The Best Gift
By Shauna Leis
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:9-11
Christmas, my absolute favorite time of year, is approaching and with it all of the joys that the season will bring…A time of baking sweet treats…A time of fellowship with friends and families…Parties galore…And of course, the presents that we all long to unwrap! If we could just enjoy the presents without having to do all of the shopping beforehand, now that would be my idea of a perfect holiday! If you could think of one of the most perfect gifts you have ever received from someone, what would it be? Something that when you look back over the years, it just jumps out at you above all of the others.
The most infamous present at our house was not at Christmas but rather several years ago in April. It was Tony’s birthday, and I woke up very early that morning with great anticipation. Tony was still sleeping soundly, but I took the pregnancy test to see if God had blessed us with the most precious gift a couple could ever receive – the gift of life. Sure enough, that little white area developed a distinctive pink line in it, and I ran out into the bedroom shouting, “Happy Birthday” to my sleeping husband. At first he could not understand why I was waking him up so early to tell him happy birthday. But, once he figured out what in the world I was talking about, he was overjoyed and said that was the best present he could have ever received.
Now, picture another event with me where an unmarried young woman received the most precious gift anyone could have ever received. Luke 1:28-33 says, “The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.’"
With this announcement, God gave His most precious possession, His one and only Son in the form of a tiny babe. And that is where the true definition of a gift is derived. The Greek word for gift is “doron” which means a present, specifically a sacrifice – gift, offering. Essentially, Jesus Christ became our gift from the Most High God to cleanse us once and for all from all of our sin. Think with me about a verse that just about every Christian can recite from memory – but meditate on it with new meaning, thinking of the sacrifice that was made for you and for me. ”For God so loved the world that he GAVE his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. So many Christmases ago, God delivered the best gift ever to an unloving and undeserving humanity.
Also, God did not feel guilty in His gift giving, either. He did not worry that it was not the right size, or the right color, or heaven forbid – enough money spent on the gift! He knew it was the perfect fit for each and every life willing to accept the gift that He would give through His Son Jesus Christ. According to the verse in Matthew above, God knows how to give good gifts to His children – and those who call on His name and believe in this precious gift of His Son Jesus Christ are His children. We have access to all of God’s many riches because we are called His children. And the greatest of these riches is the forgiveness that can be found when we trust Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Will you accept this gift today?
Pray with me: God, You, as our Father in heaven, know how to give perfect gifts to all of Your children. We pray that first we will accept and appreciate the gift that You have given us in Your son Jesus Christ - that He provided the once and for all sacrifice to cover the sins of the world. And we pray that as we enter this holiday season, we will focus on the best gift anyone could ever receive – eternal life with You! God, give us peace as we celebrate this favorite time of year, with all of the hustle and bustle that always seem to follow, and time to remember the “True Reason for the Season!” We pray all of this in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen!