For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Merry Christmas!
Christmas morning is here, and it’s time to open presents! It’s sweet to sit round with the ones we love and see each other open up the gifts we’re giving to one other.
Some gifts hit the spot more than others. The really thoughtful gifts land in a way that others don’t. Maybe as a kid, it would be opening up that toy that you had been eagerly anticipating. When we get older, maybe it’s something with a more personal touch, like a calendar the grandkids have made especially for you.
The best gifts are always ones that come from a real love for the other person. It’s a sacrifice to spend time thinking about what to give. It can be a sacrifice to spend the money, or to travel to pick the gift up. But if we love the person, we’re willing to show that by doing what it takes to give the right gift.
God Himself gave the ultimate sacrificial gift of love by sending His one and only Son.
It was the greatest cost, and the greatest gift.
There was no other way for His people to live eternally. Sin had destroyed the relationship between God and people. Death and eternal hell was the destination for all people.
God, in his holiness, could have nothing to do with sin, and so had to punish it.
God, out of love, gave His Son to take the punishment for sin.
Jesus, out of love, laid down His life, so that others might live eternally.
He left behind the glory of heaven, and humbled Himself to a rough manger.
He left the freedom of eternity to be bound by time.
He left the power of omnipresence, to be confined to a little town called Bethlehem.
He left riches, wealth and all sufficiency, to become a needy baby.
He gave His purity, his holiness, and took the place of wrath on the cross.
He gave up honour, majesty and power, and was rejected, and mocked.
He lay in a grave, so that His people wouldn’t stay in a grave.
In sacrificing His life, Jesus made countless sacrifices. In giving His Son, God made the greatest sacrificial gift.
And yet it’s a gift that won’t be accepted by everyone.
Take time this Christmas Day to meditate on Jesus’ sacrificial love. Take time to give Him thanks and praise for the greatest ever gift. Take time to adore Him.
Jesus is the greatest gift of sacrificial love.
O Come Let Us Adore Him!
A thought to remember: Jesus is the greatest gift of sacrificial love.
A question to ask: How can you give thanks for God’s sacrificial love in Jesus today?
A bit more to read: John 3:1-21
A song to sing: Love Divine All Loves Excelling