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The greatest gift ever given

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With all the hurried preparations for Christmas that is in a couple of days, there is always that last minute gift for a special person on our list. Christmas is a great time for family. It is also a time of great stress for many people because they fear they will give the wrong gift or have uncertainty as to the right gift to give to a friend, family member, or co-worker.

There is also added stress with the office Christmas party and what might or might not happen when the boss appears for what should be a very festive event. With various issues to deal with regarding Christmas today, I want to think with you for a few minutes about that first Christmas.

Has there ever been a greater gift for mankind than the fact that God gave us His best when He allowed His only Son to come to earth to live among us? I try to imagine what it must have been like for the angels when they got word in Heaven that Jesus was leaving Heaven and going to earth. I can only imagine the conversation among the angels as they mused as to why anyone would want to leave Heaven. Heaven, with all the glory of God shining forth all the time, and with the various special assignments of the angels, is a perfect place, yet word was that God’s Son was going to leave Heaven in order to go to earth. What a startling thought!

“What could ever have crossed Jesus mind to leave Heaven?” the angels must have thought. That which is hard for the angels to grasp is certainly no less an issue for us humans because it makes no sense to leave a perfect place like Heaven and come to earth. Over the ages of time since that night in Bethlehem when Jesus was born of a virgin, the world’s people have struggled also with this greatest of all gifts. God with us! The Son of God was willing to leave Heaven, come to earth, suffer at the hands of wicked people, die, come back to life again, show Himself to many people, and then go back to Heaven. Why? How? These issues haunt the simple minds of us humans.

The only answer that works is found in the song we sang as children: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Jesus loved us humans so much He was willing to leave all the glory of Heaven to live among us, and then die for us. Is there anyone who can find a greater gift ever given than the gift of the Son of God to all humans for their redemption?

As we gather with family, friends, and co-workers this year, let us take time to reflect upon this greatest of all gifts; when Jesus left Heaven to come to earth, just for us. My prayer is that each of you will have a Merry Christmas.

Ray Newman
Column first printed in THE PAPER, December 8, 2011

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