Monday, December 15, 2008

THE GIFT AND THE GIVER

Christmas is such a special time of the year. It is a time to give and receive gifts. There is nothing wrong with that, but I am afraid much of our generation has forgotten why we celebrate Christmas and many do not recognize the greatest gift that was ever given.

Jesus Christ was God the Father’s love gift to a world in darkness and sin. The uniqueness of this gift was that the giver and the gift were one. We cannot appreciate the gift if we do not recognize the giver. The gift God the father gave was God the son. When we honor the son we honor the father. God’s gift was not something to satisfy our personal wants, nor was it a gift to enjoy for a while and then discard. The greatest way we can respond to this special gift is to spend time with the giver. And we can know the giver only through the gift.

By The Way I remember a story about a father who had to travel a lot with his job, and thus was gone from home many weeks each year. When the father returned home he would always bring gifts to his two sons. One of the sons would always run out to meet his dad, and began immediately to ask, “what did you bring me, what did you bring me?” The father would give him his gift and off he would go to spend time with his new prize.

The other son would wait on the porch swing until his dad came up and sat down beside him. He would say, “Dad it is so good to have you home, I missed you.” And there they would sit for half an hour just talking and visiting. Finally the father would give the second son his gift. But it was obvious that this second son was more interested in spending time with his dad than just receiving a gift. The greatest gift was the giver, his dad.

Rom 5:17 If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? (THE MESSAGE)

MAY WE ALL AT THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON SPEND MORE TIME ADORING AND APPRECIATING THE GREATEST GIFT AND THE GIVER, AND LESS TIME SIMPLY CONCERNED ABOUT PERSONAL GIFTS.

FROM MARIE AND I, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR.

3 comments:

Jim said...

Amen and Amen, Broco!
Jim

Amber said...

Thanks for the great reminder!

Hope you guys have a great Christmas!

I know my parents are SO excited to be moving closer to you! People in NW AR have no idea what they are in for...you and Dad together....SCARY!!! :)

Sayer said...

Absolutely!