Dec 5th, 2020: Christmas Blessing - Restored Relationships

 5 Gift Ideas to Simplify Gift Giving | Restoring Order

Gift-giving is a significant activity at Christmas time. It can be either a fun thing to do or a stressful one depending on various relational realities. There are many reasons for gift-giving. One of them is to remind us of the Wise Men's presents when they finally found Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem. What did they bring as presents to Jesus? Myrrh (an anointing oil), frankincense (perfume), and gold (the symbol of His Kingship). It is interesting for us to know that people used some of these gifts to prepare a body for burial at that time(spices and perfumes).


How would we feel when our family and friends welcome our newborns with gifts that have to do with burial ingredients? It is like telling someone: "Welcome to life and let us prepare for your death." There ought to be a meaningful message in that encounter between these Wise Men and Jesus. They affirm his Kingship by offering him gold and then indicated that he would die. That is why Christians cannot celebrate Christmas without embracing the whole message of Easter. Easter completes the Blessings we receive at Christmas. 


This Christmas is different for many of us due to the threats of Covid-19. We might not be able to gather with our family as we used to in the past. A friend of mine asked me a question yesterday: "What would be the main lesson we have learned in dealing with this pandemic?" My answer was we should not take anything for granted. We should not treat our relationship with God as a commodity. We should not treat one another any less than God has been treating us. We should celebrate Christmas with the understanding of Easter in mind. That is when God restores our relationship with Him and with one another. Amazing Grace and Amazing Gift!


John 6:44

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."

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