Pearls of Price: The Gifts of Christmas

James 1:17

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above."

John 3:16, 17

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,

but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

Jesus

Offers

You

JOY!

Jesus had come to the world, bringing the light of Heaven. He came as the Redeemer of mankind, to limit the power of Satan and set the captive free. At his birth the heavenly messengers had borne the glad tidings of great joy to the humble shepherds upon the plains of Bethlehem, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

The greatest gift of Heaven had been given to the world.

Joy to the poor, for Christ has come to make them heirs of his kingdom!

Joy to the rich, for he will teach them how to apply their earthly treasure that it may secure for them eternal riches in Heaven!

Joy to the ignorant, for he has come to give them wisdom unto salvation!

Joy to the learned, for he will open to their understanding deeper mysteries than they have ever before fathomed!

Every human enterprise sinks into insignificance when compared with the advent of Christ.

At the advent of Jesus, the angel exuberantly proclaimed

“Peace on earth, and good will to men. . .”

PEACE

Praising no matter what

Experiencing Joy

Accepting God’s Will

Content with Life

Expecting God’s blessings

Of Christ, the prophet Isaiah had written, “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, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Christ bearer of the title of “Prince of Peace,” warns His people, “In the world ye shall have tribulation; but in me ye shall have peace.” The peace that he GIFTED his followers was not a peace that would prevent all affliction, division and persecution; it was a peace given and enjoyed in the midst of fiery trial.

Jesus is ever ready to speak peace to souls that are troubled with doubts and fear. This precious Savior waits for us to open the door of our heart to him, and say, Abide with us. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Our life is a continual strife; we must war against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness, and foes that never sleep; we must resist temptations, and overcome as Christ overcame. When the peace of Jesus enters our heart we are calm and patient under the severest trials.

Love IS:

Letting

Others

View

Emmanuel

The gift of God in his beloved Son was the expression

of an incomprehensible love.

The same God who so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, “has not left the purchase of the blood of Christ to the mercy of the adversary of God and man. Having given to the world the best gift of heaven, He gave heaven itself. The love and benevolence of God have not ceased; his mercy is still directed toward the fallen children of Adam. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God has been exercised toward the world, notwithstanding the perversity of men; and when the fullness of time had come, Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation was fulfilled. God so loved the world, that having given his Son, who was equal with himself, he could not withhold heaven itself. Having given the greatest gift, he could not withhold that which was less. ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ ‘God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

God so loved the world that he would not suffer it to remain possible for it to be said that he could have given us more, or manifested for the human family a greater measure of love. He knew that the great manifestation of love, displayed in the life and death of the Son of God, would awaken the fiercest jealousy on the part of Satan. The gift of Christ to the world was beyond computation, and no power could compete with God by giving a gift that would bear any comparison to the value of heaven’s best treasure. The greatness of this gift was to furnish men with a theme of thanksgiving and praise that would last through time and through eternity. Having given his all in Christ, God lays claim to the heart, mind, soul, and strength of man. Looking upon the treasure which God has provided in the full and complete gift of Christ, we can exclaim: “Herein is love!”

“God so loved the world, the he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”….. It is through the inestimable gift of Christ that all our blessings come. Life, health, friends, talents, reason, happiness, are ours through the merit of Christ. O that the young and the old might realize that all comes to them through the virtue of Christ’s life and death, and acknowledge the ownership of God....

Even when we were under the control of a cruel master, even when the prince of darkness ruled our spirits, the Lord Jesus Christ paid the ransom price of His own blood for us. You have been bought with a price, even with the precious blood of Christ; you are His property, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s....

Were it not for the love freely given us of Christ, we should now be in hopeless despair, in spiritual midnight. Thank God every day that He gave us Jesus. Will you not accept His gift? Will you not be His witness? Time is short, and it becomes you to work while the day lasts, living an imperishable life, hiding your life with Christ in God. Then “when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.