The greatest gift

At the moment I’m facing a bit of a Christmas present crisis. For the past few weeks there has been all sorts of snow and ice all over the country and internet deliveries have been delayed massively, meaning my present for my Dad will probably spend Christmas not under the tree but in a Royal Mail sorting house somewhere, despite being meant to have arrived last week. And I thought I would be organised and buy some stuff for my Mum at the start of December, got a couple of DVDs I thought she’d like. But then the other day she came home with presents from the pupils in her class, and one of them has also got her one of the DVDs. So now I have the dilemma of do I go ahead and give it to her anyway, as I live in the country and probably won’t be able to get anywhere to get a replacement. And then there is my brother who is meant to be coming home from Ghana, flying through Heathrow airport where the official travel advice at the moment is “If you can, cancel your flight” due to all the delays they are having. And it would suck if he doesn’t get home for Christmas, as I’ve already got his present, and I don’t think the shop will take it back as I’ve lost the receipt…
So often when it comes to Christmas we can get all caught up in worrying about things like getting people the right present, or can be guilty about being more excited about what is under the tree than Who is in the manger. Christmas is about more than what we give or receive. It is about more than turkey, mulled wine and mince pies. It is about something more thrilling than a TV special or catching up with family members you only see once a year. All these things are good, but they aren’t the main thing. There is something greater.
This Christmas let’s not get distracted. Let’s focus on the most important thing. Let’s look to the heart of what it is all about. The greatest gift, given for all men. The Holy Son of God, born into the mess of a stable to fix the mess we all make of our lives. Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, given for all men, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Born to die in our place. Born that man no more may die, born to give us second birth.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
This Christmas let’s remember we have been given the most mind-blowingly incredible gift ever by our loving heavenly Father. Love came down to earth as a baby, and then hung on a cross to save us. That’s why Christmas is so special. Let’s tell the world and let them know its Christmas. Something so awesome shouldn’t be overshadowed by snow, turkey or a new mp3 player.
Merry Christmas everyone, I hope it’s a good one for you wherever you are as you remember the birth of Christ, born to die to save us. The greatest gift.