Have you ever gotten a Christmas gift that was just really weird and confusing – a gift that unwrapped and just thought to yourself, “what in the world?” I am an expert in giving these gifts. I don’t want to be the guy that gives horrible gifts, but it seems that a lot of gifts I buy in December end up in a July garage sale. These are things like socks with animals on them and weird foot soakers. I love to give gifts. I am just not very good at it.

I think we all have misjudged a gift we bought someone especially at Christmas time. This is kind of ironic because Christmas is the celebration of the greatest gift ever given. “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.” A father gave his son – a precious gift, a gift of love.

Away in a manger, the Son of God slept under the gaze of his mother, Mary over 2000 years ago in Bethlehem. He is God, and yet he became a man. He is the King of Kings, and yet his audience was a group of lowly shepherds. He came to save the earth, but most people in the world did not even notice. This is the gift of God, his one and only Son.

Why would a father do this? The simple answer is this: God did not want us to perish. Sin had entered the world through one man and that sin brought death, an eternal death in hell. We are sinners and so we deserved this punishment. Our sins moved God to action. We distanced ourselves from God. We chased after the pleasures of the world. We were selfish and unloving. We are sinners.

That is why the Father sent his gift. Jesus came to save us. Christ came to bear our punishment as our substitute. In our place, Jesus lived a holy life of perfect obedience to his Father. In our place, Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. He died to take away every single one of our sins. You see, Jesus completed a great exchange with us. When he died, he took our guilt upon himself and in return we received his holiness.

Jesus is the perfect gift of God – the gift of forgiveness and salvation. We receive the benefits of this gift through faith in Jesus. It is that simple – whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Our eternal life, our home in heaven, comes to us through faith in the Savior. Believe in Jesus who rose from the grave on Easter Sunday to give you life.

God loves us dearly. Love is not just emotions or flowery words. True love is shown in actions. God’s love is sacrificial. Imagine that very first Christmas. Our Heavenly Father stood at the edge of heaven and looked down on the stable in Bethlehem. He sees the baby Jesus and we can hear these words being echoed, “This is my Son whom I love, with him I am well-pleased.” But as he pictures this silent night, the shadow of Calvary’s cross looms large. The Father knows his Son would die for you and me. Wow! God does love us dearly.

We sometimes give gifts that have no use, no value, and no appeal for the person who is receiving them. God, however, gave us a perfect gift. This gift is one that everyone can use. This gift is one that you can use. This is what Christmas is about. God gave us a perfect gift that we all can use – salvation through his one and only Son, Jesus. Believe in him and be saved. Trust in him and have peace. Worship him now and all year long. Know that God loves you dearly. “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.” Amen.