God’s Greatest Gift

What is the greatest thing you can ask for this Christmas?

Many of you have made lists to give to your parents or brothers/sisters of things that they can get you for Christmas.

Some of you have even made PowerPoint slides of your wish list.

Sometimes we have lots of wishes and wants, but these are limited by our finances or even the ability to find the product on the physical or online store shelves.

Apparently, this year one of the trending Christmas gifts are the Little Live Pets - in this case, My Walking Penguin.

So, even if I ask my wife to get be a Tesla for Christmas she is limited by our finances / budget.

But God, if infinite in riches.

God is not limited by a paycheck.

He is not limited in his ability to give his children good gifts.

In fact, there is a verse in the Bible that describes God’s ability to give gifts to his children:

Mateo 7:11 NIV

11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

This verse tells us that even as parents have the ability and desire to give good gifts to their children, God has an even greater ability and desire to give good gifts to his children.

So, since God has all power, is not limited by finances, and has the ability to give us many good gifts…

What could we expect from such a God?

What can we expect to receive from the Creator of the Universe?

Our minds may immediately go to:

A trip to Hawaii or Bali

We could hope for a brand new sports car

Others may want to receive a ranch with many farm animals

Nevertheless, God knows our real need.

He knows us better than we know ourselves.

He knows that the greatest needs humans have is not for more money, more luxuries, more cars, more trips/vacations, more entertainment, etc.

God knows that our greatest need is that humanity has sinned against his holy law.

Because we have broken God’s commandments we find ourselves guilty before his presence.

For this reason, we stand condemned before the presence of the judge of all the earth.

Therefore, God recognizing man’s real need has given humanity the greatest gift ever - he has given humanity his son Jesus Christ, who was born 2,000 years ago.

You see, Jesus was born not for the purpose of having a beautiful holiday season at the end of the year.

2,000 years ago, an angel came to Joseph, and revealed why Jesus was to be born:

Mateo 1:20–21 NIV

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus had come to save his people from their sins.

This is God’s greatest gift - to bring forgiveness to all of us who have broken God’s law.

This means, that if I receive God’s greatest gift, I do not need to fear death, I do not need to fear judgement/condemnation.

If I recognize that I have broken God’s law, and believe in my heart that Jesus was born to die for the forgiveness of all my sins - then I will have received God’s greatest gift.

Forgiveness of sins is the greatest gift we can receive, someone that will save us from an eternity separated from God is the greatest gift we can receive.

This does not compare to any material gift we can receive - because everything on this earth will perish, it will waste away - but the gift of salvation is for this life and for eternity.

Let’s pray. Our Father, we praise you for giving humanity the greatest gift we can receive - a savior, someone who would save us from our sins. We believe that we are sinners. We believe that Jesus is God who was born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago…and we believe that by placing our trust in him, then we are forgiveness, we are saved from our sins. …and for this reason, we can rejoice and declare that we are forgiven sons and daughters of God; in Jesus name we pray, Amen.