It’s Not Christmas Without the Gifts!

When I  think of Christmas, many things come to mind. Decorations, trees, family gatherings, shopping, church… I’m sure you can think of many other things about Christmas, but today, I want to share with you a very important part about Christmas. That is the giving of gifts.

I have heard that there is too much emphasis on giving gifts, but it is important to realize that without the giving of gifts, there would be no Christmas. It’s true! Think about this…

1. Christmas began when God gave the world its very first gift. That gift was His beloved Son, Jesus, and He was given to be our Saviour. Through Jesus Christ alone, we can receive forgiveness of sins and the promise of life forever in heaven. That is the gift that literally keeps on giving.. for all eternity!

“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.” –  John 3:16

2. The second gift was given by Mary, Jesus’ mother. Luke 1:27-38 records the event when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of God’s only Son.  She chose to “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5,6 Mary gave the gift of TRUST to her heavenly Father.

“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” – Luke 1:39

3. The third gift was given by Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father. In Matthew 1:18-25, the Bible records the account where Joseph is unsure of what to do with Mary once she has told him she is with child. In a dream, Joseph receives instructions from an angel to take Mary as his wife. Joseph gave the gift of OBEDIENCE to the Lord.

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:” -Matthew 1:24

4. The fourth gift was given by the shepherds. As they sat watching their flocks, they were astonished to see the angels of heaven appear in the night sky! Luke 2 records the angels appearing to the shepherds and announcing the birth of Christ! The shepherds began to rejoice and gave the gift of PRAISE to God.

“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”- Luke 2:20

5. The fifth gift was given by the wise men. Matthew 2 shares the story of the journey of the magi as they followed the star leading them to the home of Jesus. With them, they carried gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Once they found Jesus, the Bible records in Matthew 2 that they bowed down and presented their gifts to Him. These wise men gave the gift of WORSHIP to Jesus.

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:11

The question to ask ourselves now is “What is our gift to God?

Here are 4 letters that explain four precious gifts that we can all give to the Lord.

• The first letter is “T” – talk to God (pray)
  • “Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
  • God desires to hear our voices. He asks us to be in the spirit of prayer continually. Think of this… if you knew someone, but they had never spoken a word to you and you had never spoken to them, how would you cultivate a relationship? You couldn’t. Converse with God throughout the day. Develop a deep and abiding relationship with Him. He loves you and longs to hear your prayers. There is no special place you must be or position you must be in to pray. You can be driving your car (don’t close your eyes here!); you can be cooking in the kitchen, or you can be reclining on the couch. It doesn’t matter if it is morning, noon, or night… God is always there, waiting to hear from you!

• The second letter is “I” – intercede (pray for others)
  • “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;” – 1 Timothy 2:1
  • Praying for the needs of others is an essential part of a Christian’s life. We are to bear the burdens of others, and in doing so, we can pray for them when they are unable to do so for themselves. There is no greater honor that to bring someone’s name to our Lord in prayer and ask Him to help them. We are even to pray for those who have hurt us, those with whom we do not agree on issues, and those that even dislike us! God always responds to the prayers of His people according to His perfect will.

• The third letter is “M” – meditate on his Word (read the Bible)
  • “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.” – Psalm 119:15
  • “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” – Psalm 119:11
  • The way to know God is through His holy Word. The way to equip oneself for the challenges of life is through God’s Word. The way to fight against the forces of darkness in this world is with God’s Word. It is vital for a believer to read and study the Bible because it is only in its pages can one find truth, wisdom, guidance, and the knowledge needed to live a godly life. The Scriptures are used by the Holy Spirit of God to guide, convict, and teach each of us. When we commit to memory the precious Word of God, we are equipping ourselves to “fight the good fight” and do the work of God. Memorizing and meditating on the Scriptures is an invaluable part of the Christian’s life.

• The last letter is “E” – evangelize (tell others about Jesus)
  • “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15
  • This world is a very dark place, full of wickedness and evil. It is sin-cursed and in desperate need of God. However, if no one shares the gospel with the unsaved, how will they ever hear of the Saviour? It is not just a job for a pastor or missionary. Jesus has called each of us to tell the world the good news of salvation through Him, and there is no better time to do this than during the Christmas season because people are more receptive to taking a gospel tract or listening to your personal testimony of how Jesus has changed your life! Share Jesus with everyone you meet!!

Now we have four gifts of letters, and when we put these four letters together, we get the gift that God wants from us. He wants us to give Him the gift of our TIME. Time with Him in prayer; time praying for others; time reading His Word, the Bible; and time sharing Jesus with others.

Christmas is truly a time for giving gifts. I challenge you (and me!) to take time with God daily and take time to share the gift of Jesus with others as often as you can! Your holiday season will be doubly blessed!

Silent night, Holy night!

Son of God, love’s pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

(from “Silent Night” by Joseph Mohr)

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” James 4:8a

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What gift will you give to God this year?