WHAT GIFT TO BRING JESUS
Hebrews 13:15 (KJV)
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”
Today is Christmas. There will be many gifts given by believers and unbelievers alike, but because you know what this day is really about, I want you to think about what gift you can and should give the Lord.
Give Him a gift? Yes, it is His birthday (I know, I know—it’s not His exact birthday, but we are celebrating His birthday!). In Matthew 2:11, we see the kings from the Orient bringing Jesus gifts that would start Him out on His earthly walk and provide for Him, Joseph, and Mary while they stayed in Egypt for a couple of years before moving back to Nazareth.
What does He need from us now? Probably nothing. What does He want? I think I can tell you that!
When gift-giving to Jesus, the first thing is that it needs to be valuable to Him and a true sacrifice from us. What is a true sacrifice? Hebrews 13:15 says to offer Him a sacrifice of praise. Hebrews was written specifically to the born-again Jew, who would have been thoroughly taught about the former sacrifices required of them. They would know to bring God their first and their best—nothing left over, no afterthoughts, and no throwaways.
In Hebrews 11:4, we see the offerings that Abel and Cain brought to God. It says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…” First, our offerings—our gifts to Jesus, our Savior, Lord, Redeemer, and High Priest—must be done by faith and not from the flesh. Your whole heart must be involved. That Scripture goes on to say that God accepted Abel’s gift but rejected Cain’s offering. So, not all gifts are accepted by God? Yep! A true gift comes from the heart; it is the thought about it. That is, it is from your best, and it is what Jesus wants.
Back to Hebrews 13:15. What can I give Jesus for His birthday? You can spend some time worshipping Him. What would that be like if our families, before we opened presents or had dinner, set some time aside just to worship the Lord—since it’s kind of supposed to be all about Him anyway, I’m just sayin’!
What does He deserve for a birthday present from you and me? A sacrifice of praise—the highest and the best—opening our mouths and, from our hearts, giving thanks to Him for coming to the earth, redeeming us, restoring us, and giving us the gift of Zoe!
Something very precious you can give Him—and He told me He wants you to give Him for His birthday—is ALL OF YOU. Romans 12:1–2 tells us to daily offer ourselves, to offer our bodies a living sacrifice. When you give Him all of you for His birthday, then you will truly get all of Him.
You say, “I’m already saved.” Okay—but does He have all of you? Give Him that gift this Christmas, and He will be very pleased. Merry Christmas!