There is no greater gift at Christmas than the Gospel of the baby in the manger.
What warm memories I have of Christmas as a child. They are some of the richest, most vivid memories. The smells wafting from mom’s kitchen, the stack of records playing carols from the phonograph, and the soft glow of non-LED lights are just some of the things that stay strong in my mind. I remember having a part in our church’s children’s Christmas play each year and, as a reward, receiving paper sacks full of goodies I didn’t recognize, handed to me from one of the ushers in the back of the sanctuary. But honestly, what I miss most are my parents. They were the best. Mom was a fantastic baker. She taught me, and to this day, I still bake cinnamon coffee rings and her Aunt Lena’s orange rolls every Christmas. My dad was a great gift-giver. Somehow, year after year, he knew just what everyone wanted, even if they didn’t know. He passed away on October 22, 2008, and that Christmas, I opened a very special gift carrying the label, “from Dad to Tim.” It was a complete antique set of Washington Irving’s biography of George Washington. Somehow, Dad knew.
Why am I writing this? Why, just to make you wish you had grown up in my home. No, that’s not it. I am writing to remind you all to cherish your time together. Any date on the calendar can be memorable. More than the unforgettable times we shared as a family, my parents gave me a gift more valuable than the time we spent together. My mom and dad poured the Lord Jesus Christ into my brother and me. We were saturated. Church multiple times a week, seeing my mom and dad read the Bible, devotions at dinner, and the example of Christ that they set in their interactions with us, each other, and everyone we met along the way. There is no greater gift at Christmas than the Gospel of the baby in the manger.
I implore you to spend much quality time together over the break. But I beg you to open your Bibles and share the most fantastic news of all time with your children, regardless of age. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, then before sharing with your children, fall on your knees and profess your need for Salvation by confessing your sin and turning your life over to the one true God. Then, share that legacy with your sons and daughters.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Acts 2:21
~Timothy Pearce