The Greatest Gift

Christmas is a time for the giving of gifts. When you are a child, you look forward to receiving them. And if you are like I was, you peel the wrapping paper away to see what your parents are giving you. But as you get older, you find more joy in giving a gift than in receiving one. You begin to understand what Jesus meant when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (see Acts 20:35).

But this business of gift-giving can get very expensive. You can get caught up in the excitement of it all. Someone has calculated what it would cost to give all the gifts in the song about the twelve days of Christmas. It adds up to about $20,000 now. A partridge in a pear tree is relatively reasonable, only about $100. The biggest expense is nine ladies dancing. That will run you in the neighborhood of $5,000. I remember one year I said, “Let’s do the twelve days of Christmas. We’ll give a gift every day for 12 days.” That was so much hassle! Now we are back to the one day of Christmas.

But of course, the true message of Christmas is not the gifts that we give to one another, it is the gift that God that gave to us.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

What a wonderful verse that is. It speaks of God’s gift of His only begotten Son. That gift was the greatest gift of all.