The Present No One Opened for Christmas

One year, I found an old Christmas present at the back of the closet, untouched for years. Curiosity piqued, I tore off the wrapping paper and discovered a beautiful sweater! It had been on sale, forgotten but never returned. What a joy it was to finally wear something I had forgotten I owned! In our lives, do we have 'presents' we haven't opened—friendships, acts of kindness, or God's blessings? This season is a reminder to embrace the forgotten gifts around us!

Introduction

A Gift or Giving is the act of bestowing a favor or an item on another person without expecting anything in return. We give gifts to honor, to celebrate, or to just show a person that we are thinking about them. The greatest gift that we can receive comes from God. God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. James 1:17

James 1:17 NKJV

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

According to the National Retail Federation, it is projected that in the United States alone, this will be the first $1 trillion holiday season in it’s 249 years of existence. During times when people are losing their lives because they are dealing with rejection and depression. Dealing with the lost of loved ones. It appears that we are dealing with this challenge with some retail therapy. We have eliminated Church and Community Revivals because the Pastor and the Church say that the church cannot afford to compensate the evangelist. Did you hear what I just said? This holiday season in the USA we are projected to spend $1 trillion dollars. My brothers and sisters, we cannot afford not to have revival. We don’t have a money problem, we got a heart problem. And our heart is not on Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest gift our God gave us and this past Christmas we left His package under the tree still wrapped. And this is despite all that you know what He has done for you, but yet you refused to open His present on the day we set aside to honor His birthday.

Even though, you know that he was wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger because there were no hotel rooms available for our greatest gift to come into the world. And when He came into the world, He was despised and rejected, then treated like a common criminal by hanging Him on a Cross between two known criminals. But you still refused to open His gift, you instead opened the gift from your loved ones. Some of them you have carried all year long, and they bring you a $25 gift that has no value. The Present that No One Opened for Christmas.

Jesus wrapped Himself with the Christmas paper of Flesh, and He placed Himself as a Light under the Tree of Life, and no one bothered to open His present for Christmas.

In John Chapter 1, he presents some interesting facts about Jesus. He mentions that

In the beginning was the Word - meaning that Jesus preexisted

the Word was with God - relationship

the Word was God - showing His identity

the same was in the beginning with God - establishing confirmation of His identity

Body of the Lesson

Proposition: God gave the greatest gift we will ever received, but many people missed it, misunderstood it, or just refuse to accept His gift.

1. Why did you not open His gift? (v. 9-11 )

Observation:

Jesus is the True Light and His light shines through out the entire world. Jesus created himself as a free gift. A gift that when opened will give light to darkness, when opened will give life to dark situations,

Interpretation:

Was it because you were selfish? John 1:9

John 1:9 (NKJV) 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Gives light means that the True Light came to illuminate or to shine.

The Light is available to everyone, and maybe you are selfish and self conscience because if you opened the gift then His light would shine on your sins?

Was it because you didn’t like His wrapping paper?

He presented Himself to the world that He made, and v. 10 says that the world knew him not.

Imagine wrapping a gift to give to someone and you know they really need it and can use the gift, and they snarl their nose at it. (the world knew him not)

The meaning of know is that they didn’t recognize or acknowledged Him.

Was it because you knew Him too well?

We tend to take people we know for granted.

Look at verse 11 his own x2, this means that there was an intimate relationship. Unfortunately, today people fall out of love easy. Maybe it is because we don’t understand the meaning of love. Matthew 22:37-39

Matthew 22:37–39 (KJV 1900) 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies, those who curse us, and pray for those who persecute us. Love is a commitment and not an emotion. Is this the reason why you didn’t open His gift for Christmas?

Let’s look at John 6:42

John 6:42 (KJV 1900) 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

2. This is why you should have opened the gift: (v.12-13)

He can give Power (many as received Him, to them gave he power). This is saying that what He gave has value, you have authority with God. So the ones who accept the gift are blessed. Here is how you become apart of that blessing:

Adoption - Become sons of God

to become - means to acquire. (Illustration: a team trade in sports)

to formally and legally declare that someone who is not one’s own child is now to be treated and cared for as one’s own child including complete rights of inheritance.

Born - not of blood, nor will of the flesh, nor will of men

This is referring to Spiritual Birth

Not you bloodline

Not a human and sexual desire

Nor will of men - this is saying that parents can plan a family but you cannot plan your way into the family of God. We are all saved by Grace.

Practical Illustrations: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians (9-381: Consequences of Doing Things Man’s Way (Work)) We must remember that even our best efforts fall short of gaining a place in heaven. It has to be grace and grace alone. Look at this humorous story that illustrates the point well. In his mission field, a certain missionary had to do many things for himself and his family. When the baby grew too big for the carriage he started to build a bed for the child. After he prepared the wood, he glued the mortised pieces and was ready to complete the bed. His wife thought it too cold to work in the shed so he brought the materials into the kitchen and started to work. When the bed was finished, the baby was brought to the kitchen and placed in it while his parents gazed admiringly. Suddenly the father had a disquieting thought. Suppose the bed would not go through the door! Quickly he measured bed and door and found the bed one inch too wide to pass through. There are many people who spend their time building their lives according to the plan of this world. They take great pride in their work.… The day will come when they suddenly realize the measurements will not allow [them] to pass Heaven’s door.

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

But of God (God’s will)

It is the Will of God that we are alive today. Not because of anything else. I know you are thinking that I am doing my best and giving my best but your efforts are not what’s keeping you. It is the will of God.

James 1:18 NKJV

18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

3. He didn’t give you a gift card, he didn’t come in a large shopping bag, but He was made Flesh.

It was prophesied in Isaiah 60:1-2 that a gift was coming.

Isaiah 60:1–2 (NKJV) 1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

And not only was the gift coming but this verse tells us what was inside the gift. It was full of grace and truth.

God gave His best when He gave His beloved Son

John 3:16 (KJV 1900) 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus said in John 14:6

John 14:6 (NKJV) 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Notice that up until now, John has been speaking about “The Word” but now “The Word” was made flesh

Point: the Word was made flesh. The means that He didn’t just assumed a body. He didn’t just wrapped himself in the flesh. But He was made flesh, and this means that when we go back to John 1:1–2 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.”

In the beginning was the Word - meaning that Jesus preexisted,

the Word was with God - relationship,

the Word was God - showing His identity,

the same was in the beginning with God - establishing confirmation of His identity

This is the God of Heaven becoming a man like you and I

This is the God of Heaven who knew no sins, and is now taking on the sins of the world

This is the God of Heaven who was innocent but will be declared guilty by wicked men

This is the God of Heaven who was supernatural, but coming down to dwell among the natural

This is the God of Heaven who owns a cattle on a thousand hills, but coming down from Glory to be a Shepherd leading His sheep.

This is the God of Heaven who has mansions up in heaven, but coming down from Glory to be born in a manger.

This is the God of Heaven who sits high and looks low, but would come down from Glory and would not even have a place to lay His head

If you got time today, open up the present of Jesus Christ. Please don’t leave him wrapped up

Inside the gift there is grace, there is forgiveness, there is love, there is compassion, there is ....

If you got time today, when you open the gift, say Lord I love you. I appreciate all that you have and are doing for me right now.