Christmas... Make It Make SenseSample

The Best Gift

What is the best Christmas gift you have ever received? Was it very expensive, or was it more of a handmade gift? One of our team remembers receiving the Match football annual in their stocking every year. The funny thing is that they’d skip the entirety of the annual and only read the sections about Liverpool and Steven Gerrard. If you’re not a Liverpool fan (or a football fan), please stick with us! Ok… no more football!

When you were a child, how often would your parents/aunts/uncles say, ‘Have you been good this year?’ it was almost like a little threat to let you know that if you’re not good, you won’t be getting that present you asked for. At least, that’s how it felt for us.

Today we want to talk to you about a gift that doesn’t depend on your good or bad behavior, and like most good gifts, all we have to do is receive it.

Let’s take a deeper dive.

Throughout the Bible, God is often described as gracious, overflowing with love and compassion. In the Bible, the word used for ‘grace’ usually has a similar meaning to the word ‘favor.’ Throughout the scriptures, we see God showing enormous acts of kindness: forgiving people when they betray him, comforting, protecting, and delivering them when they are sick or in danger. You could say he shows people favor, or he gives them grace.

This is why we may hear the word ‘grace’ at Christmas. Christians are celebrating the incredibly gracious gift of Jesus, who was sent into a world of darkness to set people free. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, life, salvation, and a relationship with God are offered as the most undeserved and gracious gift. This gift is available for all of us regardless of what we have done, are doing, or will do.

Have you received the gift of God’s grace? Would you like to?