thought about that when she went to bed. In her mind, she could almost hear the innkeeper saying, “Sorry. We have no room!” As Rayna tried to go to sleep, she couldn’t get the phrase out of her head. “No room! No room!” No room for the Son of God! she thought. That’s terrible! Then the words of a Bible verse echoed through her mind: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” She tried to forget those words but couldn’t. Maybe letting Morgan share my room is like offering Jesus a room too.

When Rayna sat down for breakfast the next morning, she smiled at her mother. “Did you tell Pastor Rollins to send Morgan to us?” she asked.

Mom shook her head. “Not yet.”

“Well, let’s tell him,” said Rayna. “I know she’s a lot younger than me, but she needs a place to stay, and maybe I can help her forget her troubles for a while.”

Mom smiled. “I’m glad you decided that, but why the change?”

“I thought about the innkeeper last night,” said Rayna. “I don’t want to make the same mistake he did.”

“The innkeeper?” asked Mom. “Oh. The one who didn’t have room for Jesus?”

Rayna nodded. “I realized that Jesus wants me to make room for her this Christmas. Since I’ve welcomed Him into my life by trusting in Him, He wants me to welcome others too. And I don’t want to turn either one of them away.”

Have you made room in your heart for Jesus? Have you invited Him into your life? If you trust in Him, He’s shaping your heart so you can show His love and hospitality to others. Perhaps there’s someone He wants you to make room for in your life, like an older person who is lonely or a classmate who needs a friend. By showing them hospitality, you’re showing them the love of Jesus.

The King [Jesus] will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 NIV

Be hospitable.

Matthew 25:37-40; Luke 2:1-7

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“I love Christmas!” Aaliyah told her friend Piper. “Did you see that huge tree in the mall? It went all the way up to the ceiling! And I love the lights everywhere, and parties—and presents! I think I’m getting that new video game I told you about.”

“My grandma’s giving me a tablet,” said Piper, “and I want a scooter. I think Christmas is the best time of the whole year! I hope I get lots of stuff.”

Mom glanced up from the book she was reading. “Sounds like you two are forgetting what Christmas is really about.”

Aaliyah tugged at Piper’s sleeve. “Come on. Let’s go to my room and play with my dollhouse.”

The next afternoon, Aaliyah and her mother went to a birthday party for Aaliyah’s three-year-old cousin, Joey. When they got there, most of her cousins were playing in the rec room—but there was no sign of Joey.

“Where’s the birthday boy?” asked Aaliyah, who was very fond of her little cousin. “I want him to see the present I brought for him. I wrapped it myself!”

Aunt Gabby laughed. “He’s fast asleep in his room. He was so excited about the party that he wore himself out. I’ll get him up pretty soon.”

Aaliyah frowned as excited squeals drifted in from the rec room. “I don’t think it’s right for everybody to have fun without Joey,” she told her mother after Aunt Gabby left the room. “It’s his birthday party, and no one’s even thinking about him!”

“Hmm. Well, before you get too upset at the kids here, let me ask you something,” said Mom. “Remember your conversation with Piper yesterday?”

“You mean about Christmas presents and stuff?”

“Yes. You girls talked about all the fun you’d be having this Christmas, but you didn’t say a word about Jesus, even though it’s His birthday we’re celebrating. Christmas is when we remember how He came into the world as a baby so He could die for our sin.”

Aaliyah sighed. “You’re right. I was using Christmas to celebrate all the things I wanted instead of Jesus.” She smiled at her mom. “Let’s ask Aunt Gabby to get Joey up now. We can’t let this party go on without the birthday boy!”

Do you enjoy celebrating Christmas? Do you get excited about the parties, gifts, decorations, and other fun things of the season? That’s great, but remember that Jesus is the reason you’re celebrating. Christmas is a special time when we remember how He was born into the world as our Savior. As you do fun things this Christmas season, remember it’s His birthday you’re celebrating.

"There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11 KJV

Celebrate Jesus at Christmas

Luke 2:7-16

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“Time to leave!” called Mom.

“I’m almost done with this level,” said Timothy, eyes glued to the computer screen.

Mom stepped into his bedroom. “Get dressed now,” she said. “We don’t want to hold up the pageant rehearsal.” She hurried down the hall, calling for Timothy’s little sister, Gabby.

“I don’t see why I have to be in the Christmas pageant,” muttered Timothy. “I’m just a dumb shepherd, anyway.”

He dug a brown robe from a pile of clothes and pulled it over his head. He looked at himself in the mirror. “Boy, I hope no one from school sees me wearing this!”

Timothy walked into the kitchen, tugging at the rope wrapped around his waist. “This costume is itchy. Do I have to do this?”

Mom was struggling with Gabby’s angel costume. “Stand still, honey. These buttons are hard to see.” She blew a wisp of hair from her face. “We’ve made a commitment, Timothy. We can’t let everyone down. Besides, you’re in the pageant every year.”

“That’s just it,” said Timothy. “It’s the same old thing, every single Christmas. A bunch of shepherds, a few wise men. It’s not like we’re telling a new story. It’s boring!”

Mom stood up. “Come here, Timothy.” She held out her arms and hugged him.

“I know you don’t want to do this. But some things can’t wait. Some stories need

us to tell them–over and over again, right now!”

“But I’m just a shepherd,” said Timothy. “They’re not interesting. Not like the angels.” He pointed at Gabby. His little sister smiled and twirled in her angel costume.

Mom straightened Gabby’s halo. “The angels’ job was to tell the shepherds about Jesus’s birth. The shepherds were the first people to learn and spread the word that God had sent Jesus as a Savior to the world!”

“That is pretty cool, I guess,” said Timothy.

“It sure is,” said Mom. “And did the shepherds say, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem in the morning, when it’s light outside’? No. Did they say, ‘Let’s find someone to watch these sheep, and then we’ll go to Bethlehem’? No! They said, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem now!'”

“Okay, Mom,” said Timothy, heading for the door. “I guess we do need to get to church. To tell the story of Jesus–now!”

How many times have you heard the Christmas story? Twenty times? A hundred times? Even if the story feels familiar, try to experience it the way the shepherds did—as a glorious revelation from God that can change your life right now! Pray that God will help you feel the urgency and power of the story this Christmas season and share it with others.

"The shepherds said to each other, 'Let us go now to Bethlehem and see what has happened. The Lord has told us about this.'" Luke 2:15 NLV

Feel the excitement of the Christmas story!

Luke 2:8-20

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“Mom!” Mason stormed through the living room, past the manger scene and Christmas tree, and into the kitchen. “Look at this.” He held up four baseball cards. “Abby drew hearts all over my best cards!”

“Oh no.” His mother closed the oven door. “I’ll talk to her about it after she wakes up from her nap. But you have to remember, she’s only four.”

“I know, but I’m tired of her mes

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Isaac slammed the door and began kicking off his boots while grumbling under his breath.

“Everything all right?” his mom asked.

“Not according to Mr. Hanson,” Isaac spat out. “Whatever I do for him is never good enough! I mean, it took me an hour to shovel his sidewalk, and what do I get for it? ‘You missed the second step, Isaac. You didn’t get all the way to edge.’ Mr. Hanson is a total grinch! This is the last time I help him out.”

Just then Isaac’s sister, Holly, came bouncing into the room. “Mom, the green popcorn is done, and the green soda for our grinch punch is cold. I can’t wait to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas with our special treats!”

“I know a real grinch next door,” Isaac grumbled.

“Isaac,” Mom said gently, “I know Mr. Hanson can be difficult, but remember that he doesn’t know Jesus. The only way he’s ever going to change is if he allows Jesus to come into his life and transform him. Only God can make that happen, but we can point Mr. Hanson to Jesus by showing him love and joy, even when he doesn’t deserve it.”

“Kind of like how the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes when he saw how joyful the Whos were even after he stole all their Christmas gifts and decorations?” asked Holly.

“Exactly,” said Mom. “Even when Mr. Hanson is mean, that doesn’t have to kill your joy—it actually gives you a chance to show him the love of Jesus.”

“Hmm,” said Isaac, “I never thought about it like that before. I didn’t realize that just by shoveling snow and being kind to Mr. Hanson I was allowing the love of Jesus to shine through me. I’ll try to remember that the next time I shovel his sidewalk.”

“I’m glad to hear there will be a next time,” Mom said as she gave Isaac a squeeze. “And now it’s time to watch . . .”

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” Holly squealed.

“I think I’ll watch that movie with a whole new perspective tonight,” Isaac said with a smile. Rachel Vruggink

When you have grinchy people in your life, do you still try to treat them with love and kindness? When we show others love and joy, it points them to the source of our love and joy—Jesus! He gives us the strength to be joyful in any circumstance. Trust Him to help you joyfully do good for others, even when they least deserve it.

"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else." 1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV

Joy points others to Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:13-17

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As Mateo and his friend Tory rode the bus home from school, they talked about their Christmas plans. “Grandpa and Grandma are coming for a whole week this year,” said Tory, “and on Christmas Eve we’re all going to see a movie about Santa Claus! Wanna come with us? I’m sure Mom will say it’s okay.”

“I can’t,” said Mateo. “Our family always goes to church on Christmas Eve. We have a candlelight service where we read the Christmas story and sing Christmas carols.”

“Christmas carols? Like ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’?”

Mateo shook his head. “No, songs about the real meaning of Christmas, like ‘Away in a Manger’ and ‘Silent Night.’”

“Oh.” Tory frowned. “The Christmas story is about somebody named Mary, isn’t it? And a guy named Joseph? And about some special baby? What was so special about Him?”

Mateo could hardly believe Tory didn’t know the answer to that. “It’s about when Jesus was born. He’s the Son of God,” he explained.

“Well, then how could He be born as a baby on earth?” Tory asked. “If He was God’s Son, why did He come to earth anyway?”

“Because we needed Him to save us from our sin—our brokenness—so we could have eternal life,” said Mateo, and he did his best to help Tory understand who Jesus is and why He came.

When Mateo told his mom about their conversation, she had a suggestion. “It’s possible other friends of yours don’t know the real meaning of Christmas. Would you like to have a Christmas party so you can share it with them? You could play games and have prizes, and I’ll help with singing carols and tell the Christmas story before we have some snacks and hot cocoa.”

“That would be fun!” said Mateo.

Mateo invited several friends to come. He didn’t know if any of them would believe in Jesus because of the party, but he wanted to give them the chance to hear about the special baby who was born to save the world—the real reason for Christmas. Linda M. Weddle

Do your friends know who Jesus is and why He came to earth? How can you share the real meaning of Christmas with them? Maybe you can have a party where you sing carols and have someone tell the story of Jesus’ birth, or invite them to a Christmas program at your church. You could even simply talk with them about what Jesus has done for you. Share the message of Jesus at Christmas—and all year long.

"You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21 NKJV

Share Christ at Christmas.

Matthew 1:18-23