Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins! They are in the produce aisles, pumpkin patches, home decor, and flavoring our fall foods and beverages. You can paint them, carve them, bake them, and so much more. Have you ever considered that you could use a pumpkin to tell children about the gospel? I first saw a Gospel Pumpkin presentation at a church’s trunk or treat. It is truly an object lesson to illustrate the new creation we become when God saves us.
Sometimes it is easier to watch an example of a Gospel Pumpkin presentation than try to explain it. I thought Kids Enjoying Jesus did a great job using scripture along with carving a pumpkin to visually demonstrate the change that occurs when we put our faith in what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. This channel offers free resources that accompany this object lesson, too. So make sure that you check them out.
The Gospel in a Nutshell
The Fall-
God created the world and all that lies within, including you and me. He enjoyed spending time with the first man and woman God ever created, Adam and Eve, in a wonderful, perfect garden. God told them that they could eat from any tree except from one tree—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, they disobeyed God and ate the fruit of that tree. Since then, mankind has been separated from God because of our sin, which means simply that we break God’s law (Genesis 1-3).
Man’s Problem-
We know that every person is a sinner because God tells us in the Bible, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Just in case you still aren’t sure, Romans 3:10-12 says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” There is nothing that we can do to get rid of our sins or earn God’s favor. In fact, Isaiah 64:6 says, “And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.” So even our best attempts are stained with sin and worthless to a Holy God.
God’s Plan-
As hopeless sinners, we deserve to be separated from God forever. However, God made a way for His people to be made right with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Jesus left heaven to be born as a baby boy and live a perfect life on earth without sinning once (He was sinless because He was God.) He allowed Himself to be the perfect sacrifice and receive the punishment for sin that we deserve as He died on the cross. Three days later, God raised Him from the dead (Luke 23-24).
Hope Given-
Jesus is our Hope. In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” Through His death, He took our punishment. Through His resurrection, He defeated death. However, we are still enemies of God until we believe in the work that Christ did on our behalf. “Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:3b-5). A few verses lower it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (8-9).
Ask God for His gift of faith in prayer. Confess that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Once You are Saved
God doesn’t save you and then leave you unchanged. His Spirit and His word found in the Bible work to help us to sin less. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is what the Gospel Pumpkin illustration shows. God continues to work in our hearts and minds to make us more in the image of His Son, Jesus. He is the light of the world (John 8:12). Therefore, he wants us to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
I hope you found this object lesson and the Gospel Pumpkin illustration helpful. This is not about Christianizing the celebration of Halloween. Instead, this is about using resources readily available this time of year to demonstrate the change that occurs when you follow Christ. It is a great way to take advantage of this season to share the gospel with others visually. Enjoy!