Presents. Presents. Presents. I don’t always like shopping but I do love finding the perfect present. Especially for that hard-to-buy-for person, like my
husband.
But, can the pursuit of the perfect present overshadow the perfect gift? Are we side-lining Jesus and forgetting God is with us? John tells us in chapter three of his gospel that God so loves us, He gave His presence to the world.
At the time of Jesus’ advent, the world was tumultuous and violent. He came to a discouraged people living in a messed up society. They were oppressed and over-taxed by a brutal Roman government. Children were sacrificed to false gods, burned alive in raging fires. Vicious ethnic divides over religion, culture, and tradition were fueled by hatred, ignorance and legalism. Sound a tad familiar?
I know this is gloomy talk so close to Christmas, but Christ’s arrival is a real story for real people in real trouble. Though Jesus came as a sweet babe, He was born to be a rebel. The news of his birth began a war in the human heart. Herod, already seeing Jesus as a threat to his throne, tried to kill Him by ordering the mass murder of babies and toddlers. Fear makes things really ugly, really fast.
Religious leaders were also threatened by Jesus’ birth and his prophesied future. During His three-year earthly ministry, Jesus declared war on religious leaders and bigots. He got angry and spoke up to defend the voiceless. He fought not for power nor to revolutionize governments but to rescue human hearts from sin, fear, pride, and despair.
In John’s gospel we read, “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. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” Jesus gives us life even after our last breath.
In chapter ten, John recorded Jesus’ words, “The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” Jesus also offers abundant life, here and now, but there’s this thief ~our soul’s enemy. Call him a devil, Satan, or just plain evil. If you doubt his existence, you needn’t look far. Like a friend told me, in her sweet southern drawl, “He’s as real as you and me sittin’ here.” His aim is to distract us with bitterness or apathy or even good and shiny comforts until we forget what’s most important: Our personal relationships with God and people. All people.
I’m not gonna lie. I love UPS deliveries and those cheesy, classic songs from Bing, Nat, and Dean. But over all, I choose Jesus. He is my steady hope and perfect peace.
This may not be a typical Christmas story but Jesus isn’t a typical man. His arrival split history and started a revolution. His life, death, and words are still controversial. He’s unconventional but He is our beautiful Immanuel, God with us.
Will you let Him rescue your heart? May your pursuit of the perfect gift stop here. Find joy, freedom, and purpose in God’s presence, my friend.
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