DECEMBER 16 THE PERFECT GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS By Chris Gnanakan D. Min., Ph.D., D.D., Director of Leadership Development at Christar, Professor of Theology & Global Studies at Liberty University
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given… (Isaiah 9:6)
I struggle getting gifts for family and loved ones, especially at Christmastime. My predicament is threefold. First, they may already have what I’m planning to get them. Second, they may not care to value or use it. Third, given they really need it, I worry if I have the means to pay for that gift! Have you faced a similar dilemma? The issue is whether a gift can be “afforded” and then “received” with appreciation. The Bible has much to say about gift-giving and Christmas. God knew our problem of sin and our need for forgiveness and fellowship, so He promised to give us an appropriate gift. Jesus came that first Christmas as God’s gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). Christmas is further proof that God is loving and giving, faithful and forgiving. God knew our greatest need, so He gave us the perfect gift in the person of Jesus. We usually take people for granted, yet interpersonal relationships are the most valuable gifts one can cherish. What gift can we possibly give our Creator and Redeemer that is appropriate and that He would desire? If the best gifts are always relational, not just transactional, then the perfect gift you can give anyone is yourself. This was demonstrated in the Incarnation when God gave Himself to us in the person of Jesus. Those who gratefully receive this incomparable gift find it “inexpressible,” meaning that there is no language to express its true worth (2 Corinthians 9:15)! In response to God’s gift of life through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice; such a gift is “good and acceptable and perfect” to God (Romans 12:1-2). Have you personally received the best gift ever given? Have you given God the perfect gift of yourself? Let me leave you with two thoughts this season: People who do not have the gift of Christmas in their heart will never find the perfect gift under a tree or elsewhere. For those who do have Christ in their hearts, Christmastime or anytime is the perfect time to share with others the best gift of all—Jesus. God's salvation is a gift that keeps on giving!
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