Dec 23 - John 3:16

 

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

 

“To give.”

 

It’s a verb.

 

It talks about the moment of handing something over. Well, Christmas was the moment that God the Father handed over Jesus.

 

It was glorious and exciting. Angels sang. Shepherds went with haste. Wise men rejoiced the moment they saw the star.

 

But think about that word “gave,” “handed over.” God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. What does that mean? It means that God loves each person in the world so much that he handed over his Son. But handed over his Son for what? To all that the world eventually do to him. And we were awfully cruel.

 

Giving is a gift. God’s people rejected that gift. We crucified him.

 

Knowing that this was coming, would you have given your son? God did … out of love. In fact, Jesus – who was eternally an “adult” in heaven – insisted on it. His sacrificial death on the cross was the only way to cover our sins and win salvation for us. Thus, God gave his Son to us as a gift. And the Son gave his life to us as a gift.

 

The official Merriam-Webster definition of “to give” is “to hand over [something] to be kept.” In other words, there’s no take-backs. That’s the way Jesus’ life was. If he came, he’d see this journey through to the cross. And we can live because he lived.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who sings

“In the Bleak Midwinter” …

What can I give him

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd,

I would bring a lamb.

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part.

Yet what can I give Him?

Give Him my heart.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1.      What has God given you?

2.      What should you give him this Christmas?