Gifts Beyond Christmas

Psalm 68, a messianic psalm, describes the Christ as One who gives gifts to men, loading them with benefits. The apostle Paul refers to this passage as he writes of Christ’s fulfillment of the prophecy in Ephesians chapter 4. Read the following passage which includes verses 7-13.

⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

 

Jesus Christ’s gifts to us extend far beyond the gift of His coming. He continues to gift individuals to lead His Church. In addition, He equips our lives to live victoriously in this last day. The person gift of equipping you and I can be a great testimony to the power of the resurrected Christ.

Think of your own life. How many times have you relied on Christ to carry you through a situation that was too hard to bear on your own? How many times have you stepped out in faith and God has provided the courage and strength you needed to complete the task He set in front of you? How many times has someone asked you “How did you ever…?” and you replied “It was God!”

Every situation you recall is a product of God’s giving.

As you prepare for Christmas, take time to stop and reflect on the many gifts God has given you. Equipping you to live a victorious life is just one. Look around you and acknowledge His goodness to you. He gets great pleasure by gifting you, His child. It is one of the reasons He came.

A Bruised Head

The first glimpse of our Savior leaps off the page early in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 3:15, God tells the serpent the Seed of a woman will bruise his head. God predicts enmity between Jesus and the devil. Throughout the New Testament, we see the devil plant doubts in the hearts of the people and stir up hatred in the hearts of the Jewish leaders. While Satan hoped for victory, when Christ rose from the dead his triumph over evil was complete. Evidence of His victory is recorded in the following New Testament verses.

Hebrews 2:14 [NKJV] reads “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, this is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

1 John 3:8 “…the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

While Christ’s work of salvation is complete, He continues to bruise the devil’s head.

Jesus continually works on our behalf to thwart the plans Satan has for us. While Satan schemes and manipulates circumstances to harm us, God’s good plans for us prevail. Christ not only redeemed us from eternal damnation, He redeems our lives from the heartache and destruction of sin.

In Genesis 50:20 Joseph explains to his brothers “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.”

Do you find yourself wondering about your current circumstances? Is it hard to recognize the big picture from your view point? Yes, it is true that the devil is working against you, but your Messiah will continue to put him in his place. As you remain in Christ, the devil cannot harm you. Your Savior has overcome and will bruise the serpent’s head as many times as needed to ensure your victory!