Christmas Message – The perfect gift
Luke 2:8-11
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Now that the festive season is here and if you were at the shopping malls during this season, I am sure that we have noticed people buying a lot of things.
Not only where they buying things, but they were buying things in huge quantities.
The reason we see so many people buying things in huge quantities is because they want to give them away as gifts.
Right before the festive season stores had specials, discounts, sales and all kinds of things. Why because they know not only finding the right price is important, but it is also important to find the right gift.
Why are so many people concerned about finding the right gift?
There are certain things that a gift can convey:
1. The gift can represent the giver’s social, economic or moral status. Example:
If the gift is a very expensive gift the we would think that the one giving the gift is rich and has a lot of money.
If the gift is a religious gift, we would think that the person giving the gift is a religious person and goes to church.
So we see that a gift can tell us about the social or economic status of the giver.
2. Second, a gift can represent the value and importance that the one giving the gift has toward the one who is receiving the gift.
If I have a high value on the relationship of the one I am purchasing the gift for, it will usually show up in the gift.
3. A gift can also be given to strengthen or restore a relationship. It can be a symbol of good will.
We see this in Genesis 32:20 - 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me
Jacob selected certain gifts to be given to his brother to pacify his anger and try to restore their broken relationship.
What can determine if the gift is right or not?
1. Some determine if the gift is perfect by the value of the gift.
Some feel the more expensive the gift the more chance it has of being the right gift.
2. Some determine if the gift is the perfect by the motive of the giver.
Some people feel it doesn’t matter how much the gift cost, but if the motive behind the gift is love then that’s all that matter to me.
Quote: A gift given out of Love
Some time ago, a story goes that a man punished his 3-year old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and gave it to him. He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box empty.
He yelled at her telling her that there must be something in the box for it to be a gift. The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, “Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you Daddy.”
It wasn’t the value of the gift that made the difference, but the motive in which the gift was given.
Some people feel as long as the gift is given out of love, then that is the perfect gift for me.
3. Some people determine if a gift is perfect, by if it meets a certain need.
Some feel that even though the gift may not be expensive, but as long as it meets a certain need that is the perfect gift for me.
After all what good is it to have a very expensive gift that you can’t use?
How many know Jesus is the perfect gift?
Not only did He have the greatest value, not only was the gift given out of the best motive, but Jesus met our greatest need.
Let’s take a look at these 3 and then we will be done.
(Romans 8:32).
He who did not spare His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
1 God gave us His best – His prize possession.
God loved you and I so much that He gave His one and only son.
God gave us His best.
God gave up His prize possession so that you and I could be saved.
You and I shouldn’t ever doubt God’s love toward us. It doesn’t matter how we feel, what we have done, how we have made mistakes, God gave His one and only Son for you and I because He loves us.
Imagine that, God gave His Son to purchase us all and so we could have a relationship with Him.
God didn’t give us His best so we could have a sense of failure, condemnation or even unworthiness.
He gave us His best so we can know how much He loves us.
2 The motive to which God gave His Son to us was out of love
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
God gave us His only begotten Son not out of compulsion but out of love.
Notice the scripture says that God so loved the world that He gave, so we need to understand that Jesus’ life wasn’t taken from Him, but He gave His life. So that you and I can have life and life more abundantly.
The heavy thing is that it is Jesus who is actually saying these words.
3 The gift of Jesus met our biggest need
The Bible says in Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
The Bible says in Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You and I had a need and that need was a savior. God gave us the perfect gift to meet our biggest need.
Quote: Unfinished Business, Charles Sell,
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, so God sent us a Savior.
Romans 3:24
and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
There are a few things that we can point out in this portion of scripture:
And all are Justified:
JUSTIFICATION:
AN IMAGE FROM THE COURT OF LAW, JUSTIFICATION IS AN ACT WHICH JUSTIFIES AN ACTION OR ATTITUDE. JUSTIFICATION SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF MAN’S GUILT BEFORE A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE.
Through the redemption:
REDEMPTION:
AN IMAGE FROM THE SLAVE MARKET. REDEMPTION SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF MAN’S SLAVERY TO SIN, THE WORLD, AND SATAN.
By Jesus Christ:
PROPITIATION:
AN IMAGE FROM THE WORLD OF RELIGION, APPEASING GOD THROUGH SACRIFICE. PROPITIATION SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF OFFENDING GOD, OUR CREATOR.
How many thank God that He gave us the perfect gift?
See the Awesome thing about our God is He didn’t just give us a lot of do’s and don’ts in order to be saved, but He sent us His Son.
I heard it said that religion is a bunch of does and don’ts but a relationship is built out of love.
Here is a quote for you:
“The difference between Christianity and every other faith in the world is that all other religions are about man trying to reach up to God. Christianity is about God reaching down to man.”
Illustration: God sent His Son not only instructions:
Pastor Clifford S. Stewart of Louisville, Kentucky, sent his parents a microwave oven one Christmas. Here's how he recalls the experience: "They were excited that now they, too, could be a part of the instant generation. When Dad unpacked the microwave and plugged it in, literally within seconds, the microwave transformed two smiles into frown! Even after reading the directions, they couldn't make it work. "Two days later, my mother was playing bridge with a friend and confessed her inability to get that microwave oven even to boil water. 'To get this thing to work,' she exclaimed, 'I really don't need better directions; I just needed my son to come along with the gift!'" When God gave the gift of salvation, he didn't send a booklet of complicated instructions for us to figure out; he sent his Son.
Now the last thing about a gift is all you and I have to do is receive it.
