Dear Editor,
Christmas is gone, the tree and decorations are packed away, but in my house, a few gifts remain. Between the busyness of Christmas gatherings, and a family-wide assault by Flu A, these gifts have not yet been delivered. Anyone else have leftover gifts?
I know the story of the first Christmas, the nativity with the birth of Jesus and all the characters involved, and enjoy trying to comprehend what the entrance of God’s Promise into the earth was like. I think of Mary and Joseph with great respect and admiration. I think of the shepherds experiencing the Angel’s announcement of this miraculous birth, God’s gift to mankind. I think of the wisemen and the gifts they brought from afar and presented to the little king. I wonder about the sounds, smells, sights, and the majesty of this great event, but cannot possibly begin to comprehend the reality of this most glorious event as heaven stepped into man’s world. But I do believe by faith that Jesus was and is God’s greatest gift to all mankind.
The gifts of the wisemen were prophetic in nature, and undoubtedly inspired by Holy Spirit. None of the players in the events surrounding the birth of Jesus could ever imagine what the Holy Child would face during His life. Nobody, not even Mary and Joseph, or satan himself, understood the plan that would unfold. After all, this babe was God’s Son, Israel’s Messiah, come to set His people free. This child was royalty of the highest!
Jesus escaped an early attempt on His life as satan used Herod to order the horrific slaughter of all children aged two years and younger. He did many glorious things during His time walking this earth. However, this Son of God would be bullied, homeless, mocked, and tortured, before He was wrongly condemned to death through crucifixion.
If it is possible for satan to be happy, it was at that moment. Nobody, including the devil himself, understood that this travesty was Christ’s gift to mankind. It was the purpose of His life to die in each of our places so that we could be forgiven of our personal sins and would not have to pay the consequences of our sins, because He paid our sin debt with every single drop of His blood. Not only that, He arose to life again so that we can have eternal life WITH Him.
The greatest gifts EVER given – the birth, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus, The Savior, is The Gift. He paid an ENORMOUS price to purchase this Gift for sinful you and me! Think about that!
Just like my remaining Christmas gifts, many still have their own gift from Jesus just waiting to be opened. In fact, it has been waiting for them to open since they took their first breath! Nobody else can open this gift for them. It is up to them.
Have you ever given someone a gift you selected with great care and planning, and felt so certain it was the perfect gift for this person? It is a letdown if they do not open it, right?
The gift of salvation MUST be opened to be of any value.
Imagine the deep hurt Jesus must feel when people do not notice, or outright reject, this Gift that cost Him everything, knowing that if they do not open it, He will spend eternity without them. This is because not opening this gift is rejecting all the goodness, mercy, and grace He offers. It means they retain their sins and must spend eternity separated from Him in the horror of the flames of hell.
Like it or not, that is a fact.
So, if your gift is still unopened, PLEASE open it now and begin your walk with Christ. This means admitting that you are a sinner and thanking Jesus for His blood that completely removes all penalties you owed. It means spending everyday getting to know Him to develop a personal relationship with Him. This includes reading His Word, surrounding yourself with Christians you respect and admire, who can be a guide for you. It includes visiting some churches to find one that you wish to plug in to. Just get started and He will meet you right where you are.
If you have already opened your gift, do not keep it a secret. Have you told others about your life changing gift? Be sure those in your world know! Are you growing in your relationship with Jesus? Are you diligently seeking Him? Have you encouraged others to open their Gift?
May 2025 be the year of NO UNOPENED GIFTS!
Sincerely, Debra Hall
