DECEMBER 8 HIS NAME WILL BE JESUS By Dennis Swanberg America’s Minister of Encouragement
Today’s Passage: Luke 1:31–33; Matthew 1:21; 2 Samuel 7:13
Having experienced more than 70 Christmas seasons, I have gathered countless memories. One of the most meaningful is the annual gift from my grandpa, Carl Johnson, who was a humble farmer and sharecropper. Neither side of my family was well off financially. We were not white-collar, or even blue-collar – more like sweat-ring-around-the-collar. But each Christmas we opened gifts that were the best my family could offer. And every year, Grandpa gave each grandkid a silver dollar. We all knew it was coming and did our best to act surprised. At the time, I did not fully grasp its significance. Today, I keep 22 of those silver dollars in a wooden box on my desk. I am reminded that he gave his best gift to each of us. The coins are a symbol of his love, time, interest, and presence, which he gave freely and generously. I should have more than 22 coins, but I did not always cherish the gift adequately and spent some along the way. Now I know these coins are a treasure I did not always recognize. Isn’t it the same with God the Father? He gave us His best gift – His Son, Jesus Christ – who gave His life as a ransom to free us from sin and death. Through Him, we receive salvation, access to His Holy Spirit, and eternal life. This gift is not one to be opened once a year or realized down the road, but one to be opened and experienced afresh every day. Yet sometimes I become complacent and take God’s best gift for granted in the same way I lost sight of the value of my grandpa’s coins. Luke 1:31–33 reminds us we have been given God’s best gift in His Son, Jesus, whose kingdom will never end. Matthew 1:21 tells us God’s best gift saves us from an eternity separated from Him. As we see Christmas lights, may we remember that God’s gift, the Light of the World, is meant to change us, give us hope, and dwell in us. Let us treasure it every day!
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