Christmas’ Greatest Gift

Two of the greatest holidays are Christmas and Easter, they are connected by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We cannot celebrate one without the other one insight, with this in mind what is the greatest Christmas Gift? To answer this question, we need to remind ourselves what Christmas is really about, why Jesus Christ came into the world, and all the pomp and prestige which came with His birth on that starry morning.
      God laid the foundation for Christ’s coming in Genesis when He said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3.15, ESV). God had always planned for Christ to come, to be born of a virgin and save the world from their sins (Is. 7.14).
      Throughout history, others prophesied of the coming Messiah such as the prophet Isaiah, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this” (Is. 9.6-7, ASV).
      Micah prophesied where the Messiah would be born; “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times” (Mi. 5.2, CSB)
These are just a few, but it’s all amazing when we stop and think about how loving and merciful God is, to set in motion a plan thousands of years before this wonderful amazing event, the birth of Christ’s our Savior.
      Over the centuries, traditions have been added to Christmas, however, we find in God’s Holy Word four major events associated with the birth of Christ:

1. His birth—Christ being wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the manger, because there was no room for Him or His parents in the inn (Luke (2.1-6).
2. The angels announced His birth to the shepherds of all people. They did not go to kings, to politicians, or rich people, but to the lowly shepherds in the fields (Luke 2.8-14).
3. The shepherds went to see the Messiah, and they returned rejoicing telling everyone what they had seen. People wondered about these shepherds, but they kept on telling anyway. They became missionaries that Christmas morning (Luke 2.15-20).
4. The wiseman came from the east, following the Messiah’s star until it stood over the house where He was living. When it stopped, they rejoiced, and entering the house and seeing Christ, they fell down and worshiped Him. Presenting to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt. 2.1-12).

      We must never forget this wonderful day, why Christ came, why God gave us this wonderful gift. As we draw closer to celebrating our Messiah’s birth, we grow a little nicer, a little more generous, a little more polite, even a little jollier.
      As this spirit of Christmas moves over us, let us not forget the greatest Gift of all, the Gift God sent to earth so long ago in His Son Jesus Christ, Salvation. Christ came to be “the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world” (John 1.29). His birth brought to all humanity something we could not do for ourselves; restore our relationship with God.
      Christ’s birth made it possible for us be reconciled with our Heavenly Father, something that without Christ was impossible. Paul writes, “For all have sinned coming short of God’s glory” (Rom. 3.23). ‘But the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6.23). “For by grace you are saved through faith…it is a gift of God” (Eph. 2.8-9).  This Gift of God, “has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not counting our sins against us” (II Cor. 5.18-19, ASV, emphasis added).
            The greatest Christmas Gift is asking Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior. This is why He was born, died, and was Resurrected; He is waiting for you to receive His free Gift this Christmas. Will you accept ask the Messiah into your life today?