The real message of Christmas is not the gifts that we give to each other. Rather, it is a reminder of the gift that God has given to each of us. During this Christmas season, we’ll hear one word more than any other. It’s “the Name of Jesus.” It’s “a gift” God has given the world the gift that is so perfect nothing compares. Many people think that gift giving at Christmas was started by the Wise Men when they brought gifts to the baby Jesus. But it was God who gave the first Christmas gift. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
On the first day of Christmas, God gave the greatest gift of all — he gave his Son. The word "given" is derived from "give" which has root in the noun "gift". The theme of giving is prominent in Scripture, with such words as “give,” “gift,” “gave,” etc., appearing more than 2,000 times. Jesus Christ was God’s Christmas Gift, and God never gives anything but the best! The Bible says in James 1:17 " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.," He gave his Son to die on the cross so you can have your past forgiven, peace with God, a purpose for living, and a home in Heaven. Jesus is the original, perfect, personal, and indescribable Christmas gift. And the amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others. That is what Christmas is all about.
Did you know there are about 300 prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming of Christ? And Fulfilled prophecy is one of the greatest proofs of the Deity of Jesus Christ. Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah looks into the future and tells his audience in such beautiful words that a Child has been given to mankind. Not just an ordinary child but One Who has come with multifaceted purpose and benefits. Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet said, (Isa. 9:6). "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." That prophecy was fulfilled in the words of that blessed text, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
It is unfathomable what it meant for our transcendent Creator God to become finite man. Nevertheless, the One who was “so much superior to the angels” (Hebrews 1:4) willingly set aside His deity, descended from the authority of heaven’s throne, and “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). The word incarnation does not occur in the Bible. It is derived from the Latin in and caro (flesh), meaning clothed in flesh. Its only use in theology is in reference to that gracious, voluntary act of the Son of God in which He assumed a human body. In Christian doctrine the Incarnation, briefly stated, is that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became a man. It is one of the greatest events to occur in the history of the universe. It is without parallel. Beyond stepping down from the glorious form of God to the humble form of a human slave, the King of heaven took on “the likeness of sinful man” (Romans 8:3) and “became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). In this way, God graciously showed His great love for us by giving “His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10) Sinners are pictured in the Bible as lost sheep. The Scripture says, "All we like sheep have gone astray" (Isa. 53:6). How wonderful at this blessed Christmas season to think that the greatest Gift ever given was; indescribable we didn’t ask for it, but "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).
Salvation is not an afterthought with God. The Bible says concerning Jesus, "…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).This is why Apostle Paul wrote, ''without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. . (I Timothy 3:16)If it weren’t for God’s grace and love, we would have nothing. The air we breathe is a gift of God’s love and care. The fact that our hearts are beating is a gift of God’s generosity. Every good thing in your life — including your life — is a gift of God’s steadfast love. But God’s greatest act of love came on the very first Christmas when he gave us Jesus. Clearly, the greatest of all gifts was when God gave Himself for a lost and undeserving world—because it revealed the greatest grace and love, met the greatest need, and had the greatest scope and purpose of any gift that could possibly be conceived in the heart of God. Such a gift from God is abundantly sufficient to provide salvation and eternal life for the whole world.
The Godhead came to dwell with men; soothe our pain and save our souls; to bear our sins and make us heirs with Him. A perfect gift wrapped in such simplicity that the world cannot comprehend it. This gift is Jesus, The babe in the manger, The Savior of the world. The book of Hebrews says, “Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” (9:14, NLT). Jesus is God’s Perfect Gift to us. And He brought the promise of unconditional love, unending hope and eternal life to every person who believes in Him: This perfect gift is the reason we celebrate Christ’s birth on Christmas Day, and its profound significance was best summarized by Apostle Paul With deep gratitude for this Gift, he wrote, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" (II Cor. 9:15). But a gift only becomes a gift when it is accepted. Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be
During the Christmas season, we all think about the gifts we want to buy for friends and family. It’s been said that a gift must meet three criteria for it to be considered “perfect.” Number one, the gift should reflect the one who gives it. Number two; the gift should reflect knowledge of the one who receives it—in other words, knowledge of their needs, desires, tastes, and so forth. And number three, the gift should be of a nature and quality that will hold its value as time goes on.
We know God gave mankind the perfect Gift when He sent His Son Jesus. The Gift of Jesus meets all of the criteria for being a perfect gift. Number one, Jesus reflects the One Who gave Him—God the Father. Number two, God’s gift of His Son reflects knowledge of our needs. And number three, the Gift of Jesus is of a nature and quality that will hold its value as times goes on. Jesus’ value is eternal! John 3:16b says, “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. God gave us the perfect Gift when He gave us Jesus.
First, Jesus is the perfect Gift because He reflects the Father who gave Him. Bible says “The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. . . . (Hebrew 1:3) “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Colossians 1:15) Jesus Himself said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father (John 14:9). The Father’s words were spoken from Jesus’ lips. The Father’s mercy and compassion were seen in Jesus’ actions. The Father’s abundant provision was demonstrated through Jesus’ generosity. The Father’s great power and love were revealed to us through Jesus! Jesus is the perfect Gift, and the perfect reflection of the One Who gave Him.
Second, Jesus is the perfect Gift because God gave Him with knowledge of our needs. God knew we needed a Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer, Healer, and a true friend. We needed someone who was fully God and fully man. Only Jesus could meet this need. Being fully God enabled Jesus to carry our sin. His Deity enabled Him to be the Sacrifice Who could bear the sin of the world along with the penalties of sickness, poverty, and spiritual death. Being fully human allowed Jesus to identify with what we go through, enabling Him to provide for all of our needs and desires and to care for us in any situation.
Jesus became our Substitute. We owed a debt we could not pay, and Jesus paid a debt He did not owe. Because of Jesus, you and I can be free. If our greatest need had been information, technology, money, or pleasure, God would have sent us an educator, a scientist, an economist, or an entertainer. The truth is, our greatest need was redemption, and God sent a Redeemer! God knew what we needed, and He sent the perfect Gift.
Third, the Gift of Jesus holds its value for all eternity. He is the Gift that never expires, goes out of style, or becomes outdated or obsolete! Every generation needs a Redeemer. Every generation needs a Savior to lift them out of sin and into the righteousness of God. Jesus is one Gift that will never lose its value or worth. Jesus is the perfect Gift! Even though we don’t deserve and could never earn this Gift, God freely gave Jesus to all who will receive Him. God’s love for us in Christ never fades, diminishes, or weakens. God’s love for us remains consistent and continually available. Christmas is the season for giving gifts. And it’s no wonder that we give gifts to loved ones at this time, since Christmas is really the celebration of God’s Gift to those He loves—His perfect Gift of Jesus to you and me! Therefore there is no greater joy at Christmas, no more fulfilling gift, than entering into a personal relationship with Jesus. To have a relationship with God, we need to welcome him into our life... The Bible says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."11
If you haven’t known God personally, here are four principles that will help guide you into a relationship with him: First principle God loves you and created you to know him personally. The Bible says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Second principle Man is sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know him personally or experience his love because of our sin. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Third principle Jesus Christ is God’s provision for man’s sin. Through him alone can we know God personally and experience God’s love. Jesus died in our place. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).fourth principle we must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience his love. The Bible says “As many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name” (John 1:12). We receive Christ through faith. “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9) Christ says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me.” Life is about what happens beyond the grave. Life is about knowing the God who made you and who gave you the greatest gift you will ever receive.
Jesus came so that each of us could know and understand God in a personal way. He alone can bring meaning and purpose to life. Knowing Jesus Christ is the most exciting relationship you can have. It is the beginning of a life of adventure with an all-loving, all-powerful God. If you have sincerely asked Christ to come into your life, you can be sure that your relationship with God is secure. Your relationship with God is secure because, through Christ, you are forgiven and accepted by God. However, God also desires for you to walk closely with Him. Developing a relationship with someone requires a commitment of time and energy. So it is with your relationship with Jesus Christ; it takes time to learn some of the basic principles of the kingdom life. Only Scripture is said to be profitable for “reproof, correction, and training in righteousness” We should read and study the Bible because it is God's Word to us. Filling your mind with Scripture is the most powerful measure you can take against indwelling sin. The Bible is a book that is not merely for reading. It is a book for studying so that it can be applied. We should read and study the scripture because it is totally reliable and without error. The Bible gives us the measuring stick by which we can distinguish truth from error. Remember “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.”
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness and salvation, so God sent us a Savior.
One of the greatest theologians that ever lived, Karl Barth, was asked to be a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago Divinity School. At the end of a captivating closing lecture, the president of the seminary announced that Dr. Barth was not well and was quite tired, and though he thought that Dr. Barth would like to be open for questions, he shouldn't be expected to handle the strain. Then he said, “Therefore, I will ask just one question on behalf of all of us." He turned to the renowned theologian and asked, "Of all the theological insights you have ever had, which do you consider to be the greatest of them all?
It was the perfect question for a man who had written literally tens of thousands of pages of some of the most sophisticated theology ever put into print. The students held pencils right up against their writing pads, ready to take down verbatim the premier insight of the greatest theologian of their time. Karl Barth closed his tired eyes, and he thought for a minute, and then he half smiled, opened his eyes, and said to those young seminarians, "The greatest theological insight that I have ever had is this: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
Beloved, right at the heart of Christmas laid the central purpose of God - which made all the difference in the world. Christmas stands for the presence of God with us (Immanuel) to meet the pressures of life as they come to us day by day. When our hopes crush, & dreams collapse, the Grace and Love of Jesus is designed to relieve and to bring hope to us. The true spirit of Christmas is Christ-spirit must take its birth within our heart. Paul said “Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5) Jesus is the light of the world and he is our living, breathing sign of the immeasurable love that God has had for all of us from the very beginning. It’s a love that never stops shining. May the Blessings of our Lord Jesus with His Peace, Joy, Hope, Love, and eternal life be your gifts this Christmas Season. Merry Christmas
