Christmas time is a season of gift giving. Most of you reading this will be buying at least ONE Christmas gift for someone this year. Maybe it is a toy for your child, a sweater for your dad, a gift certificate for your nephew, or a piece of jewelry for your spouse. Gifts are a part of the Christmas experience for many of us … but have you ever stopped to wonder why?
The reason why we give gifts around Jesus’ birthday is because His birth WAS A GIFT – and an extremely generous gift at that. Jesus birth in Bethlehem gave us a picture of who God really is. Jesus birth gave the opportunity for Jesus to die on the cross for our sins later on. Jesus birth gave us the knowledge that God really knows what we are going through since He has literally walked where we walk. These are some BIG GIFTS! And they are just some of the presents given to us through that very first Christmas morn. Remembering this Gift, so many of us give gifts to others this time of year.
But with any gift given, it must be received to be enjoyed. I can buy my dad a sweater … I can wrap it in a beautiful package … I can address it to my dad … I can tell him it is from me … but if he never opens the package, then the sweater will never keep him warm on a cold winter night or have him looking stylish out at dinner with friends in the weeks ahead. Those intended purposes for the gift remain covered up if it is not opened.
Jesus came into the world to give gifts to the world. Wrapped up in His advent were so many blessings God intended people to have. However, many people miss out. The warmth of salvation is prepared with heavenly style for all, yet many refuse to open this gift. In our verses for today in John 1:9-13, we see this reality spelled out. Jesus created the world. He created us. Then in Bethlehem He came to us to offer us His gifts of life and light. But many people did not receive Him. They rejected the gift. They left it in its wrapping. However, not all rejected Him. To all who received Him, He gave the right to become children of God! I love that phrase … to ALL who receive Him.
What that tells us is that the gifts of salvation and life that Jesus offers are ready for us … and can be effective for us … if we will just open them. But how do we open them? The passage tells us. We believe in Him.
Do you want forgiveness of your sins? Do you long to have a personal relationship with God? Do you want a better direction and trajectory for your life today? Do you want to have an assurance of eternity? THEN believe in Jesus. Believe He is the Son of God. Believe that His death on the cross paid the penalty for your sins. By faith, take Jesus out of the box and rejoice! He is our biggest gift.
This devo is a part of the 2022 Wildwood Christmas Daily Devotional, “God with us.” You can find the entire Christmas Devotional here.