John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Are you a prodder? A poker? A shaker? A sneakily-unwrap-the-corner-and-tape-it-back-up-again-er? Or just a looker, a wonder-er, a hopeful thinker.
Either way, we all know those presents under the tree or in our stockings are not for opening until the Big Day.
And most of us resist the temptation because we want to be surprised on the 25th, we want to hug friends and family and shout across the room “Thank you! How did you know?!?!” Sometimes not doing what we want to do is good for us - and good for others too!
That’s what God was talking about when He gave His people the Law. Like a good parent, He knew that left to our own devices, we would get into a whole load of trouble. And that’s exactly what happened and why He had to send His Son to come down and save us.
But when Jesus came with those gifts we thought about yesterday, He also came with truth - not truth like the answers to a Christmas crossword, but truth that was hard for us to hear. Truth that we had chosen to not just poke, prod and open our presents, but break them and use them to hurt others too. And all of this without really any proper ‘Thank you’ or ‘Sorry’ to the giver.
PROMPT: As we think of all the gifts that Jesus has given us, take a few moments and decide to use them properly this week with care, especially towards the people we love.