The Christmas Gift

Scripture Passage: Luke 2:8-15

What is the Christmas story all about? It is certainly NOT about:

A young boy who desperately wants a B-B Gun
Santa with Muscles
Santa moving to Miami to escape the cold
Santa's Elf
Decorating your house with a million lights

We see a lot of movies and television stories around Christmas time with these and many other themes. The giving and receiving of gifts is a big theme as well. As a matter of fact, why do we give and, hopefully, receive gifts around Christmas time?

The truth is that Christmas - the very first Christmas - was the greatest gift ever given. If you receive this Christmas gift, then all other gifts you receive for the rest of your life pale in comparison.

This gift was so great, God send His angels to announce it to the world:

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." ¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." ¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." (Luke 2:8-15, NIV)

The angels announced to the shepherd what we now call "The Christmas Story." It is one filled with marvel, wonder, and praiseworthy things. Its significance reminds me of an all too common event that I remember from my childhood:

On the playground at school there always seemed to be at least one bully -- you know, the boy that was a little bit bigger than the others and always had to have his way. Another boy would confront the bully and it would lead to the showdown. The bully would draw a line in the sand and dare the boy to step over the line. The boy knows if he steps over the line, he will probably get punched in the nose. If not, he will be humiliated by the other boys and the bully will always get his way. At some point, you just have to step over that line...

In the eternal battle for righteousness, Satan dealt humanity a stinging blow through his successful temptation of Adam and Eve. He led them to choose sin (going their own way in life) over God's way (the path of righteousness). God's most awesome achievement, the creation of human beings who could relate to Him, appeared to be completely lost. Satan had drawn his line in the sand.

But because of His great love for us, God made the momentous decision to step over the line. He had such an incredible gift to give us that He took extraordinary steps to bring it to us. And So the birth of Christ is the spiritual equivalent of God stepping over the line to confront and, once for all time, defeat the plan of Satan to destroy humanity through sin. God went way beyond the bounds of what was expected to do what was needed to redeem humanity -- that would be you and I.

Main Thought: The Christmas story is one of supreme sacrifice to bring about complete redemption - the ultimate Christmas gift.

The Ultimate Christmas Gift - No Fear
The Ultimate Christmas Gift - Great Joy
The Ultimate Christmas Gift - Blessings for All
The Ultimate Christmas Gift - A Personal Friend
The Ultimate Christmas Gift - A Promise-Keeper
The Ultimate Christmas Gift - A Savior

The angels delivered the Christmas story straight from Heaven, announcing the greatest gift for all people for all time. Let's unwrap this amazing gift...

Do not be afraid ... (Luke 2:10, NIV)

1. The Ultimate Christmas Gift - No Fear

After Adam and Eve sinned against God, they were afraid of him. They no longer enjoyed the intimate friendship with God that they once knew. "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden" (Gen. 3:8, NIV). When God appeared to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, His presence provoked such fear that the Israelites told Moses they didn't want God to speak to them: "... Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die" (Deut. 18:16, NIV). Instead they wanted an intermediary like Moses (Deut. 18:16-18). Sin has the effect of producing shame and guilt in us, and rightly so -- despite what modern psychology tells us. The shame of sin is what causes fear in our hearts for God is holy (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 15:4) and a consuming fire of righteousness (Exo. 19:18; Heb. 12:29).

The ultimate Christmas gift that God gave to you is no fear:

Christmas is that time when God did what was needed to take away our fear of Him by dealing with our problem of sin.
Sin separates us from God and from one another.
Sin causes us to be afraid of getting caught, afraid of retribution, afraid of humiliation.

But love joins us together. God loved us enough to send His only begotten Son to give His life as a ransom for you. Dying for your sins, He made the way possible to know God and not run away from Him in fear. He made the way possible to love God once again - just as it was in the garden in the beginning. Through the Christ of Christmas you can love God without fear and without shame.

I bring you good news of great joy ... (Luke 2:10, NIV)

2. The Ultimate Christmas Gift - Great Joy

When someone wants to share some good news with you, you can usually tell it in their face and their mannerisms. A while back, my children got some guinea pigs. That may not seem all that exciting to you and I, but to a child it is big deal. Before I was able to pull the car into my parking space, both of them burst into the garage with an urgent message. Their faces were beaming and they were talking so fast, I almost couldn't understand it. But it didn't matter that I was somewhat baffled by it -- they were extraordinarily happy.

When God drew near to us, He was so happy about it He sent the angels to shout it out! In fact, He shared this wonderful news with a group of people who would be baffled that God had anything to say to them. They were shepherds, the outcasts of the community. People looked down on them because of their occupation. This simply points out just how wonderful is the message of Christmas. The great chorus of heavenly hosts appeared to the lowliest of people and shouted out the message of Christ's birth. This is the time of God's favor. In place of fear, God drew near to bring us joy! This is the time when God made provision "...and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14, NIV). And that is good news.

Because the message of Christmas was good news even for the lowliest people -- the shepherds -- this message of Christmas is good news for you also. Christmas is that time of great joy as it reflects the very heart of God for all humanity -- and for you specifically.

So be happy ... no, be joyful!

...that will be for all the people. (Luke 2:10, NIV)

3. The Ultimate Christmas Gift - Blessings For All

A long time ago, God made a promise to a man named Abraham. In this promise, God told Abraham that his descendents would become a mighty nation. From Abraham was born the nation of Israel which exists even to this day. But God also included a very special promise "... all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen 12:3, NIV). Later, God narrowed this blessing down by saying "through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" (Gen 22:18, NIV). The Bible explains that God's use of the singular word "seed" is a reference to the Savior who was to come into the world -- Christ (Gal. 3:16). So the Christ of Christmas who was announced by the angels would be a blessing for ALL people.

The Ultimate Christmas Gift is blessings from God for all people.

So God has a special blessing for you. God's Christmas gift to you is Christ Himself. God chose to reach out to you in love and give you the most mighty blessing indeed -- the gift of forgiveness and eternal life. In fact, the Bible says that "God ... has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3, NIV).

Be sure not leave this gift sitting on your front porch for someone to come along and steal. Bring it inside your house and open it up.

has been born to you ... (Luke 2:11, NIV)

4. The Ultimate Christmas Gift - A Personal Friend

God understands the need we have to relate to one another in person. Some things you just cannot do through email or text messages - like asking your girlfriend to marry you, getting an illness examined by a doctor, or spending time with someone who is hurting.

Nevertheless, we try to substitute the internet for the personal touch:

How many times have you gotten into trouble by sending an email and having it misconstrued?
How many times have you tried to explain something to someone in an email and ended up sending emails back and forth, back and forth because they neither read completely nor understood what you were trying to say?
Texting is a rampant practice of communicating today. But how many times have you spent far more time trying to type a message on your crazy cell phone than it would have taken to just dial the person and say what you had to say?

The personal touch is important and necessary. Christmas is that wondrous time when God drew near to us by identifying with us completely, by speaking to us in our own language, by meeting you and I right where we are. As the marvelous Christmas rendition of Handel's Messiah rings out, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa 9:6, NIV).

God -- who never stopped being God -- was born a man, a perfect man, that He might fully reveal Himself to us, that we might behold His glory (John 1:14) without fear and without dying. Because Jesus Christ was born that wonderful Christmas night, you and I can have the privilege of friendship with God forever.

The ultimate Christmas gift is a personal friend. A man named Simeon would later praise God for the baby that was born that first Christmas saying:

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. (Luke 2:30-32, NIV)

Think about it - Simeon personally embraced His Savior. Have you personally embraced the LORD Jesus?

Throughout your life, having embraced the LORD Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can find a friend who will talk to you when no one else seems to care. Through Christ, God is your friend who loves you forever, knows you completely, guides you at home and at work, who won't quit until all of His goodness rubs off on you and you are transformed into one with character of Christ.

Today in the town of David ... This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. (Luke 2:11-12, NIV)

5. The Ultimate Christmas Gift - A Promise-Keeper

God revealed to lowly shepherds that the Savior of all people for all time had been born. The One of whom it was prophesied:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2, NIV)

With a host of angels singing God's praises, God even went one step further with these shepherds by giving them a very straightforward sign -- the Babe would be wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feed-trough. Quite an unusual spot for a baby! This would be an obvious confirmation to these lowly shepherds that this was no dream. God Himself had spoken to them. And God Himself had fulfilled was He had promised to do so long ago.

The ultimate Christmas gift is a promise-keeper.

Christmas is a testimony to the truth of God and the faithfulness of God. He will never abandon you. He loves you too much and is too good not to intervene in your life. Let Christmas be your sign as well that God not only loves you but He is and always will be faithful to you.

... a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11, NIV)

6. The Ultimate Christmas Gift - A Savior

Christmas has come to be known as a time for being with your family. It is also a time to be kind to people, even to strangers. But Christmas is much, much more than that. It is the time that God revealed His infinite well of kindness through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior:

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7, NIV)

The ultimate Christmas gift is a Savior for you. Jesus did not "become" Christ later in life - He was born to be your Savior - "Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11, NIV).

Christmas is that time when:

Hope was realized
Eternity was gained
Love was fulfilled

God loved you enough to step over the line on your behalf and confront the Evil One. Jesus did not get punched in the nose - rather, He was nailed to a cross.

It was a role that only God could fill -- a perfect man giving His life as a substitute for yours, paying the full penalty of your sins -- past, present, and future -- on your behalf. Christmas is God our Savior coming to earth to take your sin and give you His righteousness in return. When you are loved that much by Him, you have the knowledge, the motivation, and the power to love others that way also. Let this be Christmas fulfilled in your heart and mine!

Reflect on YOUR life: If God had never come in person, He would always have seemed ominous, distant, and troubling. But because of the first Christmas, God has revealed Himself to us as close, warm, compassionate, powerful, and good. Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9, NIV). Let this good news of Christ warm your heart this Christmas!