The Greatest Gift of All

In John 3:16 The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Truly in this season of giving and receiving the greatest gift of all time is the gift of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God to a lost and dying world. I was listening to the radio recently and they were interviewing someone about giving and receiving gifts. A philosopher had declared that there are three types of gifts; the gift that is given, the gift that is received and the element of reciprocation, that is giving with the expectation of receiving in return. As I recall, the sense was that there is no truly altruistic giving. Even when one does not expect a gift in return, they at least expect a thank you. 

No, in the hurly burly of the Christmas season, oftentimes little thought is given to what Christmas is all about. God so loved the world, the Bible says, that He gave. This was the height of altruism. The Lord Jesus said in John 15:13  "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." But I was not His friend! the Bible says in Romans 5: 6-10, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." While we were yet sinners God gave. Verse 10 says that we were His enemies not his friends, yet God gave. God loved us in spite of our sin and rebellion.

The chorus that follows is appropriate to this post;

     What can I give Him for all He has given, what can I offer the Lord. 

     I don’t have riches, a castle or a palace, what can I offer the Lord.

     When the earth is His footstool and Heaven is His throne,

     When the Cattle on a thousand hills my Lord already owns

     All that I have was His from the start,  all I can offer the Lord is my heart.

What can I give Him then? The answer perhaps lies in the following chorus;

     I'll live for Him Who died for me upon the cross of Calvary

     I'll live for Him Who died for me, My Saviour and my God.

How about you?