Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 
they are now justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

– Romans 3:23-24

The other day I was checking out at the Har Mar Cub when a woman tapped me on the shoulder and then handed me a Cub gift card. “Here. There is money still on it. I didn’t use it all. It’s a gift. Merry Christmas!” I was stunned and managed to mumble a “thank you” as she sped off.

Gift, by definition, has no conditions attached, no expectation implied. In this season of giving and receiving it’s good to remember that.

Gift is at the center of Christianity:
God’s gift of Jesus to the world.

Most religions have something else at their center. One description that I appreciate is that most religions are “sin management systems.” They are intended to control behavior with threats and rewards. I hear hints of this in the Santa Claus tale with its “naughty or nice” provision. Who wants a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking?

The great genius and difficulty of Christianity is the gift of God’s grace—unmerited, without conditions, free. That’s also the center of Christmas: God came to us in the innocence and helplessness of a baby. No threats. No conditions. No prerequisites. Simply Immanuel: God with us.

That is such good news—such “gospel”—that we often rebel against it. “Hold it!” we scream. “I demand the right to do something: earn it, claim it, accept it in my heart.” People have invented all sorts of conditions for receiving God’s approval—but then it’s no longer a gift. It’s a transaction.

Christmas is the promise of God’s gift: grace. In the surprising and disarming birth of a baby we see God’s great miracle. Of course God had an even greater miracle to accomplish 33 years later: Easter. That, too, was pure gift—and oh-so-costly for God. But that is God’s nature—and why we worship and celebrate so vibrantly at Christmas: unmerited, unconditional, eternal love and mercy given to us.

So, as one of my seminary teachers asked: “Now that you know you don’t have to do anything, what are you going to do?”

– Rolf Olson, Visitation Pastor

Prayer

Eternal, merciful God, it seems too good to be true. It’s the best gift—the best news—we could receive. Thank you for your gracious love, your forgiveness, your promise of eternity with you. Filled with this good news, may I share it with the world in all that I do. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.