Title: God's Christmas Gift/Luke 2:1-20
Content: God's Christmas Gift
Bible Text: Luke 2:1-20
At this time of year, shops and department stores decorate the trees and prepare all kinds of gifts so as not to miss the Christmas tree, stimulating people's desire to buy. The story of Santa Claus riding a sleigh to the house where the children are and going into the chimney to leave the gifts is a beautiful fairy tale. However, merchants are making money by taking full advantage of this fairy tale to inspire children to expect gifts and adults to prepare gifts. What Christmas gifts have you prepared this year? Who have you prepared Christmas gifts for this year? Today's text shows the Christmas gift that God has prepared. And it was the first Christmas present.
First, God's gift was Jesus Christ (verses 10-11).
On the first Christmas, God gave us an invaluable gift, not a priceless thing, and that was none other than His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son..." (John 3:16)
What does it mean for the Son of God to be with men? Through His power, people can be helped, they can be protected, and they can be saved.
Second, God's gift came through an unexpected person (v. 5).
Jesus Christ, a gift from God, was born through a virgin body, not a woman who married and knew a man. The Bible leaves no room for question about the virgin birth of Jesus. Even in the text, Mary is not mentioned as Joseph's wife, although she is married to Joseph, but is still referred to as a "betrothed" woman. The reason is that her husband Joseph “did not lie with her until she bore a son,” not out of her relationship with Mary, but as a virgin (Matt. 1:25).
From a biblical point of view, all men are descended from men. Adam fathered Seth, Jared fathered Enoch, and Enoch fathered Methuselah (Genesis 5). Abraham fathered Isaac, Jesse fathered David, and David fathered Solomon (Matthew 1). On the other hand, the Messiah, prophesied from the beginning of human history, is referred to as "the descendant of the woman" (Genesis 3:15). In order for him to know no sin and be without sin, he had to be born differently from the descendants of the fallen Adam.
Third, God's gift was given to all the people (verse 10).
God's gift was given not only to the nation of Israel, but to all the nations of the world.
God's gift was given to all classes, not just to the privileged and inherited classes. Had Jesus been born, not in a manger in an inn, but in a royal palace or a luxurious mansion, the lowly shepherd would not have been able to approach him. Even beggars will be able to make their way to the manger without any restrictions.
Fourth, we must receive God's gifts with our hearts (verse 7).
The gift of God is not an object, but Jesus Himself. Naturally, the gift must not be received with the hands, but with the room and must be received with the heart. On the first Christmas, there was no place to receive the gift of God, Jesus Christ. The people in the inn did not vacate their rooms. Even today, God gives the same Christmas gifts, but the question is whether we have opened our hearts and received them. Just as we must first put down what we have in our hands to receive a new gift, to receive God's gift, we must open our hearts and empty our heart's throne.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).