The first Christmas celebration recorded in history was in

336AD when the Roman Emperor Constantine declared Christianity to be

the official religion of Rome! That year stores were crowded in Rome!

Sandals sold out! Pottery Barn was a madhouse! Only Reebok tunics were

left on the shelves! HA! (No one wears Reebok anymore!) And families

traveled from all over to be together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!

Since then, countless gifts have been bought and given on

Christmas day to commemorate the greatest gift ever! The greatest gift that

could be given to the world; a Savior, to save all people from their sin!

Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the

government will be upon His shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful,

Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!”

The birth of Jesus was announced with great joy and wonder!

We read in Luke 2:9-14, “Behold, and angel of the Lord stood before them,

and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you

good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to

you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this

will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of

the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!””

This is the day the world needed most. The day of the best gift possible and

ever! And yet, for two incredible and wonderful people, it was not without

hardship and difficulty.

Mary was just a teenager. She was pregnant with Jesus, and she

wasn’t yet married to Joseph. Their relationship had taken a hit as we know

that Joseph thought through his options as to what to do about all this. We

don’t read about Mary or Joseph telling their parents, and that may be

telling as to the confusion and disapproval of their families. Understandable

given the situation.

They were on their own. No wedding celebration. No wedding dress

shopping. No gender reveal! HA! They knew it was a boy! No

typical family celebrations for her betrothal to Joseph or baby shower for

Jesus… In fact most likely no one believed them and most likely everyone

was disappointed in them. Both Mary and Joseph went well without in this

whole ordeal!

On top of that they had to travel to Bethlehem for the purpose of a census

that couldn’t have come at a worse time! Mary was nine months pregnant

and she had to make a trek of 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem!? On a

Donkey!! Then, they get there and Joseph can’t even secure a decent hotel

room for them, so they end up in a manger! That would be like staying

overnight in a parking garage in the middle of a big city for us…, and this

is where she has Jesus? This is where the Son of God come not to condemn

the world but to save the world, this is where He would be born!?

Then they had to deal with Herod becoming aggressive against all newborn

sons! All of this, they went through all of this, for what? For the greatest

gift ever and possible that would be given to them, to us, to the world.

The best gifts are often not the ones you can buy and

they often come with a level of difficulty. In truth, you can’t buy the gifts

that everyone even wants. We all love what money won’t buy! I bought a

nice house, but it won’t buy me a home. I can buy a companion, but that

won’t buy me a friend. I can buy a good time, but I can’t buy peace of

mind. I can buy a bed, but that won’t buy me a good night’s sleep. Those

are the things that I love, and I’m so grateful to say that I have many of the

things that money will buy but ALL of the things that money won’t buy!

And the greatest of gifts that any of us can have for ourselves this year and

any year is just like that. The greatest of gifts to have for yourself is the

greatest of gifts ever given. Yes, I’m talking about Jesus but let me say it

just a bit differently because I know many of you have received Jesus and

of course no other gift comes until that One is received…

So let me connect this differently for you. The gift that was received into

the world 2,025 years ago. The gift received by Mary and Joseph. The gift

that we can receive and then receive again and again that delivers what

everyone wants, what money won’t buy. The coming of Jesus Christ was

the coming of God’s will into the world. For God so loved the world, that

He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him

would not perish but would have everlasting life! Sending Jesus into the

world was sending the will of God, for this is the will of God, 1 Timothy

2:4, “That all would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.”

This year, give yourself the gift of God’s will for your life.

You’ve perhaps said yes to Jesus and now change everything by saying yes

to Jesus. Welcome and walk in God’s will for your life and although it

won’t come without difficulty, even extreme difficulty like Mary and

Joseph endured, it will be FAR worth it when God gets a hold of your life

with His will!

The best Christmas ever was the day Jesus came. The second best could be

this one… for you. Just like it wasn’t easy for them, it won’t be easy for

you… But it will be worth it! Listen to a few of the multiplied blessings of

saying yes to the will of God, what He desires, in and for your life!

Psalm 1:2-3, “Blessed is he whose delight is in the law of the

Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree

planted by rivers of water, that brings forth it fruit in season, whose leaf

also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper!”

Psalm 34:8-9 “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man

who trusts Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to

those who fear Him!”

2 Corinthians 9:8, “God is able to make all grace about toward you, that

you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for

every good work!”

The blessing on a life that is intentional and educated in the will of God can

even get extreme! Check this one out!

Proverbs 16:7, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his

enemies to be at peace with him!”

So it was, since 336AD folks have been celebrating

what we call Christmas! Rejoicing over the birth of Jesus Christ. God

Himself stepping into creation to save us from our sins. The gift of God’s

will and desire delivered on a world in need.

This year, may you receive that gift and perhaps if you already have, if you

already have said yes to Jesus and yet so much is missing, that it would be

this year that you submit to God, surrender to His will for your life, and

find the blessings He has already given, that remain unreceived.

Merry Christmas! May the Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make

His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His

countenance upon you, and give you peace!