Did you ever receive a bicycle as a gift? Perhaps a shiny, red Schwinn bicycle, maybe with a basket on the front. It was a beautiful sight! But the bike alone was not the only gift. Along with it came the freedom to go to new places, to go faster, without having to walk.
The gift included the freedom to ride with all your other friends who had bikes.
So, too, the gift of Christmas is for all who believe. The birth of a Savior, One who will rescue us from our sins and the penalty we have incurred. The baby in the manger is a gift of untold beauty and cost. He is our freedom, our forgiveness. Without Him, we are lost.
With Him, we are found. But, do not stop with the baby in the manger. He is so much more, the gift, like the bicycle, is deeper and more faceted. Take time to see what this incredible gift gives us.
For the first element of the Gift, see that it is a promise kept. An ancient promise, made in Eden to two rebellious souls. The promise of a rescue, the promise of a second chance. What does a promise kept mean for us? It means a Promise Keeper, a God whose word is trustworthy, an honorable and truthful God. We see in the gift of the Savior, the reality that God has the power to do what He says He will do. We see that God means what He says. We see that God is reliable.
Secondly, we see that this Gift of heaven gives us a new home, a new citizenship. Our native land is now changed. We are a people who have been rescued from a realm of darkness and transferred to a kingdom of light. Because of this,we have a new allegiance, a new priority. We belong to a new country, a country of light and joy. A country ruled by a King who spent Himself to gather us to Himself.
In being transferred to this new status we must leave behind the old. The old ways of doing things, the old ways of thinking. They find no place in this new Kingdom, indeed they are useless here.
Thirdly, we are filled to completeness in the Person of our Savior. Once rescued, we are included in Christ. He is our leader. But He is also our righteousness, our wisdom, our wholeness. We are filled, we are complete. Who among us does not strive to be finished, completed, at rest. All these are ours in our Savior, that small baby in a manger.
There are so many more of these gifts, facets to the glorious gift of Jesus. It is wise to unwrap this gift thoughtfully. We are wise to patiently explore it and so to appreciate it. We are wise to be grateful for this breathtaking gift from the God Who seeks us out. For it is truly our life, our peace and our joy.