Be sure to open the last package of the day…the one marked “free gift from God”
One of my favorite parts of Handel’s Messiah is the singing of this powerful verse in Isaiah:
“For to us a child is born; to us a son is given.” (Isa. 9: 6)
I am reminded today on Christmas Day of the importance of that verse.
A “child was born” to Mary in the manger in Bethlehem. A “a son was given” by God to save the world.
God only had ONE SON…and He gave Him. We may part with a few dollars to give everyone a present in our lives this Christmas. God, however, GAVE IT ALL.
What does this mean to you and me?
How loving and generous God is.
You have heard about the chicken and the pig. The chicken said to the pig, “Let’s give the farmer a gift this Christmas. I’ll give him eggs and you give him bacon.”
The pig replied, “That’s easy for you to say. Eggs are a gift for you but bacon is a TOTAL SACRIFICE for me!”
God gave it all. He tapped His Son on the shoulder and sent Him to earth on a mission called “Savior of the world.”
How much He loves you and me.
“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (Jn. 3: 16). God knew that sending His Son was sending Him to an awful death at the hands of cruel men.
None of us, however, would have imagined Christ hanging by His hands as two Roman lictors whipped His whole body mercilessly.
No one would have dreamed that 600 soldiers would beat a crown of thorns into His head with a stick.
Certainly, no one would have envisioned Him being NAILED to a tree through His hands and feet and left to be exposed that way for six hours until He died.
That’s what it took to redeem the world, and that’s how much God loves you and me.
How much He loves the lost world.
God gave His only Son, not to impress the world, but to rescue the world.
The whole world lies in darkness and the curse of sin and eternal death.
Jesus, God’s only Son, gave His life that day to pay for the sins of every person ever born (past, present, and future). Every tribe. Every tongue. Every nation, city, village and hamlet. Billions and billions of people who are lost.
The world population just crossed 8 BILLION last month (November, 2022). Only 2.5 billion of those are Christian. 5.5 billion still need a Savior and roughly half of those have never heard His Name.
To them “A son is given.” We must not let them die without at least hearing that God gave His Son to die in their place and forgive them.
This Christmas, think about the EXTREME generosity of God to “give His only Son.”
This Christmas, open the last package. Look up to the Father and say these words: “Thank you, God, that TO ME…a Son is given.”