God's Unique Giving

JN 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-3,14

In John’s Gospel, the story behind the story of Christmas is given to pull back the veil of history, as it were so we might catch a glimpse into the very eternal purposes of a Sovereign God, who planned to come into a world He created, so that He might save it. The Word became flesh is the truth of God’s giving Himself in the person of His Son, born of a Virgin, but from the beginning the God who made the Worlds. God gave us his Son - That is, God gave Himself – the very giving of God for a world that despised and rejected Him.
The British minister, J. Sidlow Baxter describes the indescribable nature of God’s gift.
“Was ever a gift like the Savior given? He leaves the bosom of the eternal Father, and comes to the bosom of an earthly mother. The Son of God becomes the son of Mary. The Infinite becomes an infant. He who holds the world in his arms is held in the arms of a frail woman. He whose garment is space, whose house is the universe, whose chariots are the clouds, and whose diadems are the stars, is wrapped in swaddling bands, and laid in a mangers…He leaves the throne of heaven, for the Cross outside the city wall. He who is the Prince of life bows his head in death. He who is without sin becomes the Sinbearer. The Christ of God becomes the Crucified. He who is the Father’s delight becomes the God-forsaken.”
We will do all we can this shopping season– stand in line, squeeze an already tight budget tighter, give up what we can – just to give gifts to people we love, this Christmas.
But, God‘s giving is beyond our comprehension. He gave the gift of his very being – the Son of His own Heart and Divine Essence - not to people who love him, but to a rebellious and ungrateful people - He gave to his enemies.
“This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins” 1 John 4:10