Probably the first verse memorized by every Christian is For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son… –John 3:16. God gave a gift beyond all gifts, a gift we could never earn or repay: life, forgiveness, joy, peace, and hope.
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of this gift from God – His son Jesus that would become the perfect sacrifice to atone for all our shortcomings, trespasses, and sins. A gift that, as the saying goes, keeps on giving. Daily, we are blessed by His indwelling spirit and by His providence for all our needs, both physical and spiritual.
Scripture teaches us that Jesus is more than just the son. Indeed, He is truly the Son as one of three Divine Persons (who He is), but He is also part of the Holy Trinity of the one true God (what He is). Jesus and the Father are one. So God sacrificed not only His son, He sacrificed Himself, giving His earthly body on the cross to suffer for wrongs never committed to provide the undeserved gift of forgiveness to those whom He loves. He gave us everything – from creation to salvation to eternal life.
That, brothers and sisters, is the Christian’s celebration of Christmas. We may give gifts as ritual symbols of our love, but most importantly we should give the sacrifice of ourselves for others, loving them as the Father loves us, giving everything we are to them, serving and esteeming them more highly than ourselves (Phil 2:3-4). This is not only the celebration of Christmas, but our duty as Christians each and every day.
Lord, let our hearts toward all be as your heart toward us, filled with sacrificial and everlasting love, Amen.
–RG