The Greatest Gift

“The Greatest Gift’

By Zach Wood

Isaiah 53:5 NIV

But he was bruised for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all enjoying receiving gifts in life, don’t we?  We enjoy getting gifts when our birthday comes around each year.  We enjoy getting gifts when Christmas rolls around as well.  Sometimes, we receive gifts from other people when we least expect them to come.  Out of nowhere, a mysterious wad of cash shows up in an envelope when we need it most.  There are other times when an unexpected check shows up in our mailbox. 

There are so many different times through the year when friends or family doing something totally unexpected and surprise us in some way and that usually leave us speechless and with tears in our eyes while emotions surge through our body.  It is really cool when people do such incredible things for us and surprise us in ways we never thought they would.  Why do people do these things?  Because they love us.  We have people who love us and look forward to doing things for us because they want to see us react and how overwhelmed we’ll become.

It is amazing to think about how much our friends and family truly love us and want to do amazing things for us.  Why it is truly great to be overcome and overwhelmed with emotion and excitement when someone does something for us, how often are we truly overcome and overwhelmed when we consider what God did for us through Jesus Christ?  God gave us the most amazing and greatest gift we could ever receive through salvation in Jesus.  And yet, honestly, so often we become so much more excited about earthly gifts and less excited when we consider what Christ did for us.

How does it make you feel when you think of what Christ did for you?  Do you feel a deep sense of gratitude and does it bring you to your knees in awe and worship?  Do you carry each day with you a deep gratitude just knowing all that Christ has done?  He did what He did for you and for me?  He was bruised and He was crushed.  He was punished.  He was wounded.  All of this for you and me.  He did this because He loved us more than we’ll ever know.

We must consider what we get more excited about in life?  The gifts we get from people on this earth or the greatest gift we’ve been given to give us eternal life?  Nothing on earth should ever give us more joy than knowing Christ and His gift of life to us.