GIFTS THAT MATTER
Yesterday before we headed to the sanctuary, our choir director prayed. After the prayer, she said to be with our downtown merchants as they prepare for this holiday season. It was the day when everyone goes downtown to begin shopping for Christmas gifts. As we walked out of the choir room, I thought about the word gifts. And yes, I do shop, and I do buy gifts; however, the longer I pondered on the word, I thought WHAT GIFTS MATTER? I decided we needed to discuss GIFTS THAT MATTER.
We are beginning the holiday season, the season of Advent the time that we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
DIVE INTO SCRIPTURE
Gift: a thing willing given to someone without payment
A natural ability or talent
God gave us a gift, the Gift of Jesus. There was no payment due.
So why is Jesus the Gift that matters? Why is he the perfect Gift?
Jesus and Zacchaeus – Luke 19
19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Now, here is the most remarkable story! Zacchaeus, as far as we know, had never heard, seen, or spoken to this man Jesus before this day – yet, in the space of a few minutes, his entire life was turned upside down! From a lying, deceptive cheat, Zacchaeus was transformed into a new creature – full of love and mercy and kindness that proved itself by his giving away the wealth that he had always lived for. Zacchaeus had been saved! He had been brought from darkness to light – death to life! He had become a Christian – and Jesus sums up this event with these powerful words: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
He is the Gift that matters because He is the reason of the season. He is seeking to save the lost. He is the Gift to the godless, god seeker, the sinner, whatever baggage we carry whatever past we have He is the Gift.
We all know that Jesus is the perfect Gift, and we could never give the perfect Gift of Jesus; however, in another article, I found how to give a gift that is perfect and reflects Jesus.
Wise men visited baby Jesus, and three gifts were given to him- gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
According to tradition, gold was given to the infant King as a token of His royalty. Frankincense, a fragrant incense used in sacrificial offerings, was meant to represent Jesus’ Deity. Myrrh, a perfume or ointment, was a token of His future suffering.
During the Christmas season, we all think about the gifts we want to buy for friends and family. We try to find that “perfect gift.” It’s been said that a gift must meet three criteria for it to be considered “perfect.”
• Number one, the Gift should reflect the One who gives it.
• Number two, the Gift should reflect knowledge of the One who receives it—in other words, knowledge of their needs, desires, tastes, and so forth.
• And number three, the Gift should be of a nature and quality that will hold its value as time goes on.
We know God gave mankind the perfect Gift when He sent His Son Jesus. The Gift of Jesus meets all of the criteria for being a perfect gift.
• Number one, Jesus reflects the One Who gave Him—God the Father.
• Number two, God’s Gift of His Son, reflects knowledge of our needs.
• And number three, the Gift of Jesus is of a nature and quality that will hold its value as times goes on. Jesus’ value is eternal! John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). God gave us the perfect Gift when He gave us Jesus!
Let’s briefly look at each of these criteria individually. First, Jesus is the perfect Gift because He reflects the Father who gave Him.
HEBREWS 1:3 (New Living Translation)
3 The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. . . .
COLOSSIANS 1:15 (NIV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Jesus Himself said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father (John 14:9). The Father’s words were spoken from Jesus’ lips. The Father’s mercy and compassion were seen in Jesus’ actions. The Father’s abundant provision was demonstrated through Jesus’ generosity. The Father’s great power and love were revealed to us through Jesus! Jesus is the perfect Gift, and the perfect reflection of the One Who gave Him.
Second, Jesus is the perfect Gift because God gave Him with knowledge of our needs. God knew we needed a Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer, Healer, and Friend. We needed someone who was fully God and fully man. Only Jesus could meet this need.
Being fully, God enabled Jesus to carry our sin. His Deity enabled Him to be the Sacrifice Who could bear the sin of the world, along with the penalties of sickness, poverty, and spiritual death.
Being fully human allowed Jesus to identify with what we go through, enabling Him to provide for all of our needs and desires and to care for us in any situation.
Jesus became our Substitute. We owed a debt we could not pay, and Jesus paid a debt He did not owe. Because of Jesus, you and I can be free. If our greatest need had been information, technology, money, or pleasure, God would have sent us an educator, a scientist, an economist, or an entertainer. The truth is, our greatest need was redemption, and God sent a Redeemer! God knew what we needed, and He sent the perfect Gift.
Third, the Gift of Jesus holds its value for all eternity. Jesus is the Gift that keeps on giving. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave . . .” (NIV) and gave and gave and gave—thousands of years later, the Gift of Jesus is still giving!
The Gift of Jesus never expires. There is no “use-by” date stamped on Jesus. He won’t go rancid or spoil, and you won’t have ever to throw Him out. Neither does He ever go out of style. There is never a need to “update” Him or trade Him in for a newer model.
Some people like to give gift cards during the holiday season. But some companies have a policy that assesses penalties for non-use. In other words, if you don’t use the card within an allotted amount of time, the company begins to deduct money from the gift card and will keep doing so until the balance is zero.
Jesus never has a zero balance. He is the Gift that never expires, goes out of style, or becomes outdated or obsolete! Every generation needs a Redeemer. Every generation needs a Savior to lift them out of sin and into the righteousness of God. Jesus is one Gift that will never lose its value or worth.
Jesus is the Perfect Gift! Even though we don’t deserve and could never earn this Gift, God freely gave Jesus to all who will receive Him. God’s love for us in Christ never fades, diminishes, or weakens. God’s love for us remains consistent and continually available.
Christmas is the season for giving gifts. And it’s no wonder that we give gifts to loved ones at this time since Christmas is the celebration of God’s Gift to those He loves—His perfect Gift of Jesus to you and me!
CHALLENGES OF THE WEEK:
- KEEP YOUR DAILY APPOINTMENT
- DIVE DEEP INTO THE WORD
- MAKE GIFTS INTENTIONAL
- FILL YOUR CUP WITH CHRIST SO YOU CAN FILL OTHER CUPS
RESOURCES AND ARTICLES USED:
https://www.gfcto.com/articles/theological-issues/why-did-jesus-come-to-earth
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