Christmas

“Did You Get What You

Wanted For Christmas?”

John 1:1-14

R. Tim Meadows

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? What did you get for Christmas? Was Santa Claus good to you? You will not believe what I GOT for Christmas! You will not believe WHAT I got for Christmas! These are all variations of the predominant question of the day. As we brag, celebrate, or even commiserate about our gifts of this season, I want to do something unexpected. I want to give you some more gifts. Actually, they are not from me, they are from God, and fortunately unlike Santa who granted your gifts based on good behavior, God wants to give you these gifts, whether you have been naughty or nice. The Gospel reading for today reveals God’s gifts to us for all the seasons of life. Let’s see what they are:

I. The Gift of His Word:

Words do not always mean much today, but many of us remember an age when a person’s word was more than just spoken communication. It was a guarantee. So, when John says that this was the WORD of GOD, he is proclaiming that God has given Himself.

The great theologian, Theodore Geisel, better known to us as Dr. Suess, captured the essence of this gift in his story of Horton the Who, an elephant who agrees to sit on the egg of a friend until it hatches. Despite numerous hardships and temptations to abandon his promise Horton refuses, declaring, “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant, 100%.” This is also God’s declaration in the gift of His Word to us. We can depend on this gift. This Christmas receive the gift of God’s Word!

II. The Gift of Life:

At some level all of us understand the value and fragility of life. As we struggle with it, and cling to it, John reminds us that ALL life is a gift from God. Indeed, life is a gift that presents a challenge to live it to the fullest, filled with meaning and purpose.

Have you ever given a gift you felt was unappreciated? Do you remember how you felt? The recipient did not quite understand it, did not know what to do with it, or just simply did not care. How do you think God feels about the gift of life He gave you, when He looks at what you have done with it? Does He see a prized possession displayed and freely shared or does He see a neglected gift abandoned and forgotten? God gave life to be enjoyed, shared, and fully used. Unless we do this we miss the true value of the gift. This Christmas receive from God the gift of Life!

III. The Gift of Belonging:

In his Christmas story John reminds us when we feel isolated and alone that Jesus can identify with us because He has also experienced those emotions. Rejection by His own people led Christ to embrace those who would share community with Him. That community included people who others shunned, or believed that they were not worth the time and effort community takes. The standard of measure for entering Jesus’ community was set at “whosoever will” and remains there until the present. This gift of belonging is the opportunity to connect to the goodness, grace, and love of God’s family, to receive from Him, and share with others, the unconditional love we all need. This Christmas receive the gift of belonging!

The neat thing about all of these gifts of God is that they can be used in one of our most time honored Christmas traditions. The tradition of re-gifting. Maybe you have done this yourself, or maybe you have been the aware or unwitting recipient of this practice. The good news in this case is that God actually expects and encourages us to this with His gifts. What’s more, with these gifts, re-gifting does not remove the use of the gift form the giver, it simply expands the benefit of the gift to others!

So, what did you get for Christmas? Whatever it was, please accept these gifts of God, which were prepared especially for you, and given in the life of Jesus Christ, because God cared enough to “send the very best”!