Well, it is officially the last moment…if you are going to purchase someone a gift and haven’t gotten it yet, this is it.
You may be on the hunt for the perfect gift but what is the perfect gift.
Picking out any old gift is easy but finding the right gift not so easy….it takes some research, sometimes by the grace of God they will share with you what they really want or need but it still takes time.
The best gifts are unwrapped….no one likes to see a gift go unwrapped and the best gifts have a purpose and are used often.
It takes planning to find the best gift
AS we have talked in previous weeks from the beginning of time God had a plan to give you the best gift. 700 hundred years before the birth of Christ he said to Israel and to you and I know there is something very important that you need and at just the right time I will give you this gift.
Isaiah 9:6,7
For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
God’s promise to us of a child being born and a son given that was not a last minute gift….it was all part of the plan….it seems a little redundant to say it this way doesn’t it? But here is why we are told both a child and a son..
The savior of the world, God in the flesh came as a child so that we could know that he understands everything we are going through or will go through…Hebrews 4:15
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
He came as a child so he could have the compassion to show us he can understand fully all we walk through but more importantly to remind us he gets it and will walk us through everything because He gets us!
He came as a son because we needed to know the Son of God is real, he had the authority to take on our sin and to defeat the enemy for us. He is God’s Son and God all at the same time the only Son
John 3:16, 17
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
He showed us the Father’s heart that we don’t need to be afraid of His judgment and that he is in heaven just waiting for us to blow it so he could squash us like a bug but instead a loving God who understands and wants to bring us to freedom so we can bring others to him in freedom as well.
What Kind of gift is this…well it did come wrapped in strips of cloth and was placed in a box, a feeding box that is, even though it was most likely in a house it was still in a manger.
But this present is everything that we need as Isaiah tells is
He is our wonderful counselor – he is exceptional and distinguished and he always has the right insight, understanding and words for you as you need them. He understands you and your struggles.
He is our mighty God – He has the ability to do what no other can do, he can move any mountains, make any way straight, open every door, make the daily impossible possible for you and me.
He is our everlasting Father – He is eternal, you can count on Him always being there He has been there done that and understands it all and like a loving Father will guide, protect, deliver, direct, correct and make a way for you to become the best you can be and as a good Father has given us an inheritance of blessing
He is our Prince of Peace – He is always there to keep us safe and secure even in the midst of the craziness in the world he will bring us peace. When all hell breaks loose in our lives he is the standard that will rise up against hell and bring us peace. When the rest of the world is in chaos because of His peace we can lead them to peace as his peace lives in and through us.
And everything is in His control and even the government is on his shoulders He carries it and we must keep our focus on him not the government because His kingdom is forever.
God promised at the right time Christ would come into the world as a child and a son and at the right time he would come into your life. He is the best gift.
Let me ask you today as we prepare for communion….what aspects of this most perfect gift do you need today? Remember the best gift is the one that is unwrapped and used and your relationship with Jesus allows you to “Use” this gift everyday
So do you need someone who will understand you and give you the right insight
Do you need someone to move mountains for you?
Do you need the one who always was and always will be to push you, open doors for you protect you, guide you, bring correction into your life
Do you need someone to bring peace in the chaos, calm your heart?
The gift is waiting for you to unwrap and believe me you will use it everyday.
Jesus meant for communion to be a family thing a time to celebrate our unity in Him because of his sacrifice. We are going to do communion slightly differently today. I am going to pray but I want you to take a few moment and pray yourself to open the gift you need today.
I want this Christmas to be the best and it happens when we receive the best gift, the one we will use every day