Don't Forget the Giver

For most kids in America, Christmas time is all about the gift-giving experience - and understandably so.  Even as an adult I greatly enjoy receiving gifts.  There is excitement and anticipation as the paper is torn back and the gift comes into view.  And the joy of parents is many times greater as they watch a child open a gift they know that child will love. 

As Christian parents, we teach our children a couple of lessons to help keep the focus of the season in line.  First, we constantly remind them to say "thank you" to whoever gave the gift.  My wife's family has a wonderful tradition; each person actually gets up after every gift and gives a hug to the giver.  And even though our growing families make the gift exchange time a bit longer each year - it teaches our children to be grateful, and not to focus solely on the gift.  Second, we focus on Christ as the ultimate gift.  Our children must learn that the gift God gave us in Christ -  that brought redeeming grace to us His children - is the greatest gift that has ever, or will ever, be given.

Sadly, even Christians at times do not fully embrace how these two lessons fit together.  We forget to celebrate and give thanks to God the Father, who "so loved the world that he gave his only son..."  In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul penned what is often referred to as the "hymn of Christ."  It is a beautiful description of our salvation through Christ's humility and fits wonderfully with the season of Christmas.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

The final phrase (which I bolded) tells us that God's ultimate gift to mankind - that of sending His eternal Son to be one of us - was given "to the glory of God the Father." Another passage phrases it "to the praise of his glorious grace" (Ephesians 1:6).  Yes, God the Father gave us Christ that we might enjoy the blessings of His glorious redemption; but even more so that His Name would be glorified. This season, let us enjoy the presents from our loved ones; but let us also look past them to the Ultimate Gift, and to the Giver "from Whom all blessings flow."  As our Lord taught us to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9), let us hallow His name this season and thank Him for sending to us that Gift of gifts - our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!