THE
BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT
Introduction:
This time of
the year, many are going around crazy and frustrated, not knowing what to buy
for their loved ones. What would make him happy and valued? What makes her feel
loved? Hmm!! There are no easy answers to these questions. Parents crack their
heads as to what to get to their kids who never seems to be grateful for
anything, and never give a word of appreciation no matter what. To make gift
buying more stressful, companies come up with lists of “The top Ten or Top 21
best gifts in 2019.”
One
such gift caught my attention, “Glow Bowl.” “GlowBowl is transforming dark
& dangerous, or bright & blinding, bathrooms worldwide into safe, dimly
lit welcoming bathrooms.” That’s what they say! We don’t want to miss out on
anything when it comes to comfort, including our toilet bowl. Right?
In
our search for the best and most memorable Christmas Gift ever easier, accessible,
and cost-effective, I want us to come back to the prophetic trial which we
began three weeks ago and take a journey to the manger. We started by lighting
the candles in the Advent wreath.
The
first purple candle represented Hope; the second purple candle encouraged us to
get ready for the second advent of our Lord. The third candle signaled the excellent
news that will bring great joy to all people. The fourth candle is called the
candle of love.
What
does it say about the character of God that He would give His only Son for us?
So often, we spend Christmas focused on what it is like to receive this gift,
but in this video, you are about to watch we shift our perspective to imagine
instead what it was like for God to give us the best gift of Christmas. This
video made me think about the true spirit of Christmas. It is not just about
presents, celebrations, and the festivities. The true spirit of Christmas is
all the above and even much more, it is the worship of the Christ our Lord.
I. THE SPIRIT OF
CHRISTMAS
Last week we looked at the good
news of great joy that the angel proclaimed and the response of the innocent shepherds. Today we will look at the reaction of the
wise men when their search for the newborn king led them into the presence of an
innocent child. The wise men in the story are popularly referred to as
“Three kings of the Orient.”
Matthew
2:1-2, “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who
has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to
worship him.”
What
do we know about these Magi? It was common for dignitaries to come and
congratulate a new ruler. The Magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They belonged
to a famous class of astrologers and dream-interpreters who served the Persian
king. Astrology, as a form of divination, was forbidden in Scripture. Yet these
Magi came to worship the newborn king.
When
they could not find him in the palace, they continued their journey directed by
the star that appeared to them in the east. The Magi were filled with Joy when
they saw the star. The star stopped over the place where the child was. Unlike
popular portrayals of the nativity, the Magi did not come to the manger but
rather to a house.
Vs.
11, “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they
bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave
him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” I often wondered how much those
gifts costed them? In the time of Christ, gold frankincense and myrrh were
precious and costly items. We don’t know how much gold or spices the wise men
gave Jesus, but those gifts may have helped Mary and Joseph care for their
newborn King, and their eventual escape to Egypt.
When
we think about the wise men worshipping Jesus with gifts, it was rather unusual
in those days. Matthew, in his gospel, often emphasizes, God calls followers
from unexpected places (Matthew,3:9; 8:10-12; 12:41-42; 21:31). Has God changed
his mind today, in regards to his call of worship? No! God is still calling
people from unexpected places to follow Him and worship Him. Are you sensing
the call of God to worship Him in Spirit and Truth?
II THE BEST
CHRISTMAS GIFT
How
could we even begin to worship God with all our hearts without understanding
his great love for us? Let me talk about
how much God loved us and how he expressed His love towards us. Let me read John 3:16-18 from “The Message.” “This
is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And
this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can
have a whole and lasting life.
God
didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing
finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help to put the world
right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust
him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why?
Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God
when introduced to him.” (The Message.)
These
two verses give us the essence and scope of the Gospel. I have no answer when
it comes to explaining why this almighty, all-knowing, all-sufficient God loves
a sinner like me? All I can say in return is thank you, Lord, for loving me
unconditionally.
Is
there anyone here who can adequately explain how much God loves this world? God’s
love for this world is unexplainable, incomparable, immeasurable, and complete.
At best John the beloved disciple of Christ could come up with is, “This is how
much God loved this world.”
The
depth and the width of God’s love are measured not in words but in what he was
willing to let go. He was ready to give up His one and only Son Jesus Christ on
our behalf. Can you imagine how heart-wrenching of a decision that might be for
a father or a mother to give up their only one son or daughter, so that others
may have a better life?
Precisely
that was what God did. He sent His son into the world as a helpless, vulnerable
baby whose life was threatened from the time he was born. Remember how King
Herod tried to kill Jesus when he was two years old? Fast forward from the
manger to the ministry of Jesus.
On
numerous occasions, people tried to kill Jesus but he walked through those
attempts unharmed until his final hours on the cross. While He was being
persecuted by the hands of those he came to heal and save, he offered up a
prayer of forgiveness saying, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what
they’re doing.” In the end, he offered up His life saying, “It is Finished.”
That
was the ultimate sacrifice of love. In a world where some people have no regard
for human life, who would die for on behalf of others, let alone dying on
behalf of thieves, murderers, cheaters, and liars? The scripture tells us, we
all have sinned and have fallen short.
Romans
5: 6-8, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and
died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an
upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who
is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to
die for us while we were still sinners.”
The
Greatest Christmas Gift that God wants to give to us is His love. He showed His
love by sending His only Son into this sin-sick world. Jesus came into this world expressing his
love by caring, healing, and forgiving sinners, by paying their penalty of sin
through his blood and receiving the punishment of our sin which is death, by
dying on the cross. That is the good news of the gospel, which can bring Joy to
the world.
If
God were to give you a Christmas gift wrapped in a box when you open it what
will you find inside? John 3:16. “Because I love you so much, I gave up my Son
for you." The Best Christmas Gift
that God desires to give us is His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus in return gives us
eternal life, the gift of salvation. Why do we call salvation the gift?
We
call it the gift because we cannot earn it; it is given freely by God. Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace
when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can
boast about it.” Is this gift of salvation only for a few privileged people or
all people?
It
is for everyone who believes, and best of all, it is a “Free Gift.” It can be
yours today, by faith if you can reach out to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your
sins and come into your heart. Then you, too, will become the child of God,
enter into His family and enjoy all the privileges.
The
wise men sought after the King; when they found him, they worshipped him by
giving precious gifts. Jesus is the King, and he doesn’t need anything from
you. All he is seeking is a place in a heart that is broken and contrite. Would
you be the one who will give Jesus a place? If you do so, you can receive the
best Christmas gift ever that is Jesus himself.
I
have a word of encouragement for those who have accepted Jesus as their savior
a while back but have lost the joy of their salvation. For those who are
struggling, whether God still loves them and cares for them. Some of you are
perhaps going through the motions of being a Christian but lost the first love
you used to have for God.
Some
are barely holding on to their faith, wondering whether they will ever get
through this challenging situation. No, matter where you are in your walk with
God, the good news is God loves you very much and He wants to bless you. Weeping
may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning. I wish you all a
Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year. Amen!
