The Gift of Christ

The Gift of Christ (Written by guest writer David Peterson)

It is the Christmas season, and the King has been born into the world! Alleluia! Praise the Lord! We have been richly blessed. We have been graciously gifted.

Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 10:27:

“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.”

His words emphasize that God’s truth is never meant to remain hidden. What He reveals must be declared openly and boldly. With Jesus, there are no secrets—His mission to save sinners is to be proclaimed to the entire world.

The greatest gift from God was when He sent His Son to earth! The Apostle Paul makes this unmistakably clear:

Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The respected pastor and theologian Billy Graham once said:

“Christmas is about receiving and giving. Give the gift of the true Christmas story—that God gave His Son so that mankind would receive Him. Let’s focus not on our own joys, but on making others joyful. The greatest gift we can give others is to tell them about the most wonderful Gift God has bestowed on the whole world. No other day on the calendar catches the imagination of young and old alike as does Christmas. It’s a high and holy day—a day when the veil is drawn back and we get a fresh view of eternity. Such a vision of truth should be spread near and far.”

That call to proclaim the gift of Christ is beautifully captured in the hymn “Go, Tell It on the Mountain,” written in 1907 by John Wesley Work II and rooted in an African American spiritual tradition. It perfectly encapsulates the idea that the birth of Jesus Christ is a gift that we need to broadcast from the mountain tops. Here is the famous refrain:

Go, tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere.

Go, tell it on the mountain

That Jesus Christ is born.

Let us pray:

Father, this Christmas season we are humbled once again by the story of Your Son, who willingly gave Himself for sinners like us. Thank You for Your great and gracious gift—Jesus Christ. Help us to honor Him in all that we do and to boldly proclaim His name. Amen.