Christmas Carols

We’ve all been there – trying to buy that perfect Christmas gift. But is it what they want? Have they got it already? Will they like it? It can get so stressful!

Or maybe you’re hoping for that perfect present. You’ve dropped subtle hints, set up a wish list, even offered to buy it on their behalf, desperate not to get yet another hanky or pair of socks.

And even when we do get that perfect gift, more often than not, after a while we find it’s not quite as good as we hoped it would be – the novelty wears off, it breaks, or worse still, our friend comes round wearing the same thing!

Did you know that God has given a Christmas gift? And it’s the perfect gift! This gift can give a clean conscience, a new start in life and a guarantee of peace beyond the grave. This gift? Jesus, God’s son himself.

The Bible says ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.’

It might be stating the obvious, but gifts are given out of kindness, not because they’ve been earnt – that’s wages. In the same way, heaven isn’t a reward for people who try their best, it’s a gift to people who realise they don’t deserve it. And none of us deserves heaven because our lives are far from perfect – our own conscience tells us that. If God were to give us what we deserve and punish us for our wrongdoing, then there would be no hope for us. But there is hope – and all because of the perfect gift of Jesus!

Jesus was willing to step into this world and take the consequences of our sin when he died on the cross. In exchange, he can give us his perfection, which qualifies us for heaven and gives us a fresh start here. Now that’s some gift! Who would want to leave the best gift of all unopened?