The First Gift of Christmas

It’s On My Heart...December 2009

(The following article was written 5 years ago. Although I strive to provide fresh content each month, I thought the article was appropriate for us again this Christmas.)

The very first Christmas present was the baby Jesus, an expression of God’s love and grace for mankind. As a baby, Jesus would have 10 very tiny toes and 10 very tiny fingers. I’m sure his mother and father counted them many times over. Baby hands are beautiful, delicate, dimpled and soft. When babies grow up, their hands do too. For Jesus, his hands became the hands of a carpenter. Rough, calloused, scarred, and skilled. It was his hands that fashioned together wood projects. It was his hands that later touched people to make them well, held high to calm the raging sea, clapped together when happy, made dirty as he made mud to put onto the blind man’s eyes, washed clean as he washed his disciples feet, and blood splattered when punctured by the Roman nail that held him to the cross. His hands were the hands of God. It was these hands Jesus held out to Thomas and said, “See my hands...” Thomas saw the nail pierced hands. Jesus said, “See my side...” Thomas saw Jesus’ sword pierced side. It was Jesus standing in their midst. And he was alive.

The story of Jesus’ hands reminds us of our own story. We all begin with tiny, dimpled and soft hands that over time grow and become skillful at our hobbies and jobs. How will we use our hands? Will God be glorified by what we do? Our hands become symbolic of what we do for our Lord. While Jesus was on the cross he cried out, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” When life comes to an end for us, we too can commit ourselves into the hands of our Lord. His hands are loving hands that embrace each one of us, that sustains us in the tough times, and lifts us up in the good times. And it is His hands that will carry us to the heavenly shores and keep us for all of eternity.

At Christmas time, we celebrate the birth of Jesus who had tiny hands. Hands that would grow and reach out and minister through the years, reaching even to us today. As we celebrate Christmas, remember the tiny hands of baby Jesus that later were nailed to the cross for your sins. And don’t forget to thank the Lord for His love and grace which He poured out so freely to us in His Son.

Have a Merry Christmas,

Pastor Pete