Unwrapping the Gift of Christmas
Christmas is almost here and there’s presents ready to be opened. Just as quick as the gifts are unwrapped it seems to be over as well.
For most of us, it’s hard to remember what we got for Christmas last year. The real Gift of Christmas is one we spend our whole lives unwrapping. Today we are going to talk about unwrapping the true Gift of Christmas. Today’s scripture tells of God’s Gift of Christmas.
Luke 2:1-20
(At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.)
The Gift of Christmas is eternal life offered to all through Jesus Christ. The Gift of Christmas is instant; yet it takes a lifetime to unwrap.
With each tear of the paper, we grow and become more like Christ. As we grow in Christ, we experience an abundance of joy in our lives. Habakkuk 3:18 says, “I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”
Joy to the World! The Lord is come! – Christmas brings us true Joy!
So what do we do with this special Gift of Christmas we’ve received?
The Gift of Christmas is not to be kept to ourselves, but to be shared. The Gift of Christmas is to be given away. We are to be re-gifters! We are to go out into the world and share the Gift of Christmas to all. We should respond in the same way as the shepherds as recorded in verse 17: "After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child."
We are to Go Tell it One the Mountain…over the hills & everywhere!
Let us go out and share the gospel with everyone so that we can help to unwrap the gift of Christmas in their lives!
Amen!
