John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Gifts. Gifts. Gifts. Gifts come in all sizes and packages, but at Christmas we focus on the one gift that surpasses them all….
The best gift ever given to the world—the Incarnate Word of God—Jesus!
A gift wrapped like no other under your tree. This gift is “wrapped in light” (Psalm 104:2: “The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment”) and is adorned with ribbons of truth (John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life”).
The tag on this gift bears your individual name and is signed with love…the kind of love written in indelible ink (Isaiah 49:16 “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands”).
If ever there was “a gift that keeps on giving” this gift fits the bill (Matthew 28:20: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”).
You can refuse to open this gift. You can choose to simply gaze at it, to wonder as you wander. You might possibly touch it, but that’s a lot different than letting it touch you. Who knows what might happen if you get too close to this gift. Could cause some major upheaval in your life. And what if the instructions are too hard to follow?
Or you can try to ignore this gift altogether. Christmas season will soon be over and you can slide back into normalcy. Store it in the attic along with the rest of your decorations. There will be other Christmases. Maybe next year….
God went to a lot of trouble to give us this gift. The price he paid can’t be measured by human standards. Its pricelessness gives value to every other gift known to man. Every single one.
So if I could give you a gift this Christmas, it would be one of encouragement…to open this gift, embrace it, live in it. Friend, let this be the year you take God at His Word. The year you believe His promises. The year this Word who became flesh finds a home in you.