It all fits together! God created the entire universe and all it contains. We have seen in earlier Gems from Genesis articles that the creation was very good. Adam and Eve were also created and had it just as good as they could possibly have it with complete fellowship with God.
However, Adam and Eve blew it royally in the Garden of Eden by breaking the only rule of that time – not eating fruit from the forbidden tree. Their sin impacted all of Creation and now we all suffer under the repercussions of that original sin called the Fall.
A quick look at the news only confirms the truth of Scripture. We are in a really big mess!
But, back to the title of this article – what does all this have to do with Christmas? A lot of people don’t see the connection – especially if their Christmas goes no further than Santa Claus and the “holiday season.” Christmas is much more than buying, buying, buying, and getting, getting, getting! It is about giving, giving, and more giving. Jesus, the Christ of Christmas, God’s only begotten son, was GIVEN to this world, Jesus willingly GAVE up his life to die on the cross to pay the price of our original sin that is now in us so that He could GIVE us eternal life and restore the broken fellowship between God and those created in His image – us!
Wow! This Christmas “babe in the manger” is infinitely greater than Santa Claus. He’s not just some baby in a pile of straw! He is the Creator and Lord of the universe who later dies on a cross in order to save his own people who were created in His image. God is into big-time GIVING and that is really Good News (the Gospel)! Keep in mind though, that a gift doesn’t do any good unless you receive it. How do we do that? Part of receiving his gift is to fully realize and admit to God that you really need it. This is unlike many of the gifts you receive at Christmas for which you wonder, “What on earth do I need that for?” Also, just like you receive a special and desirable gift at Christmas, we acknowledge that gift by saying “Thank You!” So let’s all say “Thank You, God, for GIVING! I receive what you have done for me. What a way to celebrate Christmas this year!
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. . . “ John 1:12
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Originally published in the November/December 2008 issue of Think & Believe
