The Gift of Christmas
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Introduction
Introduction
Christmas is a time of giving…
This year, just like every year, millions of people, both children and adults, will open millions of gifts.
Some won’t fit. Some will be the wrong color. Many will be returned or exchanged. But there’s one gift that meets everyone’s need, one gift that will never wear out, never break or need repairing. A gift that is appropriate for a small child, or a teenager, or an adult, or a senior adult. Boy or girl, man or woman, it makes no difference. The gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is Jesus Christ.
The One that this whole season is about. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God gave us the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, so that through faith in Him we could be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life.
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.
With this in mind, Jesus is the ultimate gift, I want to give you some things quickly as to why He is the ultimate gift of Christmas.
Because He Saves Us
Because He Saves Us
The best gift you can have this Christmas is salvation! It’s the entire reason Jesus came to this earth! - It was to die on the cross for our sins, in our place, and give us a relationship with God through Christ!
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
That phrase “…and I will raise him up at the last day.” Is a reference to the resurrection! Those that are truly saved, remain saved; their salvation can never be lost!
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
That word unspeakable means indescribable, inexpressible…Let me put it this way, the gift of Jesus Christ is so good, you can’t quite find the words to describe it!
Jesus, who brought about salvation through His life, death, and resurrection is the ultimate gift, one; because He saves us…Two:
Because He Understands Us
Because He Understands Us
You ever feel like, simply put, that nobody understands you? Nobody has dealt with what you’re dealing with, nobody has the feelings that you do, like the old song, nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen? What’s the rest of it say, nobody knows, but Jesus!
You know what, that’s exactly right! Jesus is the ultimate gift of Christmas because He understands us!
Sometimes it’s easy to get so inwardly focused that we might think, well, God, it’s easy for You to say what we should do and what we should be, but You don’t know what it’s like living down here!
Not true though! He’s knows exactly what it’s like, and because of that, He understands us!
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Hey, I don’t know ‘bout ya’ll tonight, but I was brought into this world in much better conditions than that. I was in a nice, warm, hospital that was clean. Our precious Savior was born in a stable around the animals!
When Mary took her newborn baby and placed Him in that feeding trough; that’s what a manger was, she was a painting an image far more vivid than she realized.
There in Bethlehem, “The House Of Bread”, the Bread Of Life was born. Isn’t it appropriate that the One who would feed the souls of countless multitudes should have as His bed the very place where the animals came to be fed. It just serves to remind us that when hungry men come to Jesus and receive Him, He satisfies the longing of their souls, and gives them the Bread Of Life. It was almost as if God were saying, “Dinner is served! Come and dine.”
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Have you ever longed for someone who could understand how you feel? Someone who has experienced everything that you’re going through?
Jesus is that Someone!
Jesus is the ultimate gift of Christmas because He saves us, because He understands us; also, He’s the ultimate Christmas gift...
Because He Helps Us
Because He Helps Us
We like to paint the picture that everything is ok don’t we? The world wants to suggest that we have no problems, that this is a season where everyone can rest and reflect in the midst of unity as they make family memories, but reality is quite different. Real people live lives full of loss, pain, and brokenness.
That’s why Jesus came!
He didn’t come to a perfect world, He wasn’t born into a perfect setting.
He was born into a dark world - a world full of sin and discord and pain.
He was born into poverty and grew up under the strain of political oppression.
Christmas reminds us that this fallen world will never be perfect!
We need to remember, though, that this is God we are talking about…He didn’t have to come, He didn’t have to endure this, and He certainly didn’t need to give His life for our sins!
He chose to come. He chose to leave the beauty of Heaven to dwell amongst men.
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
I can’t figure it all out, but I’m glad that He visited us that wonderful night!
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Remember that - Emmanuel; God with us. - We never have to face another day alone…We have God on our side!
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Let’s move on tonight; lastly, Jesus Christ is the ultimate gift of Christmas...
Because He Changes Us
Because He Changes Us
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The presence of God in our lives is more than just an emotion…It’s a radical, life-changing experience!
From the moment Gabriel announced to Mary that she would carry the Christ child in her womb all the way to the piercing cry of a hungry newborn, Christ’s presence changed life for everyone on that first Christmas.
All throughout Christ’s ministry, He changed lives. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, words to the mute, strength to the lame, healing to the lepers, and even life to the dead. He fed the hungry and comforted the hurting. He taught words of life, and He lived with grace and compassion. He rebuked the proud and forgave the repentant. Everywhere Christ went, He brought change—not always change in circumstances but change in lives.
Then He did the ultimate—He gave His life, bearing in His body the sins of all mankind. And when He rose from the dead three days later, He proved that He has the power to change lives to the fullest extent. When we trust Him as our Savior, receiving His gift of eternal life, He changes us—from the inside out.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let me ask you a question: Have you received this gift? Do you have this kind of relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know Him as a friend? Is He someone you can talk with, confide in, seek counsel from?
Do you feel at ease in His presence, like you would with a close friend, or do you feel like you have to rush around cleaning up your spiritual “house” before you can welcome him in?
If the answer is “no,” if you don’t have this kind of relationship with Christ, the good news is that you can. All you have to do is ask. Come to him in prayer; confess your sins, ask His forgiveness; if you don’t know Him tonight, ask Him to save you.
That’s all you have to do to receive the gift of Christmas!
Take time to enjoy Christ’s presence this Christmas! Christ’s presence is the reason that we can say Christmas is a gift...