Jesus: God’s Gift of Love
Photo from our friends at BiblePlaces.com.
"The scene might have more closely resembled this one taken in the lower room of a very old house in Taybeh north of Jerusalem. The lower room was the place where the family’s animals spent the night. According to an interpretation of the story, Mary and Joseph were denied access to the comfortable guest chamber and instead Mary gave birth in the portion of the house where the animals were kept." (Notes from https://www.bibleplaces.com/)
"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7, ESV).
What gifts do you enjoy giving? What gifts do you enjoy receiving? What is the greatest gift ever given?
Most of us have given, and have received, good gifts. And most of us enjoy giving and receiving good gifts.
God has given us the greatest gift of all by giving us his only son Jesus to save us from our sin and to give us his everlasting life.
When Jesus was about to be sent by God, the angel said to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33, ESV).
God gave His greatest gift ever, his only son, to all people, through Mary. Jesus is great and is a king forever in the line of David, Israel’s most admired king. Jesus’ kingdom lasts forever and has no end. (2 Samuel 7:1-17)
The angel also spoke to Joseph and said, “Mary will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, ESV).
God’s gift of his son is the salvation of all the world from their sin. God’s perfect love is expressed in his giving good gifts to his children. And the greatest gift of all is Jesus.
Photo from our friends at BiblePlaces.com.
"This manger was one of many found in the excavations of stables probably constructed by Ahab in the city of Megiddo." (Notes from https://www.bibleplaces.com/)
“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 2:11-12, ESV).
When Jesus was born into the world, this gift of God's love was wrapped in the most humblest of packages, a manger made of clay or stone, a feeding trough for animals.
God's expression of his perfect love is his perfect gift of his son. As Jesus said in John's gospel, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV).
May we experience the love of God this Christmas as we receive God’s greatest gift—Jesus.
A Collect for the 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).
