Christmas celebrates the awesome and amazing fact that is grander, wiser and more mysterious than we could have ever imagine. That is why the church (believers) must keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit. Because it’s the hope and the message of Christmas that helps you to stay glued together when life is falling a part, when it seems that the fabric of life is unraveling or has become frayed, it’s the depth of the meaning and mystery of Christmas that keeps the garments of our lives from being ruined. The amazing and awesomeness of Christmas has nothing to do with the “season”, but every thing to do with a Savior.
It’s the power and the person behind Christmas that meets us when we are bruised, broken, battered, burdened, and bewildered that makes Christmas and the other 11 months real to us. It’s the message and hope of Christmas that keeps you anchored and stable when the things are often unstable, shaky and crumbling all around you
The world spends a lot of time preparing for an observance (and I am pretty sure that some Christians get caught up in that as well, it’s hard not to). But Christmas is more than an observance, it’s an experience. It’s an experience of knowing that the Christ child that was born in Bethlehem has come to be born in you and me, and now your heart (and mine) has become a spiritual Bethlehem and He lives, abides in you (us) and with you (us).
And so for the believer and the church, all the Christmas presents in the world (regardless of whom they came from, how much they cost, how big or small the wrappings), all the presents are worth nothing without the presence of Christ.
There are multiple and meaningful definitions of Christmas, but I ran across this one. It’s applicable with more of a secular meaning, but as I thought about it, it has deep spiritual application as well.
Christmas is doing a little extra for someone!!!!
In that secular application, Christmas may mean going a step beyond what I would do, it means perhaps extending myself more than I would normally!
Christmas is doing a little extra for someone!!!
That is exactly what God did for mankind! He had given us a world in creation; He had given life to Adam and Eve. He created a garden for man to live, and placed a sun in the sky for daylight, and a moon and stars for the night. He had given Israel a name to be His people, a nation that stood above other nations, Kings to rule them, Prophets to teach and guide them in God’s ways, commandments for them to obey, Priests that interceded for them in special ways, miracles that affirm Him and bless them.
But then God did a little extra!
God went beyond what He had already done! He gave us an event in time and history that we call Christmas! He did something extra! He did more than He had done!
He gave more than He had ever given! That is Christmas!!
Christmas is doing a little extra for someone! God did something for all, not just for someone, but for anyone!!!!
And so our text again today declares in my opinion Christ the Greatest Gift!
For God so loved the word, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life.
So I want to place at the entrance of your heart and mind why I believe that Christ is the Greatest Gift! And I hope that in days to come, it will speak to you and that you might have a chance to speak to others about this gift!
I. Christ is the Greatest Gift Because: It’s a Global Gift!
For God so loved the world:
It was not a gift just given to Mary and Joseph (Jews), not a gift just given to that region of the world, not just to Jerusalem, Galilee, Judea, and the surrounding communities (Middle East). Christ is global! While I am preaching in Michigan now, someone in Mississippi, Minnesota, Missouri, and Massachusetts is also preaching about Him. While I am preaching about Him in the United States, someone in another part of the world is preaching about Him.
It’s a gift that Reaches you wherever you are!
Listen, you are not here today because you have lived the model life. You are not here today because you have demonstrated flawless and faithful behavior in every aspect of your life. You are here because the love of God reached you wherever you were or had been.
Tell the story of Charles Spurgeon on the roof top of a barn with a friend. (Spurgeon was recognized as one of the great preachers of his era. Ten thousand came to here him each week as he serveed as pastor of that great place of worship in England Metropolitan Tabernacle)!
So many times in life we are blown by the winds of poor choices and we find ourselves in the corners of chaos and confusion.
So many times we have willingly lifted our sail to catch a wind that we knew was going in the wrong directions, and we found ourselves stranded on the sea of uncertainties and discomfort.
So many times we have been blown into a life of waywardness or life carelessness.
So many times pain, grief, fear, frustration blows us into a land of spiritual and personal numbness, we can’t see clearly and neither hear the truth, and we do not think appropriately.
1. But God’s love will come to where you are, and reach you where you are. His love is global; you can not be blown beyond the reach of God’s love.
2. This love of God is parallel to the blood of Christ. And it makes sense to me that the two are so similar because the two carries the same DNA.
A song writer wrote about this concept of the blood of Christ and its global reach when he said: it reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley.
The love of God will reach you; your life is not beyond His reach! Your situation is not beyond His reach! Your struggle is not beyond His reach. Where you are and where you have drifted to, is not beyond his reach!
And the reason the love of God is a world wide love is because the Father made the world.
It’s a Gift that Redeems you (It just does not reach). It can do something about your condition where you are.
That word redeems literally means buys you back!
(Hosea and Gomer)
II. Christ is the Greatest Gift Because: It a Gracious Gift.
He gave His only begotten Son!
He gave the best! He gave His all!! He gave Himself!
God’s gift was so priceless, and so precious that it’s almost hard to place human language to it.
The Apostle Paul was writing to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 9:15, Paul was summarizing the glory of God, the grace of God, and the goodness of God that he had been talking about in the previous verses. And when he gets to that point in verse 15, he is overwhelmed with how good and wonderful God had been. He is so thankful to God for the gift of a Savior, the only begotten.
Paul says:
KJV - Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
ESV - Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.
NIV - Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
NLT Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words.
And what makes it unspeakable, inexpressible, and indescribable. And too wonderful for words are:
It was given Freely! That is what makes it so gracious! The Father gave His Son at no cost to mankind.
It was given Faithfully!
That whosoever would believe!
III. Christ is the Greatest Gift Because: It’s a Guaranteed Gift!
Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life!
That is what makes the gift great; time will not damage the gift! Christ came with a guarantee behind Him, a guarantee upon Him, and a guarantee with Him!
And the guarantee covers anybody, everybody!
The guarantee goes beyond this life; it covers you in this life and then continues into the life to come! The guarantee will never be invalid; it has no expiration date on it. At your expiration, your coverage continues until that great day when the sky shall unfold, and we shall behold Him face to face.
This guarantee is for the lost, least, and the left out!
It covers all:
Sins
Though your sins be as scarlet, He will make them white as snow!
Though they be red like crimson, they shall be like wool!
He will create a clean heart and renew a right spirit!
It covered a woman caught in adultery!!! Whosoever!
It covered a disciple who denied Him! Whosoever!
It covered a disciple who doubted Him! Whosoever!
It covered a thief on the cross! Whosoever!
It covered a woman of Samaria! Whosoever!
It covered a religious zealot on the Damascus road! Whosoever!
It covered a Jailor in Philippi! Whosoever!
It covered a Tax Collector name Zacchaeus! Whosoever!
And it’s all because God so love the world, He gave!!!
Christmas is about the love of God! Yes, its love!
Love lifted me, when nothing else could help! Love Lifted me!
I used to think that Jesus loves me was a children song, it was a song designated and designed for the children! I think I am right and wrong! It one of the few times one can be wrong and is right, or is right and wrong!
