Re-gifting …

Some people love them, some not so much. Whether you enjoy them or not, it’s that time of year for the Christmas party.

With Christmas parties come the exchanging of gifts, which is often done in playful ways. Take, for example, the party where everyone brings a “white elephant” gift.

The phrase “white elephant” came from a storied giving of a gift you hope you never received. White (albino) elephants were regarded as holy in ancient times in Thailand and other Asian countries. Keeping a white elephant was a very expensive undertaking, since the owner had to provide the elephant with special food and provide access for people who wanted to worship it. If a Thai King became dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant. The gift would, in most cases, ruin the recipient.

To give a white elephant gift today is to take something you already have but really do not want, wrap it up, and give it as a gift to someone else, usually at one of those ubiquitous Christmas parties.

Nobody wants the white elephant.

When God gave to the world the first Christmas gift, nobody wanted it at first …

“And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them,” Luke 2:4-6.

No one seemed to have room to put up an unwed teenage couple with the female about ready to give birth. Who wants to receive that kind of responsibility? It’s kind of like getting the white elephant.

But unlike the white elephant, the gift God was giving wouldn’t ruin you. Instead, it would save you. It would be the single greatest source of blessing anyone could ever receive.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him,” John 3:16-17.

Even though God is the perfect giver of gifts, He actually wants us to take the gift of Jesus Christ and re-gift it to others. Instead of a white elephant, we can share with others the gift of the pure Lamb of God.

There is no better gift you can give this Christmas than the gift of the Lamb. Pass it on!

Scotty