"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
. . .
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:2,6
Skipping a few verses in between here, not because they aren't interesting, but because I wanted to skip ahead to the light that the first verse is referencing, which is Christ. The wording here may have been what the angel was referencing in Luke 2: "Unto you is born this day ... a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." That "unto us / unto you" phrasing emphasizes the nature of the event as a gift.
I think sometimes the problem is that we don't accept the gift in our lives. We focus on the trappings of the season, worried about making sure everyone has gifts and stocking stuffers and food, being "careful and troubled about many things," but we forget to step back and focus on the "one thing [that] is needful" (Luke 10:41-42).
Today, let's ponder the greatest gift that we have been given, for this Christmas and all other days: the gift of Jesus Christ: his teachings and his atonement. Because of him, we have a path to study and use as an example. Because of him, we know that we can all be resurrected and live again. Because of him, we know that we can repent and change, being renewed not just in body, but if we choose, also in soul--being able to leave behind our mistakes and regrets and become new and better.... like Scrooge, and the Grinch, and the Prodigal Son. All stories of redemption are ultimately stories of Christ, who made it possible. :) Let's rejoice in our families and the time we have together, but not get so caught up in the trappings that we forget the most important thing of all. :) Jesus Christ has always been our greatest gift.
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