Advent Day 18

Today’s passage is again directly from Jesus and arguably one of the most well known promises. In this passage Christ not only explains who He is but what He offers.  Revealed is a fulfilled promise of God through Jesus.  Through Jesus salvation or help found forever.  

Christmas is a holiday in our culture that has many traditions within families.  Giving of gifts is a tradition that I suspect many of us practice.  Many of you know me and my family and will find this next illustration humorous.  For the past several years Laura and I have given my father the same thing for Christmas, a new pair of tennis shoes.  This has been a standard practice of ours now for some time and I bring this to our attention now for this reason.  The material gifts we give have value in numerous ways but one thing regarding the material is always a factor regardless of the gift.  Eventually time, usage, and any number of factors of this world cause the gift to physically diminish.  Dad wears out at least one pair of shoes every year!  

Today I desire you take sometime thinking about the greatest of gifts we could ever have.  The gift of not perishing.  A gift that is freely offered to everyone out love from our heavenly Father.  A gift that we are promised finds its “yes” in the linage of David, the Son of the virgin Mary.      

“16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17