The holiday season is about gifts.
That seems materialistic, but we must look beyond the superficial. All those gifts we see bandied about have a deeper meaning.
It’s about anticipation (from both the giver and the recipient), the art of choosing just the perfect item (get it wrong and beware), and the feeling of joy when we get it just right (thankfully!).
Yet, even that doesn’t quite tell the story. It’s the original gift offered unto humankind that comprises the example we live up to.
Luke 2:12 reveals a present in unusual packaging.
“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Most of us don’t want to go to the barnyard to retrieve our Christmas gifts. Yet, that’s where it started, with the birth of the Christ child, God’s ultimate gift to humanity.
Then, 33 years later, God renewed his holiday tradition, and he offered yet another gift to mankind.
Acts 10:44 gives us the revelation of the Holy Spirit in action.
“While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.”
Jesus was the world-changer that shifted the path of humanity. The Spirit is the companion that enables us to live as Christ lived, and to show his example to the world. Together, they are infused into a holiday gift, tightly tied with love, that we want to offer to everyone we meet.
This holiday, let’s be gift-givers extraordinaire. Let’s exude presents at every opportunity. Let’s do what it takes to share Jesus with the lost and hurting, and let’s do it with excitement, verve, and panache.
It’s the season for gifts, and Christ is the best present we can gift unto anyone.
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