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Remember the Wrapping
At our house some Christmas events are the same each year. Among them is my wife Martie’s appeal to the kids and grandkids as they attack their gifts: “Save the paper. We can use it next year.” Martie loves to give nice gifts, but she also appreciates the wrapping.
Presentation is part of the beauty of the gift. It makes me think of the wrapping Christ chose when He came as a gift to rescue us from our sinful selves. Jesus could have wrapped Himself in a mind-boggling display of power, lighting up the sky with His presence in a celestial show of glory. Instead, in a beautiful reversal of Genesis 1:26, He chose to wrap Himself “in human form” (Phil. 2:7).
So why is this wrapping so important? Because, being like us, He is no stranger to our struggles. He experienced deep loneliness and the betrayal of a dear friend. He was publicly shamed, misunderstood, and falsely accused. In short, He feels our pain.
As a result, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we can “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Heb. 4:16).
When you think of the gift of Jesus this Christmas, remember to keep the “wrapping” in mind! —Joe Stowell
Don’t ignore the wrapping of the best Christmas gift of all.
At our house some Christmas events are the same each year. Among them is my wife Martie’s appeal to the kids and grandkids as they attack their gifts: “Save the paper. We can use it next year.” Martie loves to give nice gifts, but she also appreciates the wrapping.
Presentation is part of the beauty of the gift. It makes me think of the wrapping Christ chose when He came as a gift to rescue us from our sinful selves. Jesus could have wrapped Himself in a mind-boggling display of power, lighting up the sky with His presence in a celestial show of glory. Instead, in a beautiful reversal of Genesis 1:26, He chose to wrap Himself “in human form” (Phil. 2:7).
So why is this wrapping so important? Because, being like us, He is no stranger to our struggles. He experienced deep loneliness and the betrayal of a dear friend. He was publicly shamed, misunderstood, and falsely accused. In short, He feels our pain.
As a result, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we can “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Heb. 4:16).
When you think of the gift of Jesus this Christmas, remember to keep the “wrapping” in mind! —Joe Stowell
Don’t ignore the wrapping of the best Christmas gift of all.
Scripture
About this Plan
God loves to give to us! One of the best-known verses of the Bible explains this simple truth (John 3:16). This Christmas, remember that God loves every person he created--including you--so much that He gave us the best gift possible.
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We would like to thank Our Daily Bread for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.odb.org
