THE NIGHT JESUS was born turned out to be quite unusual. As He drew His first breath, a new star appeared. Wise men studying the stars suddenly saw it.
On a hillside near Bethlehem, shepherds gathered around a fire near their sheep. Every so often, some shepherds walked around the flock to make sure all the animals were accounted for. They wanted to ensure that no predators came in.
Suddenly, the sky became as bright as noonday. A choir of angels appeared singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).
What a night! It started out as ordinary but ended up as the night of all nights. Jesus— God’s gift to mankind—was born into the world to free us from bondage to the evil one.
Other babies were probably born that night, but this child was different. He was God’s gift to humanity—a gift that would pave the way for human beings to break out of the chains of sin and sickness and enjoy the freedom of love, joy, and peace.
Jesus came to Bethlehem as a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. But He is no longer a baby in a manger surrounded by lowing barnyard animals. He is Jesus Christ, the King of kings, Who lives forever and sits at the right hand of the Father (Eph. 1:20).
Jesus was born in a manger, grew up and lived among men, and then went to the cross to give His life to redeem humanity. As He hung on that cross, He looked toward Heaven and cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”(Matt. 27:46 NKJV). Then with one last breath, He said, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Jesus’ head slumped to His chest, and He died.
The devil and all his demons sang in glee. They thought they had destroyed God’s only Son, His gift to men, women, and children. But on the third day, the Gift Who was born in a lowly manger in Bethlehem came storming out of the deep caverns below (Eph. 4:9–10).
Jesus arose victorious over death, hell, and the grave. The Babe of Bethlehem became the Conquering Hero. Jesus paid the ransom to buy back God’s man. He forever lives at the right hand of the Father as God’s Gift to the world (Rom. 8:34).
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earthpeace, good will toward men”
It’s great to receive gifts. But what blesses us more is giving gifts. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NKJV). Before we were born again, we were takers by nature. When something came up, our first question was, “What’s in it for me?” But when we received Jesus, God’s gift to us, as our Savior and Lord, we became givers by nature. Now we ask, “How can I bless someone else?”
Christmas is a season of giving. And few things are more exciting than seeing the spark of joy in a child’s eyes as they receive a gift they really desire.
Just as we give gifts to others, so God has given gifts to us. But Jesus is the one Gift that stands above all others. Second Corinthians 9:15 (NKJV) says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” Without this gift, no other gifts are available to us. To access them, we must first open this indescribable Gift—the gift of Jesus Christ.
As we unwrap gifts at Christmas, someone might say, “Don’t open that one yet. You need to open this one first.” Usually, that’s because those gifts go together, and one should be opened before the other.
The same principle applies to the things of God. Before we can receive all the gifts that God has given us, we must first open the greatest Gift—His Son, Jesus Christ. It’s through this great gift that we receive salvation, joy, peace, healing, prosperity, and all of the other many blessings of God. Jesus is the best and greatest gift God has ever given humanity.
John 3:16 (NIV) says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus is the one and only gift God sent to redeem humanity from sin and death. This gift—the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ—is the key to all other gifts.
Many people search for the key to success. They may go to a seminar looking for that key. But they won’t find it there. The key to success in life is found in God’s indescribable gift. When Jesus comes into our lives, He becomes the key that turns in our hearts and causes everything to change (see Second Corinthians 5:17). Until that happens, we will be confused, anxious, and uncertain. We will walk around not knowing where we’re going or what will happen next.
Jesus is the only gift that improves our way of living every day. With Him, confusion becomes comprehension, depression becomes joy, sorrow turns into happiness, and tears turn into smiles.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, He makes our lives better day by day, with every breath we draw. He causes us to place a lower value on things that were once important to us. And He makes those things that were not important to us more important.
Do you recall the moment you received God’s indescribable gift? Do you remember the joy and happiness you experienced? For most of us, it immediately improved our outlook on life.
When God’s Son comes into our hearts, the sky becomes bluer, our trials don’t seem as big, and having our needs met no longer seems impossible. Why? Because we have accepted Jesus, God’s Gift to humanity. Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!
Author
Kenneth W. Hagin
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