Halloween Ideas - Jack-O-Lantern

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Halloween
Ideas - Jack-O-Lantern
Use the legend
of the Jack-o-lantern
to share
the gospel.
www.CreativeHolidayIdeas.com

Tradition says the Halloween “Jack-o-
Lantern” gets it’s name from an
old Irish story about a drunkard
called “Stingy Jack.”
According to one version of the
story, which has many variations,
on October 31st, Stingy Jack was
being chased by some villagers for
stealing. It was his time to die and
because of his wicked life he was
going to hell.

But he offered the devil an
opportunity to create chaos and
distrust in the whole village if the
devil would free him for a year. The
devil, gleeful at any opportunity to
cause conflict and destroy
relationships, agreed to hear Stingy
Jack’s plan.
You want to know what his plan
was?

Since the devil could turn into
any shape, the devil would turn
himself into a coin and Stingy
Jack would use the coin to pay
for the things he had stolen.
Later the devil could change back
to his original shape and the
villagers would accuse each other
and fight over who had stolen
the coin.

The devil agreed to the plan, but
when he changed into the coin,
Stingy Jack dropped the coin into
his pocket next to a cross he had
stolen from the village. The devil
was powerless next to the cross
and couldn’t change back into his
original form. Stingy jack
eventually freed the devil, but only
after the devil agreed not to
bother him for a whole year.

The next year, the Devil met
Stingy Jack walking on a country
road and told him that he was
there to collect his soul. Jack,
pretended he was ready to go,
but asked the Devil if he would
grant him one last wish. Would
he climb an apple tree and get
him an apple? The Devil, thinking
it was a small request in
exchange for Stingy Jack’s soul
agreed.

Jack pointed to an apple at the
top of the tree and the devil
began to climb. But just as he
reached for the apple, Stingy Jack
pulled out his knife and quickly
carved the sign of the cross in the
tree’s trunk. Again, powerless
before the cross, the Devil was
unable to come back down from
the tree. Stingy Jack, very proud
of himself made the Devil
promise to never again ask him
for his soul. Seeing no other
choice the Devil reluctantly
agreed.

Later, Stingy Jack died. But when
he knocked on the heavenly
gates he was not allowed inside
because of his wicked life. But
the devil, because of his promise
not to take his soul, also refused
to let Stingy Jack enter hell.

Being unable to go to heaven or
hell Jack asked the Devil where he
should go. The Devil only replied,
“Back where you came from!” The
way back was very dark so Jack
begged the Devil to at least give
him a light to find his way. So the
Devil tossed Jack a hot burning
coal from the fires of hell to light
his way.
Jack put the coal into a carved-out
turnip and has been roaming the
earth ever since.

The Irish referred to him as “Jack
of the Lantern,” and later, just
“Jack O’ Lantern.” After a while,
the Irish began to carve scary faces
into potatoes and turnips and
place them in windows and
doorways to frighten away Stingy
Jack and other roaming spirits.
When they came to the United
States, they discovered pumpkins
were much more suitable for jack-
O-lanterns since they were softer
and easier to carve than the
turnips and potatoes of their Irish
homeland.

You don’t need a pumpkin to
scare away evil spirits. And you
don’t need the light of a jack-o-lantern
to light your way. Jesus
the light of the world has come to
you!
Your name might not be Stingy
Jack, but the Bible tells us that no
one is worthy to get into heaven.
(Romans 3:23)

And while you can’t make a deal
with the devil, Jesus has already
made a deal on your behalf. He
exchanged his life for yours that
you might receive eternal life.
(Romans 6:23) And the devil is
still powerless next to the cross
where Jesus gave his life for
yours!

You don’t need to wander the
earth, fearful about whether or
not you will get into heaven or
afraid the devil will get your soul.
You can know for certain you will
go to heaven. (1 John 5:12-13,
John 14:6)
All you need to do is confess your
sin, believe in Jesus, and trust
him with your life. (Romans 10:9)

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Halloween Ideas - Jack-O-Lantern

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