The Greatest Gift - A Christmas Meditation

“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2:11

“What would you like to get for Christmas?”  This is an oft asked question during the Yuletide season.  For most, the inquiry would immediately cause their minds to scroll through their discretionary wants – new I-phone, computer, Legos, doll, or new sweater.  For some, it may be the return of a husband on duty in another country, the repair of a broken relationship, the rent money, or food for the coming week.

However, these are not things that were mentioned by the angel on that first Christmas celebration long ago.  He only said that there was one present – a Savior.  Though the angel said that this would be “good news of great joy”, does this announcement not for most of us bring the excitement of a ten year old boy discovering that his only present under the tree was three pairs of plain, white Fruit of the Loom cotton briefs?   We can all see the disappointment and tears in this scene.  There is grief, because for a gift to have value and be prized by the receiver, it must either a) meet a real, understood need or b) bring joy and delight.  

The promised gift of a Savior by the angel not only meets, but gloriously superabounds both of the qualifications of a treasured gift.  The Savior meets our greatest need and brings our greatest joy and delight.

When we begin to understand that all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags, that we all fall obscenely short of God’s standard of perfection, and that we are on the conveyor belt toward destruction in the eternal incinerator, then we begin to see our need for a Savior. His gift truly meets our need.

The Savior given to us by God not only meets our greatest need, but can be our greatest delight.  Jesus said in John 15 after talking with his disciples about an abiding, intimate relationship with himself, "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”  Psalm 16 echoes this thought: “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” 

The Savior announced by the angel on that cold winter night met the greatest need and brought the greatest joy and delight. He was indeed the greatest gift ever given.

Meditations:

How can we be more aware of our sin, so that Jesus gets more glory as meeting the greatest need?

How can we be more satisfied in Him so that He gets more glory as our greatest joy and pleasure?