Unwanted Gifts

Following Christmas Day in 2014, $284 billion worth of Christmas gifts were returned to stores in the United States.* Unwanted gifts.

No doubt, many of the returned gifts were carefully selected and given with love, but for some reason, they weren’t desired.

In John 6, Jesus offered a priceless gift when He told a crowd He was the “bread of life.” Jesus came to the world when Israel was in a difficult place.

Occupied by the armies of Rome, Israel did not appear to be a nation that had been chosen by God. The oppressed Jewish people were not in charge of their own destiny and were subject to the dictates and caprice of an occupying force.

When Jesus announced He was the bread of life, Israel could have taken hold of a certain future. But, incredibly, Jesus’ announcement that Israel’s long-hoped-for Messiah was in their midst was neither comprehended nor appreciated. Jesus offered the Jewish people the greatest gift ever imagined, and they chose to reject it. They exchanged everlasting life for everlasting death. Jesus had come to Israel with hope for their hopelessness, light for their darkness, and courage to endure difficulties.

He came to the world “to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3).

He raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, fed the multitudes, healed lepers, turned water into juice, and showed compassion to all.

And still, the people of His day returned the gift Jesus came to the world to give them. They said to Jesus, “Thanks, but no thanks.

We don’t want this.” They wanted a Messiah, but not that kind of Messiah. A Messiah who would conquer the Romans would have been welcomed, but a Messiah who offered a new heart was not what they were looking for.

God offers you the gift of eternity. Hold on to it tightly.

It is the one gift you never want to return.