As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we also look forward to the cross and the grave, and to His resurrection and the empty tomb. All of this together is the greatest gift mankind has received.
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 the latest technology gadgets. 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.
Yet, we still reject him. How do you feel when you’ve been rejected? We’ve all been rejected. It may be a spouse, or a child, or a good friend. Like you, I have experienced significant rejections of my own. My heart had been crushed. It actually felt as if my heart had been ripped from my chest and shredded. Sometimes we may choose our words wrong, or act wrong, which leads to our rejection. But that doesn’t lessen the pain we feel. So, as I have experienced my own pain, I was reminded that I am not the only one to experience the pain of rejection. God also experiences the pain of our rejection of Him. As much as I hurt at the loss of a family member or friend, how much greater is the pain that God feels when we reject Him; especially in light of the fact that God does not do anything to harm us. He created us specifically to have a relationship with Him. In spite of generations of rejection, God still sent his Son. In spite of the rejection that Jesus experienced, He still paid the price for our sins, took on our sins, dying on a cross, and experiencing His own Father turning his face away.
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 testify to our hope of eternal life with God.
That, in a nutshell, is the Gospel. But wait! There’s more! There is one more very important piece that I haven’t shared yet. You see, Jesus didn’t simply vanish back to Heaven, and leave us to wander around while we wait. After returning to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit. He told the disciples ahead of time what was going to happen. In John 15 & 16, Jesus tells them that He is leaving, and what to expect. In 16:7, Jesus explains that it is best for Him to go so that the Holy Spirit can come, as an Advocate, as a Comforter, as an Encourager, and as a Counselor. In His humanity Jesus could only be in one place at a time. But through the Holy Spirit, He is with each of us, at all times.
If you haven’t already done so, I want to offer you the opportunity to receive this gift. You can end this year and begin the New Year as a new you in Christ Jesus.