Sunday, March 3, 2024

The Greatest Gift!

By Dale J. Babinsky 


    Christmas morning! I remember as a child, my brother and I could hardly sleep the night before in anticipation of the gifts that we would find under the tree. Invariably, there was always one “big” gift each year, which we would open last. To build the anticipation, my dad would keep egging us on by saying, “I wonder what’s in that big box.” As a child, I definitely enjoyed receiving gifts on Christmas.
    As I grew older, I came to realize that there was more joy in giving than in receiving. To witness the merriment in someone else’s face as they open the gift that you have selected for them was a good feeling that far surpassed whatever I might receive. Paul understood this to be true as well, when he quoted the words of Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).
    As we search the stores and websites in our modern age, from Black Friday to Christmas Eve, we are looking for just the right gift, the perfect gift, the greatest gift that we can give our loved ones. As we live here on earth, we should realize that God has given us that perfect gift. He has given us the greatest gift. He has given us His Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). God has given us a gift to pay our debt of sin; a debt that we could never repay. By the blood of Jesus, we can have redemption.
    As we gather with our families and friends on this holiday, we should remember the God who gave us that greatest gift. Indeed we should always remember the God who loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us on the cross of Cavalry. It is by Jesus’ blood that we can have the hope of eternal life with Him in heaven. You won’t find a better gift than that under anybody’s tree tomorrow morning!


- Dale Babinsky preaches for the Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website - https://gsmchurchofchrist.com/



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