The Gift of God
It was Christmas Eve, a few years ago, when my wife asked our daughter, Elizabeth, “What would you like for Christmas?” The girl promptly answered, “I want to play with sick children and give food to the poor.” Despite her young age, Elizabeth had already grasped the core meaning of the Christmas message.
It’s all about generosity and giving, or more precisely, Christmas is about the Gift of God to humanity. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.”
Jesus is God’s Gift to the world. How wonderfully generous of God! He could not have given us anything better, for God gave us his own heart … God gave us His Beloved Son.
And this Gift came with much sacrifice for the Son of God. At his birth, his mother Mary placed him in a wooden manger — a sign of the suffering that awaited him — and indeed, his life ended on a wooden cross. For Jesus came for this very purpose, he came to die to pay the penalty for the sins of his people.
Finally, think about the utility of God’s Gift. Have you ever received a gift and thought to yourself, “This is pretty much useless to me!” God’s Gift is not only useful, is it indispensable. We need Jesus to rescue us from perishing under the weight of our sins in hell. We need Jesus to give us eternal life, that we may experience the joy and peace of God, and that someday, we will live with him forever.
Let us who believe in the Lord Jesus rejoice and thank God for his unspeakable Gift!
Finally, think about the utility of God’s Gift. Have you ever received a gift and thought to yourself, “This is pretty much useless to me!” God’s Gift is not only useful, is it indispensable. We need Jesus to rescue us from perishing under the weight of our sins in hell. We need Jesus to give us eternal life, that we may experience the joy and peace of God, and that someday, we will live with him forever.
Let us who believe in the Lord Jesus rejoice and thank God for his unspeakable Gift!