For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17, NLT)

What is the best Christmas gift you ever received? Two of my favorites were a puppy and a train set. Sometimes we take for granted the practical gifts that we receive. For example, when I was a boy, often my gifts would include sox, or clothes. Really?! That’s supposed to be a Christmas gift? Well, yes. But often, especially as children we just want the flashy toys, the cool things, the dolls that really drink and potty. Or we want the latest in technology. We don’t appreciate the importance of the practical gifts; the things that we need.

We don’t always realize it, but the biggest need we have is our need for a Savior. Ever since Adam & Eve sinned in the Garden, humans were cut off from the fellowship with God that we were created for. Animal sacrifices were only a temporary solution. Hebrews 10, we read that animal sacrifices didn’t provide perfect cleansing from sin; they had to be repeated over and over again. But God had a plan. He was waiting for the right time to send His special gift. In His time, He sent us his only son, Jesus.  But, Jesus birth was only the beginning of the story. We must remember Jesus’ death on the cross. By His blood we are cleansed from sin. As our high priest, Jesus offered himself as the final perfect sacrifice.

The story, and the gift, doesn’t stop there. Through His resurrection we have eternal life. We need all three pieces of God’s gift. By Jesus’ birth, God came down and took on the form of man, and lived as a perfect human, setting us an example. And it is by HIS death and blood that our sins are forgiven, once and for all. And His resurrection, and the empty tomb, testifies to our hope of eternal live with God.

 That, in a nutshell, is the Gospel, and the absolute best gift ever.