Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. There’s nothing like surprising our children with just the right gift to show them how much we love them. Exchanging gifts is a tradition in our family because it reminds us of the most wonderful gift that has ever been given …
This gift is Jesus. The babe in the manger. The Savior of the world. And He brought the promise of unconditional love, unending hope and eternal life to every person who believes in Him:
“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11, NKJV).
I hope you are as excited as I am about sharing this gift with others. As we walk in faith together, delivering God’s love to millions throughout the world, you’ll realize there’s plenty to be excited about …
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. The reason Jesus came to earth was to give Himself on the cross for us. And like those lambs in the Old Testament sacrifices, Jesus had to be perfect and blameless in order to be our Savior.
But there was also a price to be paid for the gift that God sent us. Here is an incredible statement in Scripture: “You know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19, NIV). Jesus paid a high price so that you and I could have the gift of eternal life. God can make gold and silver as plentiful as the dust of the earth. But when it came to meeting our eternal need, God had to pay the costliest price imaginable…He had to sacrifice His only Son!
Have you ever given a gift that was exactly what the other person wanted? A perfect gift, that would bring joy to the special person who opened it? I love what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:15. After talking about the joy and blessing of giving, Paul was overwhelmed at the thought of all that God has given us. So instead of trying to put it all in words he just ended with, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (NASB). The New Living Translation says, “Thank God for his Son — a gift too wonderful for words!”
Jesus is God’s perfect, indescribable 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.
I hope that you will share the gift of Jesus with others today, and consider partnering with us to deliver the gift of salvation in Christ with people around the world through our broadcasts and outreach ministries.
Imagine how many people’s lives will be changed when they understand the true meaning of Christmas. Imagine how many will discover their full potential in Christ as together we share with them the Good News of the Gospel.
The Bible tells us that we are the body of Christ on the earth! Our arms are the arms of Jesus as we reach out to others in love. Our voice is the voice of Jesus as we share a word of encouragement and hope with others. Our hands are the hands of Jesus that bring healing and comfort to those in need.
When we extend our hands of comfort to meet the needs of others, God will see that our needs are met!
Jesus said, “If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more” (Luke 6:38, NLT). So let’s be constantly sowing seeds of love, seeds of encouragement, seeds of hope, seeds of healing and seeds of blessings in other people’s lives.
