My wife and I were talking about the holiday season and she shared a story I thought was good, so I asked her to write it in my stead:
When I was a girl, about 10 or 11, I was particularly excited about a gift I was to receive one Christmas from my sister. She and my older brother had been in the back room wrapping gifts, and they walked out with a large and very heavy package. They carried on about how awesome this gift was and had me so excited, I could hardly wait for Christmas. My expectations were high.
The last few weeks dragged by, my anticipation building. Several times I went over to the Christmas tree, picked up the box, gave it a little shake to see if I could discover anything about what might be inside.
Well, Christmas finally came. Now, I should tell you that my older brother and sister sometimes enjoyed pulling little pranks on their younger, gullible sister. (No, I’m not bitter at all.) I tore off the wrapping, ripped open the box, looked inside and found … rocks.
Yep, you read that right.
Just a bunch of big, ugly rocks. Buried inside the box was a tiny heart-shaped tin with a necklace and earrings inside. Did I appreciate the real gift? No, because it didn’t meet my expectations.
Before the first Christmas, God’s people had waited years for him to fulfill His promise of a Messiah. I’m sure they began to wonder if He would keep His promise. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This was a prophecy of the birth of Jesus. Sounds like a real impressive guy! Surely he would be the most mighty and powerful leader the world had ever seen!
Finally, the day came, the gift of God’s Son to the world. While this gift didn’t come in a box of rocks like mine, it still came in an unlikely package – wrapped in simple linen cloths, born in a cattle stall to a mother and father who were common and ordinary. His own people did not receive Him as their king and Messiah. This gift of God did not meet their expectations. They failed to see this was the greatest gift ever given – a gift that anyone who opened their hearts to receive it would have life, and have it to the fullest, their deepest longings satisfied.
