The Best Christmas Gift Evar!
Have you ever gotten a really good gift and were so happy?
It seems the older we get, the more we have seen it all, so gifts don’t maybe have the same impact as when we were younger.
When you were little you didn’t know to ask but you got a plushy doll. Best Christmas gift evar! Some people still have their little doll!
So when you were a little older you wanted a present and actually asked for it and instead you got underwear?
Well, but then, back behind the tree, was that Red Ryder BB gun! Best Christmas Gift Evar! Don’t shoot your eye out!
You got a little older and they took you outside and A NEW CAR! Here’s Johnny to tell you all about it: Red convertible with the tinted glass, radio entertainment center, a/c, cruise-o-matic automatic transmission, pink air nitrogen inflated white sidewall tires, backup camera, heated seats even! Best Christmas gift evar!
Then as an adult you get tickets to Disney World! I’m going to Disney! Best Christmas gift evar!
But I got one better than that and that’s what we’re talking about today!
Do you know how to give good gifts?
Matthew 7:11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
God knows how to give Good gifts! Trust me!
What is the meaning of Christmas? Presents? Family? Friends? Santa? Frosty Snowman?
Christmas is so convoluted that no one seems to know it was about the best gift mankind could ever have! Salvation from sin and death! Most don’t even know they need this gift!
Many of us, as we get older, we are more and more acquainted with Sin and the devastating effects it has. We long for the day when we are free of sin and we are so thankful that Jesus came and was the perfect sacrifice to take away sin and all we have to do is accept God’s gift.
Before He came, imagine how the people longed for His coming. He was the desire of nations! People longed for the day they would see His coming to take away the burden of Sin and death! They thought He would ride in as a King on a white horse, but instead, He came into a poor family in a stable because there was no room for Him at the inn. This is perhaps a commentary on many of us that we don’t have room for God. I hope that’s not true of you, that you have room for God and that you receive His best gift ever! HANDS DOWN THE BEST GIFT EVER!
Luke 2:8-14 Announcement of the Gift - pretty cool but I have one better!
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. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Imagine the announcement not going to the king or the priests but to the wretched shepherds.
They were constantly considered unclean, dealing with birth and death of sheep and were on the outskirts of the city so were always on the outside. It’s likely that these shepherds were raising sacrificial sheep! Do you sometimes feel that gifts go to rich people, but aren’t you glad these lowly people got this special gift from the angels, rather than the rich kids?
This wasn’t the first mention of Christ’s birth! The OT has many instances mentioning His coming. The first one being…
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Luke 2:15:20 Viewing the Gift - is it what we expected? Pretty cool but I have one better!
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
I can only imagine how much Mary treasured up what happened and how excited the Shepherds must have been to know the gift had been given that they had waited so long for!
Luke 2:21-24 Righteous family - offered the poor person’s sacrifice.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
Imagine the absurdity of the almighty Lord coming into a poor family!
1 Corinthians 1:28
God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
Perhaps this is a testimony to the state of the upper crust. Although they should be the examples, they were passed by and Jesus was born to this lowliest of families. Notice that God is very inclusive, but not willy nilly inclusive of undeserving and unrighteous!
Luke 2:25-35 - Simeon - Pretty cool gift, but I have one better!
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Nothing short of a miracle here. Simeon was told he would see the Messiah before he died. How, I don’t know, but the Spirit was upon him. Some people like the say the Spirit wasn’t around until Acts, but these verses disagree. Simeon could now die a happy man having seen his salvation!
Jesus would be loved and hated! Many hearts would be revealed - we see stories in the Bible about the hearts of the Pharisees and Sadducees being revealed and Pilot, and Peter. If you met Jesus face to face, do you believe your standing might also be revealed at least to yourself? Woe is me for I am undone, Isaiah said when He saw God. God and your spouse knows the kind of person you are, and someone we ourselves lie to ourselves of who we are, but when we are face to face with God in all honesty, our true colors are revealed. To thine own self be true - don’t lie to yourself - realize that you are a sinner and need God's great gift!
Luke 2:36-38 - Anna - Pretty cool gift, but I have one better!
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Again, God is inclusive and a woman prophetess is no exception! Very old, and not from a noteworthy tribe. She worshiped night and day, fasting and praying! God yet somehow she too knew that this child was the Messiah!
Have you longed to be free of sin and death? Do you realize you can’t get there on your own? No one can.
Imagine, He standing there with tears in His eyes saying accept my free gift and you tell Him, I don’t think so. Go away!
What do you get with this gift? “The gift that keeps on giving!”
Your sins are forgotten, remembered no more! (Wait there’s more!)
Jesus’ righteousness imputed - Prisoner escapes they are still guilty and have a reputation - you have no more bad reputation - you have Jesus’ righteousness
You get to go to Heaven!
You are God’s fully adopted child - an heir of the King!!!
A spiral slicer - just kidding - but in Revelation it does say you’ll get a rock with your new name on it!
A personal relationship with the Almighty! And so much more!!!
Luke 14:15-23 - Gift given to someone else
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
The gift will be given away to someone. Will you be that person?
It's better winning the lottery, and yet some people reject His best gift ever!
People don’t realize that it’s heaven or hell, which would you choose?
Incredibly, people reject the best gift ever!
