Moments With God. Twelve Days of Christmas Day 4 December 28 On the Fourth day of Christmas My true love gave to me Four Calling Birds The Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ. |
Those Christmas Lists "Hmmm, lets see, I haven't received a card from them in two years so this will be the last year I send one to them." "Oops, I just wrote the last card in a box and I have six more names to go on the list. I wonder, do I really need to send one to them?" Then there are the "trivial gift lists," you know, the little trinket-type gifts we acquire to make a "token" presentation to people, the paper-boy, the cleaners, the barber, the person at the next desk in the office, our teachers, our students, etc. Many "shoe-string" family members end up on this list. Remember the year you and all the relatives agreed we'll bring no gifts to the family Christmas party, except for the children. Or, perhaps you drew names of different children in the family to minimize the financial impact on all the rest of the family. Next, like me, you may look for your "close friend list." These are people whom I genuinely love and sincerely want to do something nice for. I spend much time thinking about each one of them and what might be just the perfect gift. Do I get my best friend Bob a subscription to "Sports Illustrated?" Do I get him some "Dodgers" paraphernalia (he is a baseball nut) ? And my boss, what about her? I can't be too ostentatious or she might think I am trying to impress her ( aren't I )! Then there are the truly important gifts: my wife "But, honey, we agreed we would not buy gifts for each other this year since we got the new car last Spring!" Yeah, sure! The kids, my mom, the grandkids. Oh, the dollars start adding up. The hours start compiling over just thinking about how I'm going to get through Christmas again this year! Golly, I wonder if I could just get amnesia for the next two months and miss Chris. . . . naw ! And how many of those gifts are taken back to the stores for a preferred item the week after our blessed day of gifting? How many times do we have to look into the smiling faces of friends and family and pretend to be absolutely thrilled about yet another really ugly neck tie, or nightie, or box of sausages, or funny coffee mug or- - -? If you are like me, Christmas thinking that comes into mind about the first of November seems to have everything to do with ideas that are not in the least related to the celebration of "Advent" . God's gift was given to us on a December winter night nearly 2000 years ago. Why do I wait until Christmas night to reach Luke chapter 1, 2, and 3? I need to re-read it right now and have it fill my mind about Christmas, about the "advent" , about God's great matchless gift and sacrifice! We're not talking about a five-dollar trinket? We're not talking about a unique antique that my Auntie will place on her shelf to collect dust with hundreds of others like it. We are talking about our Creator's taking the most precious life in eternity and laying it down as a sacrifice for my sin and your sin condition. We are talking about the absorption of all of my due eternity-in-Hell into the infinitely clean soul of my Lord so that I would not have to suffer there as I ought. Jesus means "Savior" or "Lord saves" ! He saves me from eternal separation from God and for eternal life with God. "And you shall name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (Mt 1:22 NLT). Christ means "Anointed One." "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" . (Mark 1:1 NRSV) In the Old Testament centuries prophets, priests and kings were anointed with oil to signify that they had a special ministry of function to perform that would benefit everyone in the community or the nation. Jesus Christ is God's Anointed One, who functions as prophet when he speaks God's word, as priest when he sacrificed himself on our behalf, and as king when he rules. Though equal with God, Jesus became a human, finite man— a man of simple means, of low socio-economic level, so that everyone could relate to him. He was not to be above anyone, but yet would lift everyone who looked up to him up from their dungeon of sin and self-mired morass. God became man and lived with us. "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 NRSV) What of this God who came to live with men? Was he to receive gifts from men? It would seem that there were beautiful things recorded as being given to the babe at Bethlehem by the Magi, but certainly not by the poor shepherds. No, there were no lavish gifts. The neighbors didn't plan and save, and plot for months of just the right 'gift' to bring this divine intruder into the sin-centered life of mankind. What were the gifts he was given? Actually they were foretold centuries earlier by a prophet who said "many were amazed when they saw him beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person" (Isa 53:13-14 NLT). And the Lord was recorded as telling the disciples that the only gift mankind would give to him would be to suffer. ". . .but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands." (Matt. 17:12 NRSV) "He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;" Luke 22:15 ". . .and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,. . ." (Luke 24:46 NRSV) One day our risen Lord the one who suffered so at human hands, but who did so with grace and willingly sacrificed His pleasure for our eternity will return and will be a conqueror, an ultimate Judge to all those not purified by becoming one in His "gift of love". His great gift was to us. But what is our gift? What have I to give to Him? Do I spend my pre-December days pondering and reflecting upon my gift to the Lord? Do I take the most precious gift I plan to give and go "one-up" from that as a gift for the Lord? What is to come of my gift giving for the Lord?. Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (Jn 10:10 NRSV). His gift is that you and I receive the gift He gave to us. His joy is that we recognize the meaning and the value of the provision God has made through Christ, and that we so honor Him by receiving it totally within ourselves, permitting it to completely change our human nature. His gift is that we "die with him, and live resurrected lives with Him" as well. Do you want to give to the Lord this Christmas? Receive his joy! Receive His peace! Receive His person in the Holy Spirit and ask that He "cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness." (John 1:9). Have you given the Lord His Christmas gift yet? Will you? When? How? Dan Elliott
|
|
Lord Jesus, As we explore our heart of hearts to examine why we give gifts and how we receive gifts, may our thought process turn toward You. May we give You the place You need to guide and teach us. Help us to give you the freedom to speak as You long to speak to our hearts. Amen
[Psalms 93, 96] [I Sam 23:13-17] [Heb 2:10-18] [Matt 1:18-25]
or suggestions to Yvonne Edwards . Page designed by: Yvonne Edwards The background set is provided by Victorian Elegance Copyright © 1999 NazNet All rights reserved. International copyright secured. |