“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Charles Dickens – A Christmas Carol
“Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”
Dr. Seuss – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
What was the first gift of Christmas? I often watch a Christmas movie classic where a boy has come to a crossroads of belief regarding Santa Claus. He goes on a journey and meets Santa Claus who offers him the first gift of Christmas. The boy chooses a sleigh bell to help him remember to believe in Christmas. I enjoyed the movie, but the writer missed the true magic of Christmas. It’s not about Santa Claus; it’s about someone far more amazing.
While Santa Claus is not the center of Christmas, he can be a useful metaphor for sharing the truth of scripture. Many Christians struggle with what to do about jolly old St. Nick, but my father had an interesting take on the issue. He said Santa Claus is really just a metaphor for God the Father. He is omniscient (knows when you’ve been sleeping or been bad), he can do miracles (travel around the world in one night), and he is a giver of gifts. This concept is a good way to meet people where they are and lead them to the true meaning of Christmas.
The first gift of Christmas was not given by Santa Claus. It was given by God the Father as a means to reconcile man with God. The first gift of Christmas was Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus was born to the virgin Mary one dark night in a stable, a miraculous birth that would change the world forever. The “magic” of Christmas and the one thing we need to believe is that God came down to earth as a baby to be a propitiation for our sins so that we could be in a relationship with Him. Jesus’ birth was truly a miracle, and his arrival brought three more miraculous gifts. I don’t mean the gold, frankincense, and myrrh that the wise men brought to the baby Jesus. I mean the gifts of love, light, and life.
Love
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
It was the Father’s love for all humanity that propelled Him to give His Son to the world. His desire was to be in a loving relationship with His children, but Adam and Eve chose disobedience and caused a chasm so large that we could never cross. So, God made a way to reconcile us unto Himself by sending His Son to be born of a virgin, die on the cross for our sins, and be resurrected as a bridge across the chasm.
What are some ways we can give love in our everyday lives? The scriptures tell us how to show love in 1 Corinthians. Some examples are:
- Be generous
- Be kind
- Be patient
Life
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Jesus is the bridge, but we must believe that he is the Son of God and choose Him as Lord in order to cross that bridge. When we do, we are given everlasting life so that we can spend eternity with the Father in Heaven. The good news is that we don’t have to wait for death to receive this gift of life. We can live it in the here and now as we live in communion with God.
How can we share the life that Christ has given us with others? When we abide with Christ, he lives in us (John 15, Galatians 2:20). Because of that we can share the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23):
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Longsuffering
- Gentleness
- Goodness
- Faith
- Meekness
- Temperance
Light
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Jesus was born on a dark night, but He was also born in a dark time. Historians argue over whether the day we celebrate Christmas is the actual day of Jesus’ birth, but I think it is fitting to celebrate his birth near the longest night of the year. The world was physically dark, but it was also spiritually dark. Jesus brought light into a world filled with darkness. He brought hope into hopelessness.
The great thing about light is that it can spread into the deepest darkness, and we are called to share our light into the world. Matthew 5:16 tells us: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” We are the light in the world because Jesus lives within us, so we need to shine it out into the world by sharing our testimony of what God has done for us and will do for anyone that calls on His name. We are to do good works for others so that they will see Jesus in us and want what we have.
Give the Gifts of Christmas
When we receive the gift of Jesus, we receive the love, the life, and the light. More than that, we receive the ability to share those gifts with others. Modern culture teaches us that we should make sure we get what is coming to us and not let anyone take advantage of us. The Bible teaches us that everything we have comes from God and that we were meant to share our blessings with others.
God the Father is the giver of good gifts, and His storehouse never runs out. There is more than enough for everyone. So, let us go forth this season and share the gifts of Christmas with everyone we meet, but don’t stop at Christmas. These gifts were meant to be shared all year long. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Related Posts: