"The Best Gift You Can Get for Christmas"

Scripture: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." -Matthew 1:21 - 23

About two years ago, I received one of the most practical and useful gifts for Christmas. As I was transitioning from North Carolina to Metropolitan DC, my wife wanted me to have a much needed necessity for getting around this area: a GPS. For the two or three days leading up to Christmas, she hinted at would you like a GPS and what do you think of a GPS. When I opened it up and began to use it, I definitely saw the potential in it. Until about less than a year ago, whenever I needed to get around the area as far as finding a mall or anything, I placed the address in the GPS and it allowed me to get from point A to point B. For that, it has served as one of the best gifts I have received for Christmas. Others of you may say the best gifts you have received included a mink coat, some diamond earrings, an engagement ring, or others. On the flip side, there was a gift that came over 2,000 years ago and He is truly the best gift you can get for Christmas. This "gift" is Jesus Christ. Today's text will provide more clarity to why Jesus is the best gift to have for Christmas.

Today’s devotional is set in the Gospel account according to Matthew. Within its initial chapter, Matthew chronicles two important things: the lineage of Jesus Christ and His birth here on Earth. We find out that Jesus came through forty-two generations. Inside of these forty-two generations of Jesus included Abraham, Isaac, Ruth, Rahab the harlot, David, and Jesus’ father on Earth, Joseph. Before Jesus came on the scene, Joseph was engaged to Mary. However, his engagement plans were up in the air when he found out that she was pregnant. Truth be told, in today’s time and even back in the days, pregnancy before marriage was one that brought disappointment to parents’ homes everywhere. On the other hand, we find out that this pregnancy was of the Holy Spirit, who conceived the baby within Mary’s womb. With all of this going on, Joseph went on to sleep and as he went to sleep, an angel of the Lord visited him. Isn’t it a blessing when God can visit you, whether when you are asleep or awoke? As the angel of God began to minister to Joseph, He tells Joseph and us today why Jesus is the best gift for Christmas.

Jesus is the best gift for Christmas, first, because He was the gift we needed. If we think back in time, there have been times where our parents or we as parents bought/received things that were needed. Just as those T-shirts, pants, shoes, underwear, and things were needed, Jesus was needed then and is definitely needed now. During that time, we recognize that Jesus was needed because the world was full of sin, just like today. They disrespected God, they gave sacrifices to idol gods, and they did selfish things. As Joseph was listening to the angel of God, the angel, in verse 21, shared with Joseph that this little boy “shall save His people from their sins”. Aren’t you glad that Jesus saved you from your sins?

Lastly, Jesus is the best gift for Christmas because He was the gift you were promised. Can you remember back during your childhood that if you were on good behavior that you would get a certain gift and when Christmas came, you got it? Well, within the text, the angel goes on, in verses 22 and 23, to let Joseph know that Jesus was the gift God promised the world. He lets us know through these statements: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us”. The prophet who made this declaration was the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Though Isaiah prophesied over 600 years ago, God still fulfilled His promise that Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 9:6 when he said, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

In closing, we are thankful to God, family, and friends for remembering us on Christmas. There's one true reason for this season and it's Jesus the Christ. If He would not have been born to a virgin Mary and conceived of the Holy Spirit, we would NOT have the things we have and celebrate the way we celebrate! May your holiday be filled with Christ in your hearts, and love for your fellow man!