A Shocking Gift

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16

When God sent His Son to earth, we might have expected Him to arrive as a warrior. Instead, God sent Jesus as a fragile, tiny baby. We might have expected Christ’s birthplace to be a palace, surrounded by guards. Instead, Jesus was born in a stable, surrounded by animals. We might have expected God to send His Son’s birth announcement to the high priest instead of a group of shepherds.

None of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth was what God’s people were expecting. And the biggest surprise was the gift tag. Rather than being marked, “To: Good People” or “To: The Most Deserving,” God sent the gift of His Son “To: Sinful, Broken People.”

Jesus is the most shocking gift that we will ever receive at Christmas. The more clarity we have on who Jesus is and what He offers us, the more likely we’ll be to fall back in wonder over His gift, saying, “Really? For me?”

“Yes,” God says. “For you.”