The Ultimate Gift

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."  Galatians 4:4-5

This year will make forty-three years that my husband and I have celebrated Christmas together. We both grew up in homes where money was scarce, and Christmas usually brought only one inexpensive gift. Our first Christmas together, we gave each other leather coats. My husband was so thrilled he didn't want

to take his off. We have pictures to prove it!

God has blessed us over the years, and we really don't need very much. I said to him the other day, "I wish I could think of a gift that would not only surprise you but also be a thrill when you open it." We all want to give our loved ones the ultimate gift.

One of my favorite stories is the  "Gift of the Magi" by  O. Henry. The main characters are Della and Jim, a young married couple. The story tells how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. On Christmas Eve, Della sells her hair to a hairdresser for twenty dollars. She uses the money to buy a platinum watch fob for Jim's pocket watch. Later that night, Della admits to Jim that she sold her hair to buy him a present. Jim has an admission of his own to make. He sold his watch to buy Della a set of ornamental combs for her hair. The couple is left with gifts they can't use, but they realize how far they had been willing to go to give the ultimate gift.

In the time chosen from the foundation of the world, God gave the ultimate gift; He sent His Son.

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."  John 1:14

Have you ever given serious thought to what it was like for Jesus to leave Heaven and come to earth?

He sits on the throne of Heaven where angels, seraphim, and cherubim worship and adore Him. No doubt, they sing songs of praise more beautiful than anything we have ever heard. Yet, He plunged Himself into utter silence by becoming an embryo in the womb of a virgin girl.

As the omniscient God, He sees and knows everything. Yet the One who dwells in light stepped down into darkness. He was willing to be blind until His newborn eyes were able to focus on the faces of His earthly mother and father.

Think what it must have been like for Him!

He is the Word that spoke all of creation into existence; nevertheless, He entered this world the same way every human being does, with only a cry to express what He needed.

In His omnipotence, He rules with all power and authority. He holds the planets, galaxies, and all the universe in place. But, He laid it all aside to come to earth as a weak, helpless baby.

Mark Condon wrote a song titled, "He Came All This Way." Some of the lyrics say, " It's hard to imagine that from Heaven's throne, He came all this way, to make your heart His home."

It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas that we miss the reason for the celebration; it's Jesus.

Late one Christmas Day, a resident of the posh community of Hillsborough, California, accompanied by his wife and kids, set out to sing carols for the neighbors. As they were tuning up outside their first stop, the lady of the house came to the door, looking distraught. "Look, fella," she said, "I'm just too busy. The plumbing's on the blink, I can't get anybody to fix it, and I have a mob coming for dinner. If you really feel like singing carols, sing them someplace else." "Yes, Ma'am," replied Bing Crosby respectfully, as he herded his troop elsewhere.

 There would be no shopping days, no Christmas trees and bright lights, no cookies, or piles of gifts if Jesus were not born. Christmas is His day! What will you give Him?

In a little Florida town, there was a plain home for unwanted boys. It was run by a kind matron who had no money for luxuries, but she made up for it by loving the boys and teaching them about God and how to pray. One day a well-to-do lady came to see about adopting one of the boys. Everyone was so pleased and happy for the fortunate boy who would be going to live in such an elegant, wealthy home. After going through the selection process, one particular boy was chosen. The prospective mother asked him, "Do you have a bicycle?" Back the answer came, "No, ma'am." She went on, "Do you have your own radio, suit of clothes, personal TV set?" To all these

questions about his possessions, the boy replied, "no." Finally, he blurted out, "Please, ma'am, if that's all you're going to give me, I'd rather stay here!"

Where will you place Christ this season? What if He asked us the same question the little boy asked, "Is that ALL you're going to give ME?" The Jewish nation missed Him when He came the first time. God had promised His people a Messiah, but they were not ready to receive Him.

How about you? He gave the ultimate gift; what will you give Him?

In a small town in the Midwest, Wally Purling has become a legend for his performance in one annual Christmas pageant. Wally was nine that year and in the second grade, though he should have been in the fourth. Most people in town knew he had difficulty keeping up with the other kids. This year the director gave Wally the part of the innkeeper. Most of the town gathered out for the performance. Then came the time that Joseph and Mary appeared at the inn. Joseph knocks on the door. Wally, the innkeeper, opened the door and brusquely asked, "What do you want?" "We seek lodging," Joseph replied. "Seek it elsewhere," said Wally, "the inn is full." Joseph sadly put his arm around Mary, and she laid her head on his shoulder, and they started to move away. Wally, the innkeeper, stood there, watching them walk away. His eyes began filling with tears. Suddenly this Christmas pageant became different! "Don't go, Joseph," Wally called out, "Bring Mary back! You can have my room!"

Christmas has become a tradition based on exchanging gifts, but the idea did not originate with St. Nicholas, it began in the heart of God, and it is only complete when it reaches the heart of man. He gave the gift of His Son to us, we, in turn, give ourselves to Him.

The ultimate gift you could give Jesus this Christmas is to make room for Him.

"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ!" ~ Frank McKibben

 "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Luke 2: 13-14

"God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the ALL of Christmas, which is Christ." ~ Wilda English