The Greatest Gift
Jesus the Greatest Gift • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
**A Christmas devotional will go out today at 2pm and everyday up to Christmas at newlifecorning.org**
Church family, today we continue Week Three of our Christmas series, Jesus: The Greatest Gift.
Christmas poems often make us nostalgic, but this poem does something deeper—it reminds us that Christmas is not sentimental, it is transformational.
Behind every familiar line of the Christmas story is a promise fulfilled, a prophecy kept, and a God who refused to stay distant.
This sermon is not just about what happened then—It’s about what Jesus still wants to do now.
THE WORLD WAS WAITING—EVEN BEFORE IT REALIZED IT
THE WORLD WAS WAITING—EVEN BEFORE IT REALIZED IT
The poem we just heard echoes a familiar rhythm—“’Twas the night before Christmas”—but it tells a far deeper story. Not about stockings or sleighs, but about salvation, humility, and God stepping into His own creation.
“Every creature was stirring, awaiting a birth.
The time for Messiah was certainly near…”
Mankind has been awaiting the arrival of a Savior. They say mankind waited approximately four thousand years for this promise.
That’s a long time. But Paul tells us in Galatians:
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
In the fullness of time Jesus was born. He wasn’t early. He wasn’t late. He was right on time. God had put into motion the perfect timing of the birth of Jesus the moment mankind fell in the Garden.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
From the very first sin, God did not abandon humanity—He announced redemption.
The world was broken, but it was not forgotten.
Waiting is uncomfortable. We avoid it. A lot of times we try to rush it.
Yet God specializes in perfect timing.
Israel waited centuries.
Prophets spoke.
Generations passed.
Empires rose and fell.
And then—at just the right moment—the fullness of time - God’s timing - Jesus came.
Imagine waiting for thousands of years for a promise. The sad reality is in our fast paced culture, we don’t like to wait. We are the most impatient especially when it comes to something we really want.
How many of you ordered a package for Christmas this year?
I had ordered some items for Carly and they sent me this thing called a tracking number. I have an app that I can track my order. When the order gets close I can pull up a map and see a little truck on that map.
I did this on the day the package was supposed to arrive. I was tracking it all day. Refreshed the screen multiple times. Waiting. And waiting. Hoping. Checking again. Waiting some more.
The worse part of waiting is not knowing why it is taking so long. The day kept getting longer and soon darker. I checked the app again only to see the truck start to drive back to Redding.
Now I am questioning whether or not I am going to receive what I ordered. Questioning whether or not this driver knows what he is doing. I mean he drover right past my house!
Our walk with God is a lot like that. we know the promise is coming, and sometimes we can almost see it, but then it doesn’t happen. We begin to question God.
God are you real
Did you really promise
The next day I was back on the app. My package was on the way again. This time it was delivered. Here is what I didn’t know. There was more on that truck. I had a couple of other things that the driver picked up.
God’s promises work the same way.
Delay does not mean denial.
Silence does not mean absence.
God will deliver His promises right on time! The people of God waited for centuries for a Promise and when the time was right…He was born! Just like God promised.
If you are waiting on God this morning and He hadn’t showed up yet…just keep waiting and He will.
In the fullness of time…
GOD CAME NEAR—THE CREATOR ENTERED CREATION
GOD CAME NEAR—THE CREATOR ENTERED CREATION
“Born of a virgin, He’d come as a man.
The Creator among us, the time was at hand.”
14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus did not merely visit humanity—He inhabited it.
He experienced:
Hunger
Fatigue
Family life
Grief
Temptation
Yet without sin.
This means Jesus does not sympathize from a distance—
He understands from experience.
It’s one thing for a coach to shout instructions from the sidelines (we do this during football season).
It’s another for that coach to step onto the field and take the hit for the team.
That’s Christmas.
God didn’t just tell us how to live—
He showed us.
I love how God chose to reveal Himself.
HE REVEALED HIMSELF TO THE HUMBLE FIRST
HE REVEALED HIMSELF TO THE HUMBLE FIRST
The poem continues…
“Shepherds in Bethlehem gazed on the sky…
An angel of God would speak words of delight.”
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
I had shared with you before that shepherds were considered unclean, unreliable, and overlooked.
Yet heaven trusted them with the first announcement.
This reveals to us that God’s grace does not go to the impressive first—
It goes to the available.
It’s like a teacher announcing the biggest opportunity of the year—not to the honor roll students, but to the kid who never gets noticed in the back of the class.
God delights in revealing Himself to hearts that are open, not resumes that are polished.
This past week in my devotions God showed me something. In Mark 4 Jesus shares the parable of the seed and the soil. Everyone around Him didn’t understand what He was saying. Then I read this.
10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.
11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,
Everyone around Jesus must have left and didn’t even bother asking Jesus. But the disciples who were following Jesus, asked. It was when Jesus was alone with them He told them - You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God.
Church, God does still speak. And He will share things with you if you make yourself available.
One of the hardest thing about being a pastor is separating studying the Word of God for messages on Sunday and studying just to know more about God for myself. Just recently I got a bible planner with a journal in it and I make it a point to read everyday, pray everyday, and journal everyday. And I got to tell you, God is speaking.
It doesn’t matter who you are, what you did, or where you are from. Just be available. And listen to what He wants to share.
The best Christmas gift you can give yourself this year is time spent with God. Mark it on your calendar. Make an appointment with God everyday. Even if it is for a few minutes. Even if you don’t understand what you are reading. The Word is still getting in you. Clarity will come. God will speak.
Humble yourself enough to hear what He has to say.
God is all about humbling Himself.
HE LAID ASIDE HIS POSITION TO RESTORE OURS
HE LAID ASIDE HIS POSITION TO RESTORE OURS
“He entered creation, set position aside
To show us how deeply His love did abide.”
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
Jesus did not cling to His rights—He surrendered them.
The manger tells us something powerful:
God values restoration more than reputation.
Jesus stepped down so we could be lifted up.
Imagine a judge stepping off the bench to pay the fine of the guilty person standing before him. Justice is satisfied—and mercy is displayed.
That’s Christmas grace.
Just because Jesus stepped down, does not make Him weak.
THIS CHILD IS NOT SMALL—HE IS SUPREME
THIS CHILD IS NOT SMALL—HE IS SUPREME
“He’s the Prince of our Peace…
He’s the Author of Life…
He’s the Ruler of All.”
Just listen to these words that describe this child.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The baby in the manger is:
Not weak—He is almighty
Not temporary—He is eternal
Not symbolic—He is salvation
Christmas reminds us that peace is not found in circumstances—but in a Person.
In knowing this, there is only one way to truly respond to such a person.
WORSHIP IS THE ONLY APPROPRIATE RESPONSE
WORSHIP IS THE ONLY APPROPRIATE RESPONSE
“The shepherds and Wise Men would bow to adore…”
11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
Some people admired Jesus.
Some feared Him.
Some ignored Him.
But those who recognized Him worshiped. Worship is not a song—it’s surrender.
Finally church -
MAKE ROOM
MAKE ROOM
The poem closes out with a challenge.
“Let our hearts welcome Him to the world He made!”
20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Jesus still comes humbly.
Jesus still waits patiently.
Jesus still invites gently.
This Christmas, don’t just celebrate His arrival—
Open the door. Let Him into your life.
ALTAR CALL / RESPONSE
ALTAR CALL / RESPONSE
Church family:
If you’ve grown busy—make room.
If you’ve grown distant—come home.
If you’ve never surrendered—today is your moment.
Let us welcome Jesus not just into our season…
but into our lives.
Jesus is the Greatest Gift. 🎄🙏
