White Elephant

Dec 21, 2021

"She [Mary] will give birth to a son and give Him the name Jesus, because He will save God's people from their sins."

- An Angel of the Lord, Matthew 1:21

A little boy prayed on Christmas Eve, "Dear God, I can't wait to open up my gifts on Christmas morning!" And God replied, "Neither can I!"

Anybody dislike White Elephant gift exchanges at Christmastime? I have a friend who despises them with a passion. He complains that the event is destined to disappoint. What is a White Elephant gift? It's the gift nobody wants that's disguised with dazzling wrapping paper in the hopes of duping some unsuspecting person into choosing it. How many times have you and I chosen a beautifully wrapped gift in excited anticipation, only to have our hopes dashed as we opened the gift and discovered that toaster oven that Bob got last year.

I personally believe that there are no new White Elephant gifts because the same old gifts just keep circling back around year after year. Which is why the popularity of this ritual is so bizarre during a season when we celebrate the God of Heaven sending us the greatest gift of love we have ever been given - Jesus!

2800 hundred years ago, the Prophet Isaiah cried out to God, "Oh that you would burst from the heavens and come down!" (Isaiah 64:1). Back then, no one ever dreamed that He would… But one day He did! In a little, backwater Judean town called Bethlehem, with no fanfare, God came from heaven to earth. God put skin on. The Word became flesh. God sent His Son into our world on Christmas Day, and His mother named Him, "Jesus, because He would save God's people from their sins." God answered Isaiah's prayer by sending us the greatest Christmas gift of all - Himself!

So, it's puzzling, isn't it? Why the White Elephant gift exchange? I mean, If God sent us His very best, shouldn't we respond by giving Him our very best on Christmas Day? What would that look like? How about…

...our best behavior...

...our best attitudes...

...our best energies towards helping the poor and feeding the hungry...

...our best efforts to love our neighbors...

...our best attempts to read the Bible, to pray, to attend church...

...our best efforts to try harder to be good...

The problem is… that's not what God wants. In Isaiah 64:6, the prophet said, "our best efforts are like filthy rags in His eyes."

He doesn't want our best… He wants our worst! That's why He came. The angel said that Jesus came to rescue us from our sins. Wow! This could just be the single greatest White Elephant gift exchange in the history of the world!

God gives us His very best. He gives us Himself in Jesus… and what does He want in return? Our sin! What kind of gift is that?

"Merry Christmas, Jesus!

Here's my messed up life!

Here's my brokenness!

Here's my pride!

Here's my failures!

Here's my regrets!

Here's my immorality!

Here's my guilt!

Here's my hurts!

Here's all the Stuff nobody knows about but You!”

And Jesus will pick that gift up from under the tree… ‘cause it's wrapped up real pretty on the outside… open it, smile, and say to you, "Thank you, my son! Thank you, my daughter! It's just what I've always wanted from you!" And in exchange He will give you Love! Acceptance! Forgiveness! A new life! Ha! The gift you thought He'd never want, is the gift He's dying to get… Your sin and my sin!

So, this Christmas, as you think about what to get Jesus on His birthday, remember… He doesn't want your best. He wants your worst! Why not lay it before Him as you pray,

"Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Well, here it is… the good, the bad, the ugly...

I'm not pretending anymore...

I'm not trying to impress anybody...

I'm done with this false spirituality...

Here I am… the real me!

Save me from my sin!"