What is the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Perhaps it was that bicycle you really wanted as a kid. Maybe it is the puppy that came wiggling and wagging out of the box when you opened it. Or maybe it was that beautiful gold necklace or that gold watch that you received from a loved one. Christmas is a time of giving, and all those wonderful gifts you may have received are nice, but there is a Christmas gift that truly outshines them all.
The greatest Christmas gift of all was God’s gift to us, the one He gave us over two thousand years ago in a little town called Bethlehem. In December of 2016, I wrote about that gift and would like to take the opportunity to share the thoughts from that post again today.
The greatest Christmas gift of all was God’s gift to us, the one He gave us over two thousand years ago in a little town called Bethlehem. In December of 2016, I wrote about that gift and would like to take the opportunity to share the thoughts from that post again today.
The greatest Christmas gift didn’t come wrapped in fancy wrapping paper. It wasn’t wrapped with ribbons and bows. It was wrapped in strips of cloth.
The greatest Christmas gift wasn’t delivered by UPS, the Post Office, or FedEx. It was delivered by a virgin named Mary.
The greatest Christmas gift wasn’t placed under a tree beautifully decorated with lights and ornaments. It was placed in a manger, the feeding trough of animals in a stable.
The greatest gift, God’s gift to us, is the gift of eternal life. It’s a gift that was given through a tiny baby named Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, who was born to save us from the sin that separates us from our heavenly Father. It was a gift that we didn’t deserve. The Bible tells us that the wages of our sin should be death. But God loves us so much that, through Jesus, He gave us the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). The price that God paid for this gift was immeasurable, the life of His Son, Jesus, who gave His life in place of ours, so that we could have that gift of eternal life. Now, that is an expensive gift! But God felt we were worth the price.
The greatest Christmas gift is given to us freely. All it requires on our part is choosing to accept the gift by making a decision to follow Jesus. If you have never done that, all you need to do is ask Him to forgive your sins, accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and ask Him to come into your life and change it. The prayer can be something like this:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. In Your name, Amen.”
If you say this prayer from the bottom of your heart, He will forgive your sins. You will be made right with God and receive the gift of salvation (Romans 10:10).
The greatest Christmas gift of all can be yours!
A Worshiper's Journal 