The Gift Is Given

Isaiah declared that "unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given." The Ultimate Christmas Gift was given thousands of years ago. It has your name on it. But we have not all received the Gift.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[put it out] it. 6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. John 1.1-18 (NIV)

Everyone's Gift

Pardon my Arminian emphasis but over and over in John 1 we hear God declare his plan for ALL humanity, not just a select few. God give light to everyone. Everyone who believes is blessed. The Gift has all our names on it.

Gifts are not paychecks, we don't earn them. I am not fond of the strong-arm behavior management use of Christmas. You know, the "You'd better be good or Santa won't bring you anything." "You'd better be good for goodness sake." My children will receive presents regardless of behavior. They are gifts, not something they earn. The gifts reflect our [Lisa's and my] love and our empassioned desire to bless our children.

This is especially true of the Ultimate Gift -- Jesus. God gave him out of a heart of love and a desire to bless the people of the world. He sent Christ to the good, the bad and the ugly. While no one would imagine they could earn such a One as Jesus, we must not imagine we could be so bad as to be disqualified from the Gift. God gives him to ALL.

Not Universalist

While God gave the gift to everyone, not everyone has the gift. Gifts are not earned, but they must be received. So many or, more acurately, most still have not benefited from the Ultimate Gift. It remains enclosed in a box and hidden in the wrappings of the holiday.

We must do as John 1 instructs. We must receive Jesus in order for the Ultimate Gift to have the Ultimate impact on our hearts and lives. But how does one receive this Best-of-Gifts?

Receive HIM

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—John 1.12a

We receive Jesus first when we are willing to take him "as is." So often we think of Jesus as a Genie in a Bottle. He's there to help us out and make our wishes his command. He makes miraculous things happen at our behest. Or we might have any number of other false or warped images of who Jesus is based on family or church history. But like any other person with whom we wish to have relationship, we must take Jesus the way he really is and "seek not to alter when alteration find."

Believe in His Name

As we open ourselves to the Jesus who really is and cease from trying to fit him into the boxes of our imaginations, we will begin to trust him. That's what the Bible word believe implies to relating to God -- trust. We will grow in our interdependence on him as we release the need to control and learn more of his character. Time and intimacy with the Almighty leads us to trust even when we do not understand fully how or even what He is doing. This trust is the center of our relationship.

Given the right to BECOME.

We continually expand our understanding of the Jesus who really is and deepen our trust of him. He in turn continues a process of growth and development that changes us from the inside out. Faith in the Bible narratives is ALWAYS transformational. We have stopped trying to shape Jesus to fit our plans and entered into a change where he shapes us to fit his plan.

Here is where habits and patterns are deconstructed and new, wholistic ones constructed. Our spiritual and character DNA is spliced with that of Jesus. We literally become more and more like our Savior by his amazing grace.

So... have you RECEIVED this Ultimate Gift. The final steps of unwrapping him are as simple as A, B, C. Accept Jesus as he is revealing himself to you. Stop trying to use God and start allowing him to use you for his purposes. Believe or trust him and act as if his directions are the best and have your best interest at heart. Commit to the transformation process and to following his lead.