A gift says something about what the giver thinks of you or the needs you have. Tim Keller once humorously reflected on this:
“Imagine opening a present on Christmas morning from a friend – and it’s a dieting book. Then you take off another ribbon and wrapper and you find it is another book from another friend entitled, Overcoming Selfishness…”
What message has the giver sent you? They think you’re fat and obnoxious. Great! Grand! Wonderful!
At Christmas God gave humanity a gift: a Savior. What does the gift of a ‘Savior’ imply? It implies our problem is: we need saving.
Our greatest need isn’t political, physical, or entertainment otherwise God would have sent a politician, doctor, or musician or artist. God sent us a Savior. We need saving…but from what?
Sin. And the enduring consequences of them (Rev. 1:5).
You might think Christianity is about being a good, moral, religious person. But if you think that is sufficient to save you from sin, Jesus isn’t a Savior to you. He’s a teacher and moral example. Jesus didn’t come into our world to show you how to save yourself. He came into the world to actually save you. This is why the gospel isn’t advice, it’s news. And being a Christian isn’t about conforming to advice, it’s about celebrating, rejoicing in, and following the main character of this news: Jesus Christ.
