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 NKJV
It has been said that the birth of Jesus can be described as the greatest story ever told. I disagree. For to relegate the birth of Christ to something as small as a simple story, we will miss the importance of that which has been given to us. Therefore, I prefer to see the birth of Jesus as the greatest gift ever given. Which is what the birth of the Christ child ultimately was. How ironic that as we celebrate a season of giving, we ourselves should also celebrate the gift which the Lord Himself has bestowed upon us. The prophet Isaiah claimed that unto us this child was given {Isaiah 9:6}. I would like to think that the gift of Jesus is one gift that would never be thrown away or returned, but that is not the case. Around the world, millions of Gods children have never even known He who has been given to them. To many, Jesus is simply a name associated with Christmas and Easter. He was born, and He died. But the life of the Son of God has much more meaning than that. For those who have come to know Jesus have found a new life. A life not based upon the guilt of sins past, but one assured by the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Jesus was never meant to be crucified many times over. Yet when we deny His work at the cross, we turn a blind eye to that which has been given to us. This is a reality for those who have never accepted the free gift of Jesus. It's not that God somehow passed them over like a Passover lamb, but that they simply have never accepted His offering of the greatest gift ever given. I was once among that crowd. I know many people who continue to live a life without Jesus. The gift remains unopened. It's funny, but I spent a good portion of my own life with the unopened gift of Jesus just waiting for me to accept Him. Instead, I was content simply knowing the greatest story ever told.
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
1 John 4: 9 NKJV
We've all been there before. Sitting around the tree on Christmas morning sharing gifts with friends and family. Then, the moment arrives. THAT present. It doesn't rattle, it's light and is in a very small box. Can we get away with opening it later? So, we put on our best surprised look and open the box. If it somehow isn't something we want or need, it will soon be forgotten. Such is the gift of Jesus for many people. They have heard about Him, yet they have never known who He is. The gift remains unopened. But what happens when we open the gift of Jesus? What happens when the realization is given us the true identity of the Son? The apostle Paul described that moment best when he described his own realization of knowing Jesus. Paul tells us that his "knowing" Jesus only occurred "when it pleased God" {Galatians 1:15}. What was this knowing? That moment when God "revealed His Son in me" {Galatians 1:16}. This is the opening of the free gift of Christ Jesus. This is the realization of the one true identity we have in Him {Galatians 2:20}. We can read all the stories we can find about Jesus yet never come to this realization. We can watch all of the Christian based movies of the Christmas season we can and still have that unopened gift of the Lord Jesus in our lives. The free gift of Jesus is more than a story. It is the opening to a life in Christ Jesus. It is the greatest gift ever given.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Galatians 4: 4 - 5 NKJV
~Scott~
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