‘Have Your Unwrapped His Gift?”
John 1:1,14
From the time God created heaven and earth He had a plan. His plan included a “Gift.” After the creation of humankind 4,250 years passed before the “Gift” was given.
The promise of the gift was stated in Genesis 3:15 after Adam and Eve yielded to the temptation of Satan. God declared judgment on Satan for his deception of Adam and Eve. God said: “From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your off spring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
This scripture was fulfilled when Jesus smashed the head of Satan when He died on the Cross of Calvary. In Genesis 3 Satan brought a cloud of darkness and gloom over the earth. Jesus came as the Light of Life and revealed God’s love to light the way in a world of darkness and the darkness was not able to overcome the Light or put it out.
Let’s look at a brief summary of Biblical history prior to the coming of Christ, the First Advent.
From Adam to Noah about 1,500 years transpired. The first human family, Adam and Eve started out having close fellowship with their Creator. They walked and talked with God and had intimate fellowship with the Lord.
During those 1,500 years turned from their Creator and turned to idols and became vile and wicked. Genesis 6:5-8
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God told Noah to build an Ark because a flood was coming to cover the land. When Noah was 500 years old he started building the Ark and when he was 600 the Ark was finished the flood came and only Noah and his family and animals selected by God were saved.
Noah lived to be 950 years old. When he was 948 years old Abram was born. When Abram was 75 God called him to leave Ur of Chaldees and travel to the land of Canaan. God promised Abraham that if He honored God and would not worship idols or foreign gods, God would bless him and make him a great nation.
Abraham and Sarah had a son Isaac, and Isaac and Rebekah had a son Jacob. Jacob worshiped and honored God and God gave him a new name, Israel. Jacob and his 12 sons settled in the land of Canaan.
Jacob’s son, Joseph was his favorite son. Joseph’s brothers were jealous so they sold him to a caravan going to Egypt. The leaders of the caravan sold Joseph to Potiphar, the captain to of Pharaoh’s army. In time Joseph became second in command to Pharaoh over Egypt. Under Joseph’s leadership Egypt prospered for 7 years with abundant crops. Joseph gave oversite to storing the grain for the coming 7 years of famine. During the 7 years of famine Joseph sold grain to Egyptian families and surrounding nations.
Jacob and his sons ended up in Egypt due to the famine and Joseph with Pharaoh’s approval had his family settle in Goshen to care for their livestock and the livestock of Pharaoh. Following the death of Pharaoh and Joseph the people of Israel were made slaves to serve and for 400 years served the people of Egypt.
God chose Moses, a Hebrew, who had became an adopted son of Pharaoh to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and back to their homeland in Canaan. Due to the people’s lack of faith and disobedience it took them 40 years of wandering in the desert before they were ready to enter the land of Canaan.
Joshua the assistant to Moses was used of the Lord to take the nearly 3 million Israelites into the land of Canaan.
During the time of the Judges the children of Israel went from spiritual highs to sinful lows. The major and minor prophets kept reminding the people to stay true to God. The prophets also declared that God’s greatest gift was on the way. The prophets spoke of a coming Messiah, “The Anointed One.” The “Anointed One” would be born of a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14, 9:6 – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The place of birth was prophesied to be the town of Bethlehem. Micah 5:2-3, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, through you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
From Adam to the birth of Jesus approximately 4,250 years passed. Jesus was born the “Light of the World,” in the world of darkness under the rule of Rome.
God’s gift of salvation promised in Genesis 3:15 was born in a lowly stable part of an Inn in Bethlehem.
God did not send an army general, or a politician or a preacher. God sent himself. As one pastor, Wallace Hamilton, said, “God came walking down the stairway of heaven with a baby in his arms.”
An angel gave the purpose of Christ’s coming when an angel explained to Joseph why Mary his fiancé was already pregnant before he married her. “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 2:20-21
Jesus came on a mission of mercy, to provide forgiveness of sins. Before Jesus came God seemed distant and beyond human understanding. Jesus came as the incarnate Son of God.
Jesus became man by a miracle of God. Jesus was and is the only person who was fully God and fully man. Jesus didn’t have His beginning in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus stepped out of heaven to become a human being and reveal the character of God and the truths of God.
John 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus became incarnate in a human body. If you want to know what God is like, look to Jesus.
Lowly Shepherds watching sheep near Bethlehem were the first to get the news that Jesus was born. Luke 2:8-14
God’s gift came on a mission. Jesus came seeking. Jesus came seeking all who are confused. Jesus came seeking all who are searching for truth and meaning in life. God not only gives you the greatest gift, Himself. The Gift comes seeking you to give you God’s gift of salvation. Jesus came to save people from their sins. The gift of salvation is available to all.
Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Jesus came seeking to save all who are lost and wandering aimlessly in life without a purpose.
In the Christmas Cantata, “The Greatest Story” one of the songs the choir sings:
He was seeking for me.
Jesus was seeking for me.
Though’ I knew Him not, still
He loved me and was seeking for me.
He was seeking for me. Jesus was seeking for me.”
Jesus continues to seek people today. Jesus wants to give you his precious gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins.
God’s gift of His Son provides a new start in life for all will believe and follow Jesus. Regardless of how bad and dark your past you have the opportunity to start anew. God specializes in giving second chances. The prophet Isaiah declared, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new crfeation; the old has gone, the new has come?” 2 Cor. 5:17
Jesus came to give you the gift of peace. When the angels appeared to the Shepherds they sand out: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”
When you talk to people today you soon hear that people are worried about having a job and financial security. Many people are fearful, worried and have frazzled lives.
Can you finish these sentences…?
I’m at the end of my ……… rope.
I’m about to come un ………glued.
I’m ready to throw in the ……..towel.
I’m all stressed…….out.
Amidst the storms of life and turmoil of our economy Jesus wants to give you peace. Jesus said, “I have told you these things (the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels), so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
We have the promise in Isaiah 43:2 NLT - “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up.” God promises to be with at all times in our life.
Ken Blanchard, author of One Minute Manager, and other books on leadership lost his home in the wild fires last year in San Diego County. Ken Blanchard and his family lost everything.
Ken Blanchard was asked how he had strength to keep going after he lost everything. He said:
“When the fire hit I was in Florida and I got a voice mail from my son at seven in the morning. “The whole neighborhood’s in flames and I think your house is gone too.” …When my wife and I walked up the driveway after they let us in here. Margie turns to me and she says, ‘You know, I don’t really have any feelings toward this place because it looks like it’s been cremated’… People have asked me. “Doesn’t this really test your faith?’ and I’ve said, “No, it’s really put my faith to work.’ The best way that God has given me the strength is to realize that I can put things in perspective because you’re not supposed to build up treasure on earth. All the things around us are stuff. The only real important thing is the eternal things are the relationships and the love that we have with people. And that’s really what counts and that was so important to us. Then God really made us realize what’s important in life.”
Ken said, “I have the strength to go on because I know what’s important.”
Christmas is all about helping to focus on what’s really important in life. Christmas is about Jesus his birth and message. Jesus wants to give you the gift of peace. Jesus gives you peace. Have your unwrapped God’s gift to you?
God wants to give you the gift of joy. The angel sang out to the Shepherds: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11
The greatest Christmas Gift God gave the world is the gift of Himself – God stepped out of the Universe and became man. God became the incarnate Son of God – God in human flesh.
Have you unwrapped God’s great gift – the person of Jesus? When you accept God’s gift you have the assurance that you do not face the future alone, Jesus will take your hand and give your strength for every challenge and blessing in life.
The early Christians followed Jesus during His earthly ministry and after His ascension into heaven, they continued to live for Jesus and honor Him in their lives. They went forth not to enjoy the favor and applause of the world. They were regarded with disdain and were abused and dreadfully persecuted. It’s completely unreasonable to assume they left homes, businesses, family, friends, and comforts of life to expose themselves to hardships, ridicule, persecutions, floggings, imprisonment, and martyrdom in order to perpetuate the name and memory of one who had deceived them.
Look at the lives of Christians in the first century and you know the early Christians did not believe Jesus was an imposter or one who failed to make good on his promises.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus we have the assurance we are preparing to celebrate the birth of one that changed the course of this world from BC to AC – Before Christ to After Christ.
Do you have an AC in your life? We all have a BC in our life, but have you experienced an AC in your life? God’s gift is available. Will you unwrap His gift this Christmas?
Invitation and prayer
