God’s Gift in the Manger
What is the greatest Gift you have ever been given? What is the greatest gift you have ever received?
We receive good gifts from those who love us. We give good gifts to those we love.
Gifts are for giving and receiving. We cannot experience a gift that has been given to us, unless we receive that gift, open it, and welcome that good gift into our life.
God gave us the greatest gift of all of time when he gave us his own son Jesus. God gave us the gift of his love and forgiveness by giving his son to come in our humanity, to be with us, to die for us, and to defeat death by his resurrection, and to give us his life.
The gospel of Luke tells us, “In the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:8-12, ESV).
God gave his good gift of rescue and salvation for ALL people. God wrapped his gift in humble swaddling cloths, similar to what peasant shepherds wrapped their children and little lambs with, and he laid the baby savior, the Lamb of God, the Bread of Life, in a feeding trough for animals.
The sign of God’s love for us is his gift to us, which was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger for all the world to receive.
May we receive God’s loving and good gift of his son Jesus this Christmas, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11, ESV).
A Collect for the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day: “Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born this day of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
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