Best Gift, Ever

It sounds noble to say I don’t care about gifts at Christmas time, but that simply is not the case. Without a gift, there is no Christmas. The cost of the gift makes all the difference in the world. So, it really is about receiving the best gift, ever, at Christmas!

The problem is that the best gift, ever, isn’t something we can shop for or find on Amazon. It has already been given, and it was a one-of-a-kind. In fact, this gift is so exceptional that people have been trying to describe it for more than 2,500 years.

Before it was given, it was described in terms like Wonderful, Mighty, and Everlasting. 730 years before it was given, a gift this remarkable could only be thought of as miraculous, coming from a seemingly impossible origin—God Himself would have to be involved. And it surely must be expensive. I want to receive a gift like that!

And what kind of message would a gift like this convey? That I am loved? Valued? Incredibly important to the giver? Certainly all of these and more.

It is easy to overlook the best gift, ever, when it isn’t wrapped in flashy paper, or illuminated with gaudy lights, or prominently displayed under the tree for everyone to speculate on its content. The best gift ever slipped quietly into the stream of history—at just the right time—to re-define the meaning of gift-giving forever. Nearly 2,000 years ago the gospel writer described it like this, “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son” (John 3:16, The Message).

While we’re engaged in Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and whatever madness might accompany our holiday observance, let’s take time to give thanks for God’s gift to us of His only Son, Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). He truly has given us the best gift, ever.