December is a busy month. There are lots of celebrations and programs. With so much to do, there are some things that don’t get done as quickly as others. Christmas letters and Christmas cards, sometimes even Christmas gifts are late for once bought, the presents must be wrapped and sent to the recipients.

I hope that all the gifts you receive and give in this season will remind you of the gift that God himself has given. It will not break, be in the wrong size or go out of style. It needs no batteries, only faith to put into action. The gift that God gives at Christmas is the eternal Word of God in the form of a little baby boy. Isaiah has told it. For unto us a son is born. Unto us a Son is given and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The gift God gives is the Savior. The gift is wrapped, not in colorful paper or even glittery foil, but in light. In him was light and the light was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not understand it. God’s gift was not hurriedly chosen. He planned it from the beginning. God’s design to save was stated way back in the Garden of Eden, when the first need for salvation came. God’s gift was carefully chosen so it could be exactly what was needed.

And the gift came at just the right time. When in the fullness of time had come, when everything was ready, when we would be able to see, God sent his Son for us. It was no accident that Jesus was born when he was. He was born at a time when the gospel could quickly go throughout much of the world because of common language, well-worn trade routes and opportune culture.

God wrapped this present and placed him in a manger. It had no music box jingle with it. Instead there was a heavenly choir. Now there is presentation for you! Just to be sure that we would not mistake this gift for something else, the choir of heaven sang the praises of God at the birth of Jesus. It was as if they said, "This is the present for you. Don’t miss it."

This present had no ribbon or bow. Instead it was adorned with a special star—a star that guided even gentiles and strangers to the gift. The wise men saw the star and followed. It showed that a king would be born. They went to find him and pay their respects. There were many other kings born, but they had no celestial herald marking their arrival. They had no distant visitors to come to their cradle. But then again, they were not the gift that God had wrapped in light, accompanied with angelic song and marked with a special star. This is Christ the King whom shepherds guard and angels sing.

This present is not just the fact that a boy was born. Don’t misunderstand and miss the gift. It is not just that this son was born as a gift, wrapped in unmistakable glory. The gift has a special part for you. The gift is mentioned in verse 12: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Do you see the word gave? He gave the right to become children of God. There is the heart of the gift for you. It is not just that Jesus came with great fanfare. He gave to give you a gift—you can become a child of God. You can receive grace and truth, as it says in verse 18. This is for you. This happened to change your life.

What is the most important part of gift-wrapping? It is not the paper, bow, ribbon or tinsel. In the same way, the gift that God gives through this child is not special just because it is wrapped in light, accompanied by angels or a special star. What is more important than the tag that says who the gift is for? The gift needs a tag that says, who it is for and who it is from.

How would you feel if all the gifts under the tree had no labels on them, No way to tell who was to open them? That would not be fun. You grab a package and rip it open, but you don’t know if it was for you. You don’t feel any love from the person who gave it because you don’t know if it was yours in the first place.

You could have the best wrapping job ever, but if no one knew whose present it was, everyone would be uneasy about opening it. On the other hand, you could have the worst wrapping job ever—it could be folded over in the plastic bag from the store—but if it was clearly given to you, it would still be a present in the truest sense of the word. Even if there is no tag, but the giver handed it to you saying, "Here, this is for you," that would be enough to indicate that the gift is for you.

God wrapped this gift of eternal life. God wrapped this gift of becoming a child of God. Who is this gift for? On the package at Christmas this gift is marked this way: To all who receive Jesus, to all who believe on his name. That is who the gift is for. It does not say: to all who are born in a certain country. It does not say: to all who are born in a certain family. It is to all who receive the Christ and believe on his name.

Is that you? Do you receive this Child-King? Do you believe on his name? Then this gift from God is for you. Unwrap it with joy. Receive it with gladness. If you have never believed on Christ, then it is time to do so. The gift of God is there for all who receive it and believe on his name. I hope you will know this gift to be yours and you have a very merry Christmas indeed.