Gift Wrapping

Every year, a few days before Christmas, you will usually find me amidst a mound of wrapping paper, attempting to creatively wrap all the Christmas gifts.  I suspect that, for many of you, wrapping the gifts can be a really painful experience, too.  While I was in college at the University of Minnesota, I worked in the gift-wrap department at Dayton’s.  And, let me tell you, some wrapping paper often covered up some pretty tacky and weird gifts! 

At the first Christmas, the wise men brought “unwrapped” gifts to the Baby Jesus.  I think we can learn something from the Wise Men about gift giving.  They teach us to give an unexpected gift to someone.  Some of the best gifts I’ve received over the years have been the totally unexpected ones. 

The wise men also gave a gift with genuine joy.  They rejoiced when they saw the star!  They rejoiced when they saw Mary.  They could hardly wait to present their gifts to Jesus and bow before Him. 

And the gifts they gave were personal.  The gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh were unusual gifts to bring to a baby, but they had very special meaning associated with them.  Each of these gifts was given for a very specific reason.  Gold was associated with royalty and kingship.  Jesus was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  The frankincense was given as reverence.  Since the incense was often used during times of worship.  And the myrrh was given as a symbol of his death, a prophecy of what was to come.  Myrrh was often used to perfume the bodies of the dead.

One of my favorite Christmas books, which was made into a movie, was The Christmas Box.  In this movie, one of the characters asks this important question:  “What was the first gift of Christmas?”  Finally, at the end of the movie, someone answers the riddle: a child.  So, on this day before Christmas, remember that the first gift of Christmas was a Child and He came for you and for me.

He walked up a hill to a cross to pay the penalty for our sin – so our lives could be full, free, forgiven and forever.  Now that is some gift!!  It’s a gift that is eternal – it doesn’t rust, can’t be thrown away, and it won’t wear out.  And He’s just waiting this Christmas for you and me to fully embrace his gift of grace and love. 

Calvary’s youth choir will be singing a song on Christmas Eve at the 5 p.m. service that sums it up so well.  In the chorus, the lyrics say, “He found a way in a manager, to find a way to the cross.”  Listen now>> 

May the blessings of Christmas “wrap” your heart with love, hope, joy and peace!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Carol