“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” (James 1:17 NLT)

You’ve probably heard the saying, “All that glitters is not gold.” But it’s equally important to remember that all that’s gold doesn’t necessarily glitter. That is, not all valuable things appear to be valuable at first glance.

Some of the most precious gifts tend not to attract our attention at first. We take a hurried glance and see nothing of significance. But if we go back and take another look, we begin to discover the glory and wonder of that gift. Think of Christmases past when you set aside a present that didn’t have that “wow” factor to move on to other shinier gifts with more bells and whistles, only to come back later to the less showy but more useful gift.

So it was with the helpless baby in the manger in Bethlehem on the first Christmas. At first glance, He probably didn’t appear to be much of a gift. Another child born into humble circumstances. What value could He have? Why would He even merit a second look?

The Bible practically bursts at the seams to answer that question. God dispatched angels to keep people from looking past His gift. That baby was the only begotten Son of God. Words cannot describe His value. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (NLT). Even God couldn’t give a greater gift. He sent His dearly beloved Son into the world as a baby so that, ultimately, we could be saved. God gave us that which was most precious to Him so that His Son would be most precious to us.

Our Lord Himself spoke of such a sacrificial act in Matthew 21:33–46 in His parable about the vineyard owner. The owner, who had unworthy servants looking after his property, sent his representatives and servants to the vineyard. One after another was maltreated and even killed. Then the owner thought, “If I send my son, they won’t do this to him. Surely, they will respect my son. There is nothing beyond this. It is the last act.”

Hebrews 1:1–2 says, “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe” (nlt). God sent many servants into the world and to the nation of Israel. He dispatched countless outstanding men and women to accomplish His work. But He surpassed them all with the gift of His Son.

This is what should fill our minds and hearts with astonishment at Christmas: God has done something that even He Himself cannot exceed. He gave His only Son, His eternal Son, so that we might have eternal life.

Reflection question: What impact has God’s surpassing gift had on your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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