Christmas is when you get stuff. That statement might seems rather shocking in light of the season and the way we’re “supposed to” think. But I want to let it sink in for a moment: Christmas is when you get stuff.
Right? Did you get stuff for Christmas? You say, “but we’re not supposed to talk about the stuff, we’re supposed to talk about peace on earth and good will, sheep and angels. You know… what about tidings of comfort and joy?”
I like tidings just as much as the next person but I want to talk about “stuff.” Jesus “got stuff” for Christmas. Matthew 2:11 says, “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” So Jesus got stuff for Christmas.
Did you know that God gives us gifts too? God has given us parents. Parents that love us and take care of us and feed us are a gift from God. Parents that give us presents on our birthdays or Christmas are a wonderful gift from God. The Bible says that our parents know how to give us good gifts. Did you get good gifts for Christmas? Did you ever really get coal in your stocking, no matter how much mom and dad threatened?
Our parents know how to give good gifts, but the Bible says, “how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" God has given us the Holy Spirit as a gift. Do you know what the Holy Spirit is called? He’s called the Helper. God has given Him to us to help us. Do you mean like to help us clean our room? No, that’s not what I mean. I mean that the Holy Spirit helps us to obey our parents and to be kind to our brother or sister, that kind of help. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God.
The Bible says that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father. Every blessing, every good thing we have, every fun thing we do, all the Help from the Holy Spirit ~ it all comes from God.
The most important gift God gives us is forgiveness. See, we have sins that separate us from God. But God doesn’t want it to be that way because He loves us so much. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead so that we could be forgiven.
How do we get forgiveness? What do you have to do to get it? Do you have to pay for it? Do you have to earn it? Were you good enough to get it?
How many of you got presents for Christmas? How many of you were naughty? (Be honest.) And you still got presents, right? The Bible calls that grace. Even when we are bad, God gives us the gift of forgiveness; no earning, no paying, no “being nice”, just receiving.
But you don’t just receive a gift and hold on to it still wrapped, do you? No, you receive the gift, then you unwrap it and take it out and enjoy it. God’s gift of salvation to us isn’t meant to be kept wrapped up, it’s meant to be taken out and enjoyed.
God gives us forgiveness and salvation so that we can be with Him forever. The Bible says that when we are with God we have fullness of joy. Joy is all that good stuff we feel when we are safe and happy on the inside. The joy and peace that comes from God lasts forever; it won’t break and the batteries won’t die.
So, Christmas is about getting stuff, but most importantly it’s about getting forgiveness: saved by grace; the free gift of God to us.
“You shall call his name JESUS because we will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 2:21