“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
THAT whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”[1]
When we think
of the reasons we give particular gifts to children, it is usually that we
expect them to have fun playing with their new toys. As they get older, the
expectation might become more specific. We give a child a bike so that he can
learn to ride. Although there is still much play involved, it also serves a
practical purpose in getting around, and teaches a skill that lasts a lifetime.
The older we
get, the more reasons there are for the gifts given. A husband and wife may
give each other gifts with the aim of making the other feel loved, or to build
romance to keep the love alive. Men often receive tools that have the aim of
making their Do-It-Yourself projects easier to complete (hint, hint). Women may
similarly be given kitchen appliances and gadgets because it would shorten the
time given to the preparation of meals and give more family time.[2]
I could go on
with the aim of giving TV’s, video games, cameras, or computers. It is easy to
think about what purpose the gift would serve, and how the gift-giver hopes
that the gift fulfills the intention. Even if all we think about is that we
hope a gift will make the recipient happy, there is still an aim in mind when
purchasing the gift.
Now, imagine
if we added to the backside of our Christmas labels the purpose in giving each
gift. After the “to” and “from” is clearly identified, there would be a
statement that said something like, “I am giving you this gift so that…” and
the explanation of the gift’s purpose would be stated.
Keep in mind
that Jesus’ description of God’s Christmas gift began with telling Nicodemus
that God wants people to know him in that born-again kind of way.[3] Jesus
then explained how God so loved the world, that he gave us his only Son, and how
this gift did something to bring about the opportunity to know God in the
born-again way God desires.
This means
that the reality of God loving the whole world (not just one solitary nation),
and giving a gift to the whole world (the gift of his Son), has an aim.
Hold it a
minute, if Christmas is about this gift that God gave to the world, and this
gift God gave to the world has an aim, then it means that Christmas itself has
an aim. We know what it is like that Christmas has the aim of giving each other
gifts, and each gift has a distinctive aim in doing something good for the
recipient, and likely having a noticeable benefit to the relationship between
giver and receiver.
In the same
way, we can say that, because the first Christmas gift had an aim associated
with it, an aim that was for the whole world, then our observance of Christmas
must have the aim of putting this gift into our hands to fulfill the aim of the
gift. Which is what brings us to the “that”
of Jesus’ description.
The word “that” means that we must look at this
whole gift as something with a purpose. However, it is not just a purpose of
making us happy, or making life fun, or bringing peace on earth and goodwill
toward men.[4]
Even before we consider exactly what the purpose is, and what Christmas is
supposed to do to us, we must back up a bit and consider that it is GOD who has
a purpose to his gift.
This is hugely
significant. The person giving the gift determines what we can expect in both understanding
the purpose of the gift, and in settling the certainty of the gift
accomplishing its purpose. Sometimes someone gives a gift that has everything
in it to make the person feel special, or happy, and the recipient just doesn’t
get it. Someone might give a gift hoping that it wins someone’s approval, or
wins his or her affection, only to see that the person simply doesn’t care.
There is a
built-in characteristic of material gifts that they have only a limited effect
anyway. That’s why we do the gift-giving thing over and over again. Whatever we
hoped a gift would do last time, we hope it will do something similar again. If
the last gift didn’t work, maybe this one will. The excitement of last year’s
gifts wore off by the end of the Christmas holidays, so now we have
eleven-and-a-half months to build up the excitement all over again.
But, what
about when it is God who gives the gift, and God who knows his purpose in so
giving? If the gift is God-sized, and the love behind the gift is God-sized,
and the purpose of the gift is God-sized, there must be some expectation of a
God-sized fulfillment.
What this does
for me is change the focus from my childish thoughts about gift-giving, or
gift-receiving, thinking only of myself and my pleasures and benefits, to consider
why God would give a gift.
Perhaps it
would be helpful to create a larger context. Let’s say that we are celebrating
a Christmas where we already know that Christmas itself has a purpose, and the
purpose is not to give and receive gifts. What if we already knew the gift
giving side is smaller than retailers would like us to think, and really is
about something that should happen? What if there is a greater purpose to the
whole thing and all the gifts were designed to bring about that purpose.
What I’m
getting at is this: do you think of Christmas celebrations through this
viewpoint that God is up there, out there, all around us, seeking to DO
SOMETHING in our lives? We know that Jesus is explaining to us how it is that
God wants us to know him in this born-again kind of way. We know that Jesus is
telling us what God did to bring about this experience. He so loved the world
that he gave us his only Son, and he did this so that something would happen to
bring about that purpose.
Earlier in God’s
book, we find this description of the purposes of God:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.[5]
Now, what
could God’s only Son do in your life this Christmas that would accomplish God’s
loving purpose of bringing you to know him in that born-again kind of way?
While you’re thinking about that, don’t forget to have a blessed “About Christ”
Day!
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures
are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
[1]
John 3:16
[2]
These are only examples, not a statement of who can use the tools or kitchen
appliances. I happen to be quite good at using both!
[3]
See my Day 1 look at this Christmas gift: http://in2freedom.blogspot.ca/2014/12/on-first-day-of-christmas-what-is-it.html
[4]
While this is a familiar expression of the Christmas Season, it is a misquote
of what God’s book has written, which is, “Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
(Luke 2:14)
[5]
Isaiah 55:10-11
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