So how was your family’s Christmas this year? Did you have a good one?
I've been blessed to have many good Christmases in my life.
Several years ago I wrote about the perfect Christmas. You know what I mean. It’s the one pictured in movies and magazines. The Christmas with a warm hearth, a glowing tree and a happy family. Well that year my sister surprised me and made it happen for our family!
But this year was the best Christmas in a long time. At least for me. This year all my children and grandchildren were together in our home for the first time.
We enjoyed it all: Happy hellos. Wonderful meals together. Bedtime stories with the little ones. The beautiful Christmas tree and showing the ornaments to the youngest grandchildren. A granddaughter reading the gospel account of Jesus’ birth before we opened presents.
Then came the goodbyes, a quiet house and the time to treasure the memories. I thought, “Seeing my family all together was the best gift I ever received!”
Oops—hold on just a minute! That’s not quite true. The best present I ever received came to me when I was a child. But it was an unwanted gift.
Listen to children talking after Christmas and you’ll notice they get right to the point: “What did you get for Christmas? Did you get what you wanted?”
The goal in buying a gift for someone is to get something they want and (hopefully) need.
Not everyone is successful. The evidences of that are the long lines in stores the day after Christmas for returning unwanted gifts.
But what if you need something you’re not aware of? As a result, you don’t want it. That was the case with the best gift I ever received. My unwanted gift.
The Bible records the Christmas angels saying, “A Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord.” A savior was God’s gift to us. But I didn’t know I needed a savior or that I needed saving. I thought I was a pretty good boy, better than others I knew.
Then came the day I realized that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t be a perfect person. Sooner or later I disobeyed my parents, misbehaved and disappointed them. God, too.
Suddenly the Gospel story had new meaning for me. Jesus was born to live the perfect life I should live and to die the death that justice demanded for my sin. I understood for the first time that Jesus was my only hope for a life of peace with God and others. So I put my trust in Christ.
That simple act of faith changed my life. Finally I was relieved from the need to be and act perfect. I knew God loved me, accepted me and forgave me because of Jesus. I had true peace.
Sadly many people celebrate Christmas without Jesus and without peace. Why? Because they don’t want the real gift of Christmas, a Savior and the wonderful eternal life he gives us.
For many years the Chicago Daily News printed the same cartoon every year after Christmas. It was called "The Morning After." The cartoonist drew a Christmas tree with wrapping paper and bows strewn all around. But under the tree, one gift remained ignored, unwanted and unopened. On the gift was written these words: “Eternal Life.”
I hope that isn't the way it is in your home or your heart this year. Make this the year you receive God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, the one who loved and died for us all.
Let's not just celebrate Christmas as a gift exchange honoring a baby. Let’s celebrate Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection all year long! And let’s follow his example in serving others.
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