It's time to get all your gifts wrapped!! But amidst all of the scurrying today, let's stop to look at the Reason we ARE getting "all wrapped up!"
1. The WRAPPED UP GIFT :The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth from His Throne above as an infant child, born of the VIRGIN Mary. He took off His Heavenly garments for about 33 years (still 100% God) and came to us robed in Human flesh: "And the Word was made FLESH and dwelt among us,.." John 1:14a. When Mary gave birth to Baby Jesus, Luke 2:7 says that she "WRAPPED HIM in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger..". The GREATEST GIFT this world has ever known was the GIFT OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR!!! This wrapping of Jesus in the swaddling showed He was the Gift of God to us: "For the wages of sin is death, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD." Romans 6:23.
2. The WRAPPED UP WILL: This custom of wrapping newborns in strips of cloth or a blanket is to provide warmth and comfort to the child, by limiting the movement of the child, in a sort of "constraint." This also represented the fact that our Saviour came not to do HIS OWN WILL, BUT THE WILL OF THE FATHER! "For I came down from heaven, NOT TO DO MINE OWN WILL, but the will of HIM THAT SENT ME." John 6:38. He WILLINGLY obeyed the Will of God the Father and would offer HIMSELF, the Spotless Lamb of God!! Was not Isaac bound in constraints when laid upon the altar by Abraham? Gen 22:9 He was a perfect type of the Lord Jesus in obeying the will of the Father in being offered as the sacrifice!! In bowing to the Father's will, we will have comfort and perfect peace knowing we are in obedience. "I delight to do thy will, O my God..." Psalm 40:8a. The swaddling clothes were also a perfect picture of the fact that HE WAS BORN TO DIE! He would be wrapped, once again, after Nicodemus and Joseph would take down His body from the cross, in burial clothes, John 19:38 &39.
3. The WRAPPED UP WARRIOR: The next time our Lord comes, HE WILL be WRAPPED UP in VERY DIFFERENT CLOTHING!!! He is coming in HIS KINGLY ROBE, DIPPED IN BLOOD, with vengeance for His Name, Word, and His Saints!! "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and HE that sat upon him was called FAITHFUL AND TRUE, and in righteousness HE DOTH JUDGE AND MAKE WAR!.... And He was CLOTHED WITH A VESTURE DIPPED IN BLOOD: and HIS NAME IS THE WORD OF GOD....And HE hath on his vesture and on HIS thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Rev. 19:11, 13 & 16. Our Lord IS RETURNING SOON!! Then HE WILL WRAP IT ALL UP!!! Sin, Death, and Hell will be cast into the lake of fire!! In the Lord's eyes, this is ALREADY DONE and He is waiting on HIS PERFECT TIMING for it to take place, (Rev. 20:1-3 & 21:5).
The question we must all ask ourselves this Christmas is "What am I WRAPPED UP IN??" Are we wrapped up in what WE WANT, instead of what we can GIVE to others? Mary and Joseph could have very well decided to NOT FOLLOW GOD'S LEADERSHIP, and follow through with their own wants and desires, but they BOWED TO THE WILL OF THE MASTER, putting their lives on hold! If they had done so, LOOK AT ALL OF THE BLESSINGS THEY WOULD HAVE MISSED!!!!! Are we more wrapped up in OUR WILL OR THE LORD JESUS' WILL FOR US? Are we wrapped up in pride or humility? Are we wrapped up in a "religion" or a right RELATIONSHIP with our Redeemer? This Christmas, let us all pray and ask the the Lord to show us what we are TRULY WRAPPED UP IN! "And let this mind be in you , which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, and became OBEDIENT unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:5-8
