For to us a child is born, to us a son is given
One of the joys of Christmas is the giving and receiving of gifts. We may recall the wonder of Christmas morning when we were children, finding that the stockings had been filled and we had presents to unwrap. Parents love seeing the sparkle in their children’s eyes when they tear away the shining paper and enjoy playing with their new toys. This is one way of remembering that, at the first Christmas, God gave his greatest gift to the world. Yet the gift he gave us was unlike any other.
An undeserved gift
We give to those people with whom we have a relationship: our family, and maybe the teacher who has put up with our children all year; or a friend or neighbour whose kindness and presence in our lives we have appreciated. They all have some sort of a claim on us. They deserve our kindness.
When Jesus came to this world, we are told that he constantly had to take the lowest position; the animal’s manger, the life of a refugee as his parents fled to Egypt and the carpenter’s humble home rather than the king’s palace. We see him being hounded throughout his life, from Herod’s rage at his birth to the Sanhedrin’s condemnation in Jerusalem. Although we have not committed Herod’s sin, by nature we know that we have each confirmed Adam and Eve’s decision in the garden, walking out of the path of God’s command to love him with all our heart and love each other as ourselves. Paul sums it up when he says that while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (Rom. 5:10).
An appropriate gift
When I began to have pocket money, I saved up to buy Christmas presents for my family, asking myself what they would find useful. Dad got a screwdriver set or some other tool, Mum got something for the kitchen, and they’d always say, ‘This is just what I needed. It’s going to be really useful.’ Later on, I realised that maybe they weren’t telling the whole truth! We’ve all wondered what to do with an unwanted present. On the other hand, there’s joy when we are given something which we really do want or need.
When God gave to the world, he could have given a teacher, or an example to follow. Jesus was, and is, the most wonderful teacher and the perfect example of someone who lived every second loving God and his neighbour. Yet these are not enough for us, because we aren’t able to live as he taught and showed us we should. Our need is deeper, in our hearts. We need to be saved, both from the consequences of our wrongdoings, and our innate propensity to rebel against our Creator. We need to be saved from our sin and in Jesus God provided just what we needed. In the words of the angel to the shepherds of Bethlehem: ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour’ (Luke 2:11). He was to be named Jesus, ‘for he will save his people from their sins’ (Matt. 1:21).
An expensive gift
Last year it was estimated that in Britain, on average, each of us spent over £600 on Christmas gifts. Even in days of austerity we, and especially parents, are under pressure to spend. We send an email to acquaintances; we buy cards for some who deserve a special greeting; and, for our close acquaintances, we buy gifts, keeping the most expensive gifts for our closest family.
Yet God the Father, against whom the world had declared war, 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). This surely challenges our conception of what love really means. God gave the greatest treasure of heaven to us, not because he liked us, for he knew what the world would do to his beloved. The world would reject him, persecute him, give him a crown of thorns and crucify him. Yet the eternal Word was given because nothing less would redeem such rebels.
A gift that demands a response
One of the joys of giving is seeing the response of those who receive our kindness. Anyone with children will know that it can also be a humbling experience when we see disappointment in their honest faces, as they were hoping for something else. Gifts demand a response.
In the Christmas story, we see this played out clearly. The poor shepherds rushed to Bethlehem to see what had happened and then joyfully returned to their sheep glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they were told (Luke 2:20). On the other hand, Herod’s response was the opposite, seeing this child of prophecy as a threat to his own situation. One of the most startling responses was that of the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem. They knew the promises that God had given of a Messiah and immediately were able to answer correctly that he would be born in Bethlehem. They heard the story of the stargazers from the East but it was all academic. Their whole lives and study had been about this coming Saviour of Israel, but when they heard that the prophecy was being fulfilled, they were indifferent. Not one of them accompanied the wise men to Bethlehem to look for the newborn king.
This is so often the same when people are invited to believe. Some receive the gift joyfully; others see the call to follow him as a threat to their own ambition or comfort; and many react with indifference. They enjoy the story of Christmas and join in with the celebrations but then they turn away and Jesus is cast aside and ignored, like so many unwanted gifts at Christmas. Surely, we would not want to be among these. As we consider again the wondrous story of a child born and a son given, let us respond with resounding joy, and worship God for the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:7). In the words of the old carol:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus!
There is room in my heart for Thee.
