God's Gift To Us (Luke 2:7)

God loves us so much that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

God the Father set the example for when we love we give. When I give, I wrap my gifts in tissue, wrapping paper and bows. God did it differently.

When I visited Bethlehem, which means "house of bread" in Hebrew, our Jordanian guide taught us that shepherds in Bethlehem raised sacrificial lambs and wrapped them in swaddling cloths. Jesus, the Lamb of God-our sacrifice for sin, was wrapped in swaddling cloths at birth (Luke 2:7). After He died on the cross for our sins, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Him from the cross, wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and anointed Him with myrrh and aloes (John 19:38). 

The good news is the grave could not hold our Lord. He rose, left behind His swaddling cloths and rolled away the stone. Because He did, we can live with Him forever.

Think About It
Jesus is more than a gift wrapped in cloths. He is the bread of life (John 6:35), and the light of the world (John 8:12). He is my Lord and Savior; my hiding place and fortress. He is my joy and hope and blessing. If you do not know Jesus in this way, be sure that He wants to be your Friend. Admit that He is Lord. Believe in your heart that what He did on the cross was for the forgiveness of your sins and confess these things with your mouth (Romans 10:9). It is a glorious life now and forever.

Pray About It
Thank you, Father God, for your gift of love. Help us to believe and to be more like Jesus each day. In His great name, Amen.

---