Our purpose is to know and love God and to bring others to know and love Him.

The Greatest Gift Ever Given

By Patrick Coman
John 3:16

THE OLD KING had become very ill. He had been a good man and a good king but still there was something missing from his life. It was like a jigsaw without the last piece, or a cake without the icing, or a morning without the chirping of the birds. The old king had called in his wisest sage for advice. After some time the wise sage returned to the king and said, "If you can receive the greatest gift of all time you will be complete." The king immediately sent out his most trusted servant to search the land for the greatest gift.

FINALLY THE SERVANT was back and in his hands was a battered old book with a black cover. As the servant entered the king's bedchamber, the king, sitting propped up on several pillows, said, "Well my trusted servant, what have you found?" The servant replied, "Sire, I have found the most exquisite, the most unique, the most valuable, the most universal, but also the most personal gift ever given. This gift is such that it only needed to be given once, but it must go on being received as long as there are men, women and children in your kingdom - indeed on this earth.

"PRAY TELL ME", said the king, "what is the gift? It is not that musty old tome you carry, is it?" "No sire, said the servant, this book is of immense value but this is not the gift. However it does tell about the gift. Sit back sire, and I will explain it to you as it has been explained to me." The old king leaned back on his pile of pillows, eagerly awaiting the words of his servant. "Let me begin sire by reading the greatest sentence ever written or ever read. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." This one sentence, sire, tells us of ten things. This gift is unique from beginning to end!

I. Firstly: it begins with the GREATEST GIVER, God! Yes! God is the giver of the gift. He must be the greatest giver of all time, for He existed before time began. In the beginning He created the heavens and the earth - but that is not the gift. Then He created the water and the clouds, the fishes and the birds, the trees and all plant life, the animals and the angels and the crown of all his creation, mankind, but none of these is the gift. God never had a beginning for He always was, and He will never have an end for he is eternal. This God has to 'be the greatest giver.'

II. Secondly: the gift was given because of the GREATEST REASON. There are many reasons why we do things sire. We can be motivated by greed, jealousy, even hate, or compassion, kindness and love. The attitudes of greed, jealousy and hate are expressions of selfishness. That type of giving gives because of what it will get. Compassion and kindness are reactions to other people's situations and needs. But the greatest is true love, which springs from within and gives just to bring joy.

III. Thirdly: this gift sire was given to the GREATEST NUMBER. God's love is so all encompassing that his character demands that this gift be given to every man, woman and child. God loves the world, but also He loves every single individual. There is no discrimination, red, yellow, black, or white are all just shades of brown. The gift is available for every colour. No place or people is exempt. People of every nationality and every language have been offered this gift. Every man & woman, every boy & girl, every mum & dad, every uncle & aunt, every grandfather & grandmother, the whole world was given this gift because of God's love for: them.

IV. Fourthly: when the greatest giver gives for the greatest reason to the greatest number then you know that He is giving the GRESTEST GIFT. We can give things sire, but things never satisfy. The only gift that really satisfies is the gift of one person to another. To give of ourselves is a great gift, but when the greatest giver gives of Himself it is the greatest gift.

V. Fifthly: the greatest gift will also have the GRESTEST COST, sire. God gave His son to the world. To do this Jesus His son had to leave all of His glories in heaven and, having been eternal, He needed to be born a babe in Bethlehem. From the most powerful to the most defenseless. From prominence in Paradise where every angel praised and adored Him and did His bidding, to an ordinary life on earth. He came to earth to live for thirty years in obscurity and to labour as a simple carpenter. Finally He spent three years ministering to people's needs, only to be hanged on a cruel cross on Calvary as a criminal at the end of it. There He carried the sins of the whole world in His body. There He died for your sins sire, and for my sins, and for the sins of every individual in the world. The sinless one was made sin for our redemption. Surely this is the greatest cost ever paid for any gift.

VI. Sixthly: this gift is also the GREATEST INVITATION. This invitation sire, like all invitations, has to be received to get the benefit. When someone is given an invitation from the king he certainly does not throw it away. No, he eagerly opens it up to see what is inside. God has given the invitation to the world, but only those who accept the invitation, only those who respond to it, will benefit from this priceless gift.

VII. Seventhly: this gift is given from a motive of love, and it is a true gift being free, but the greatest gift has the GREATEST CONDITION. One not only has to receive the gift but one must also believe what has been received. This is the condition, belief. If I give you a bank cheque and you don't believe it is valuable and therefore won't cash it, you receive nothing. This gift is only received by those who believe that Jesus was born on the first Christmas, that He lived and then died for the sins of the world, and that He rose from the dead on the third day having victory over sin and death and the devil, and now sits on the right hand of the father in Heaven.

VIII. Eighthly: this greatest gift brings the GREATEST GUARANTEE sire. Because the sins of the world have been laid upon Jesus, because your sins and my sins have been laid upon Jesus, we never have to pay for them ourselves if we have received the gift and believed in the gift. The wages of our sin is death, but because of this greatest gift we are guaranteed that we will never perish.

IX. Ninthly: this greatest gift will last for the LONGEST TIME. Many gifts do not last long. Ice creams last a few minutes, toys last longer, clothes sometimes longer. All other gifts pass away but the greatest gift is eternal. It lasts forever. There is an unconditional guarantee to last for eternity.

X. Finally sire, said the servant, this gift becomes the GREATEST POSSESSION, life. Life which is everlasting, life which is of the highest quality, life without crime, without aggression, without tears, without fears, without hurts, just eternity in the presence of perfect peace and joy.

That indeed is a great gift, replied the old king. Certainly the greatest gift ever given. But how did you say I was to receive this gift? The servant replied, Sire, according to the book, the Bible that never lies and has always been found to be trustworthy, we are separated from God by our sin, our wrong deeds and attitudes. We must ask forgiveness for our sin and ask Jesus to control our lives. The babe of Bethlehem must become the Lord of our lives. For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

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