Christmas is an amazing gift-giving time of year. In 2019 alone, Americans spent (on average) $1,000 per person on Christmas. WOW! While we may debate the amount spent on each gift, we cannot deny that gift giving is a very relevant way for people to celebrate the Christmas holiday. At Christmas, we remember THE GIFT that was given by God to you and me. THE GIFT, of course, is Jesus Christ. Because Jesus came to the earth, we have experienced the most amazing collection of blessings:
- Hope, in the face of despair
- Life, in the event of death
- Peace, instead of war
- Intimacy with God, instead of separation from God
- Forgiveness, instead of wrath
- Power, in place of weakness
We have been given all these (and more) through the person of Jesus Christ. As Ephesians 1:3 reminds us, we have been blessed with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and as John 1:16 explains, “from His (Jesus) fullness we have all received grace upon grace.”
But how do I know that these gifts are for me? After all, most Christmas presents purchased every year are NOT for us. Many of those gifts were for others. How do I know the gift of Jesus is intended for me?
When I look at presents under our Christmas tree, I can determine which gift is for which person by looking at the tag on each gift. When I see my name in the “to” column, I know that gift is for me. When Jesus was born that first Christmas night, God “tagged” THE GIFT with the names of many who would represent the types of people Jesus came for. Amazingly, when we look at these different groups of people, we see that THE GIFT of Christmas is intended for all of us!
- The prophecies of the Old Testament remind us that Christmas is for the “Distressed.” Those experiencing the ill effects of this world can find their hope in Jesus.
- In Mary and Joseph (Jesus’ earthly parents) we see two very “Decent” people. They were morally exceptional in their day. But even the “Decent” need a Savior and the supernatural intervention of God.
- In the invitation of the shepherds of Bethlehem, we are reminded that the “Dirty” are also given the gift of Christmas. Shepherds lived their lives being told by religious folks that they were “unclean” and could not enter the Temple … but the night Jesus is born, they are invited to the manger.
- In the star in the sky lighting the way for the Magi, we are reminded that the “Distant” are also given this gift. The Magi lived in a far away land that worshipped other gods, but the one true God, wanted them to know that they were invited to open this Christmas gift as well.
- Jesus Christ is “THE GIFT” and the biblical accounts show us that He was given by our loving Heavenly Father to ALL of us!
This 2020 season at Wildwood Community Church, we are inviting you to join us in opening by faith THE GIFT of Christ this Christmas. To help us in doing that, we have a number of opportunities:
Sunday Worship Services (each Sunday morning at 9:00, 10:15, and 11:30):
- November 29: To the Distressed (Isaiah 11:1-9)
- December 6: To the Decent (Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38)
- December 13: To the Dirty (Luke 2:8-20)
- December 20: To the Distant (Matthew 2:1-12)
December 24 Christmas Eve Services (3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00)
- Singing of carols
- Candlelight
- Scripture reading of the Christmas story
- For the whole family!
Daily Devotionals:
- I have prepared a daily devotional for each day from November 29 – December 25. These are included in a free book, found:
- On my blog each morning, you can also find that day’s devotional (you can also subscribe to the blog to have all new posts sent straight to your inbox … see the “subscribe” area on the blog – pastormarkrobinson.com)
Christmas Playlist:
- In the Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
- Apple Music Playlist: Wildwood Community Church Christmas 2020
- Spotify Playlist: Wildwood Community Church Christmas 2020
We hope and pray that these resources help you worship Jesus this holiday season!
In Christ,
Pastor Mark