Christmas Would Be Meaningless Without The Gift
(Read Ephesians 2 & Romans 8)
This sounds ironic, maybe hypocritical for me to write, but Christmas is about gifts. Actually, one gift. In society, Christmas is a time of celebration, good will, festivities, and gatherings. For Christians, it’s when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Most scholars don’t believe He was born on December 25th. That date was actually during a pagan feast and perhaps Jesus’ birth was attributed to that time to make it a festive holiday. Jesus was probably not born in year 1 A.D. either. More than likely, He was born around the time when King Herod the Great died, around 4 – 6 B.C.
While, these historical anecdotes won’t change anyone’s heart, they are important to remind believers not to attach more importance to the glitter of a holiday over the significance of it.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8
Truth be told, I’ve been trying to get my friend, the good doctor, to share his story with me for a long time. After all, he and his family were instrumental in us living here, joining our church, and being active members of our life group. I also knew from breadcrumbs he’d leave behind, that he had a pretty interesting story. All stories are equally important and equally interesting, but I was really curious about (B)’s story.
From the beginning of our conversation, he cited Ephesians 2:8 as being the light for his path in life. He smiled, “I will never meet God’s standards. I am who I am only through God’s grace and what He did on the cross.” Yep. Our salvation is a complete gift of God. It might be free, but it comes at a cost.
(B) knows Scripture as well as anyone I know. He can recite it and apply it at will but his humility is what is so appealing about him. I wondered about his first awareness of God and how that affected him. He answered, “I first experienced God as a 5-6 year old when I was adamant about being saved.” His parents divorced when he was 9 and he and his brother went to live with his grandmother. “My Grandmother was instrumental in getting church into my life. I fell off a bit as I got older,” he said.
Shortly after high school, (B) got married and returned to some semblance of church life. He made an uncomfortable face and continued, “In my 20’s I started questioning my salvation. Was it real?” (B) is a deliberate man. He’s a physician. He doesn’t do things without thinking them through, without weighing them. So he was questioning his childhood commitment to accept Christ, not that it was a childish commitment, and was Baptised a second time. “I’m a double-dipper.” We both laughed.
“In my life, I’ve seen firsthand, God’s presence and power. God allows us to go through trials to be better followers. He’s refining us.” (B)’s statement reminded me of God’s refining and sharpening process throughout the Bible.
“So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:7
“My second deployment was during a U.S surge in 2010,” he said as his demeanor changed a little. “My 1st deployment was great, my 2nd was the worst time in my life.” I learned that he was originally positioned in a moderately well-protected zone outside the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. “I flew home after my Dad had a heart attack,” he said. Shaking his head, in amazement, not condemnation, “I could’ve stayed to care for my Dad, but I felt an obligation to return to my post.”
Upon his return, (B) had been moved to a different base in a more forward and less secure position. My friend is a medical doctor. His group was to work with the local people and national police in a supportive role. Normally, there were long lines of workers within the perimeter seeking any kind of medical assistance they could get.
“Something was off. There were no lines this night.”
I interrupted, “Uh oh.”
“No one noticed,” he said.
“I ate dinner with one of my medics, showered, and called home.” The medic’s enlistment term had expired, but he was being kept there because of his deployment requirement. Some kind of bureaucratic entanglement, I thought. “He was telling me how he planned on going back home to the midwest and his huge tract of land. Ultimately though, his plan was for an office job.”
Did I mention, my friend is detail oriented? He began reading from his phone. He wanted to get the facts exactly right.
He continued, “Then it happened. The worst night of my life. BOOM, a very loud blast! I had no idea what it was but it had to be a bomb of sorts. I immediately jumped up and ran to the bunker just 50 feet or so away. I moved near the middle of the bunker, but within seconds we heard gunfire from within the bunker!”
Out of curiosity, I looked up the event online to read about his fellow soldiers, and according to multiple reports, that’s exactly how the battle unfolded.
“We all ran for the exit. It was crazy. People were falling down, others crawling over them. BOOM again, this time a grenade or RPG (rocket propelled grenade), then more small arms fire.”
According to my friend, there’s a protocol for medical professionals in these times, “Care under fire.” (B) explained, “I was treating the wounded.” So was the medic that my friend had just eaten dinner with. Then, something hit them. The medic was hit in the head and another soldier laid unconscious. Even after being hit, the medic was still caring for protecting his fellow soldier.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
“Eventually a company of infantrymen came to the tent to help move the wounded. These 3 casualties were loaded onto a medevac helicopter to be moved to a hospital for critical care. My friend, as a surgeon, needed to fly with the injured men to provide the highest level of medical care available. “I placed a tourniquet on one guy’s arm, monitored the intubation of another, and put in an IV while grenades were still going off. All the while, I continuously assessed their mental status by prompting them to squeeze my hand.”
Upon arrival at the hospital, my friend was observed as having an acute combat stress reaction and became a patient himself. He had shrapnel wounds and was tachycardic. From my friend’s bed, he could see the CT of the injured medic. Sadly, his head injury was unsurvivable.
“I flew home in August and was then brought up on charges for a fact finding session for a pre-trial.” Wow, I couldn’t believe it! My friend was being accused of leaving his post during a time of need.
We learn from Romans 8:28 that all things (the good, the bad, and the ugly) we meet in life work together for our benefit. Amidst the chaos of our suffering if we look hard enough, we will see the grace. Romans 8 is about living with grace in this broken world.
“Despite this, I had a sense of peace,” (B) said.
While at church shortly after returning home, my friend shared this personal story with another medical provider. My friend is a closed lip and private guy. He rarely shares anything this deep outside his family. But he did. Later, his surgeon friend from church told (B)’s story to another medical friend who was also an infantryman who had served in Afghanistan. “This guy instantly remembered the event because he was there as a soldier,” (B) exclaimed. My friend then quoted the guy who remembered the battle, “‘With full certainty, (B) did the right thing.’ He became an expert witness at my pre-trial and all charges were dropped.” There was a pause in the conversation. “God orchestrated the entire event.”
“Wow, that’s so random,” I said. We laughed.
(B) stated, “It happened for a reason. Control is an illusion. God put these pieces together at this time. This guy was there in the nick of time. He took care of the details.” As He always does.
The truth of Romans 8:28 reminds us that no matter how strong sin is, God is more powerful. His grace redeems and restores anything for our good and His glory. All things are not good, but God will use all of them for good.
“It was a humbling experience. I learned that I’m not in control.” My friend is the brilliant, soulful, and gentle leader of our life group. Aside from being a loving friend and brother in Christ, he is incredibly gifted in teaching God’s word. “Obedience is better than sacrifice,” he quoted from 1 Samuel. “God got me through this, He can get me through anything. I don’t doubt His will for me.”
My friend prepares for Christmas by getting the lighter, more shiny stuff out of the way early in the season and spends the Advent period focusing on the true meaning. He devotes quiet time to God’ Word and especially enjoys hymns and more serious songs.
Gift-giving is an act of love. In some ways, so is receiving. Especially on Christmas, we need to recognize and receive the most wonderful, meaningful gift we could ever receive. “A gift of God.” When asked about hope, my friend said, “God is the source of all this. Nothing is beyond His grasp. All hope rests in Him.”
Today is Christmas day! The day we celebrate God coming down to earth to deliver us, to redeem us. Jesus Christ gave us the greatest gift we could ever ask for. A gift we don’t deserve. With Jesus, we are saved by grace through faith.
“Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade
Why Him with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl
Now I’m not one to second guess
What angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the World”
A Strange Way to Save the World — Mark Harris
Merry Christmas!
Key Applications:
- “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
This Christmas, keep it simple.
Matthew 22:38-40
Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.