When Jesus was born, wise men from the East brought valuable gifts to him. This probably was the origin of our practice of gift-giving during this season. But the wise men may not have realized, and we may often forget, that the greatest gift is God’s gift to his world--Jesus himself.
Jesus was the greatest gift in that he gives us the following:
1. Wise Instruction. Jesus’ teachings are the highest moral system ever espoused. What would our world be like if everyone really lived out his teachings of sacrificial service, peace, loving neighbor as self, giving, caring, healing and comforting?
2. Consistent Example. Jesus not only taught a good line; he lived it! How consistently do our lives follow our personal moral standards?
3. Himself. Jesus gave up the glories of life with God to come to earth and live among us, where he was despised, rejected, and eventually crucified.
4. Reconciliation. Jesus went through all the pain, not because he was masochistic, but because he wanted to reconcile us to himself, to the Father, to one another, and to ourselves.
5. Hope. Jesus’ life and death brought hope to a world which can look pretty hopeless. People can turn their lives around. We can turn our lives around. The world can be a better place. All this--and Heaven, too. |
