Gifts & Giving

What a great run up to Christmas we’ve had at Kings this year - the Jonathan Veira concert 10 days ago, followed by the London Community Gospel Choir last Thursday, and then the King’s Carol Concert Sunday evening - brilliant! And every one of those events has witnessed a very clear (and in some cases loud!) telling of the gospel.

You hear quite a lot of folk this time of year saying how they don’t like Christmas and can’t wait for it to be over. Every now and again I come across Christians who say that they don’t celebrate Christmas because of the secularization. Shame. Granted, for many the real meaning of Christmas has been lost, and yes, there’s a lot of hype, overindulgence and overspending, but that’s no reason to lose sight of the very special-ness of Christmas.

I like Christmas! Obviously, as Christians this is a very significant season when we retell the story of Jesus’ birth through the singing of carols and the reading of the Gospels and those wonderful Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. Then there’s all the gifts & giving. Yes I know that people overdo it, and yes, it can bring out greed and so on, but it’s good to give gifts! The Message puts it well: “You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’ ” Acts 20:35.
Speaking of gifts, I’ve been teaching lately on the first chapters of Genesis and amongst other things, pointing out that first promise of Jesus’ coming is way back in Genesis chapter 3, just after Adam’s fall: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” ” (Genesis 3:15, NIV) A future offspring of Eve would crush satan’s head, whilst he himself would be bruised (crucified) in the process. Isn’t that an amazing expression of God’s grace, of his heart to redeem fallen mankind? Just moments after Adam’s rebellion we have God’s promise of a way back, through the gracious, undeserved gift of a Saviour - to be revealed in the fulness of time. Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given!

Have a great Christmas!

Goff