‘Tis the season of Christmas gift-giving.  So we ask ourselves–what do our grandchildren need and want?  How much should we contribute to various Christian charities?  What should we pack in our shoeboxes for Samaritan Purse’s ‘Operation Christmas Child’?  For all of the above, how much is enough already?  Or too much?  Or just being an old Scrooge once again!?

When the Wise Men arrive in Bethlehem bringing gifts to a king whose star they’ve followed, you remember what they brought.  Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  All of these will provide the means for a poor family to flee to Egypt when King Herod is hellbent on killing all the male children the age of two or under in Bethlehem as ‘his paranoid nastiness’ seeks to root out a supposed contender to his throne.

The Wise Men’s treasures, and all the ones we’re ready to give on Christmas day, pale in insignificance compared with God’s gift of His only Son.  Take all I have, every last retirement dime, our home, and possessions, take them all (please don’t! just being hypothetical!), but not one of our children or grandchildren.  Earthly stuff means almost nothing in comparison with our family.

But that’s what makes Christmas so amazing.  That God would give His only Son for you and me.  After all, we’re a bunch of ungodly rebels without a decent cause.  I should only speak for myself.  I’ve turned my back on God many times.  Too many.  I’m selfish.  Overly sensitive and critical.  For the likes of me, the Father gave His only Son?  Really?  Think about that.  And cringe.

He has to be an awfully good God, don’t you think?  No one in their right mind would do the same.  Not even close.  Yet He did exactly that, allowing His only Son to die on the cross because He cares so much for you and me.

John 3: 16 says it all.  You know that most famous verse.  Say it to yourself.  It’s about God’s love for all.  Sending His only Son for us, so that we’d never perish in hell.  It takes no extra effort, nothing about our good works outweighing the bad, but more like having heartfelt and passionate belief and trust in Jesus that ushers us into God’s chosen family.

Therefore, we give Him our all who gave His all for us, even gifting us with the very best– everlasting heavenly adventure and creativity and love and fellowship and lots more that we can’t even imagine.  Even the ultimate–being with God Himself forever!

These are much better gifts than we could give.  They come from God.  This week let’s think about all He’s given us as we give back to Him our praise and thanks.

Thank you, Father, for giving us everything.  In Jesus your Son.  And for His sake.  Amen.