John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth came through Jesus Christ."
Over this Christmas season, the Church needs to enjoy and rejoice in unwrapping the Christmas Gift of Jesus. The Father gave the world the first Christmas Gift over two-thousand years ago, but many have left it unwrapped or in the same flesh wrappings it came in. We rejoice over a Gift many have never dared to unwrap and see what's inside that Gift. Through the Epistles, we read "in Christ Jesus," but we've never truly unwrapped what is in Christ Jesus for us and the world.
We stand at the manger adoring the child born to Mary, but we never understand that this Child is a Gift wrapped in flesh. Inside the adorning or wrapping of the flesh, is God Himself Who is being delivered to those He Loves. Isaiah 9:6 (Amplified) tells us, "For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 7:14 (Amplified) says, "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel, God with us."
In this Christmas Gift, is the Very Presence of God Himself. He has made Himself a Gift to us and we see how God feels about His Promises wrapped in the Gift He sent, in Psalm 12:6 (Amplified) which says, "The Words and Promises of the Lord are pure Words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over." Our Heavenly Father sent all His Promises to us, in One Gift, His Son Jesus. Jesus became a Promise Box to God's family and He was covered or wrapped in a body of flesh and blood, so we could see God, know God and appreciate the Gifts as He unwraps it in our presence.
Isaiah speaks of some of the Gifts wrapped in this Promise Box of flesh, in the above scripture. Paul writes about the flesh wrapping being removed in 2Corinthians 5:15-16 (Amplified), which says, "And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake. Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a purely human point of view (in terms of natural standards of value). No, even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, yet now we have such knowledge of Him that we know Him no longer in terms of the flesh."
Paul had obviously removed the outer wrappings of the flesh and was rejoicing in the Gifts that were wrapped in it. We learn from John 1:16-17 (Amplified) that, "Out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift." These are some of the things wrapped up in the Gift God delivered to mankind in Bethlehem on Christmas morning. When we open the Gift, like God did on the Cross, we can fully see what was in the package.
Hebrews 10:20 (Amplified) says, "By this fresh, new and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh." Jesus' flesh was the actual veil of the True Holy of Holies and when we look beyond it, we can see the fullness of things meant for us and reserved for us there. The Gifts once wrapped in Jesus' flesh are now opened and revealed to us, the ones for whom these Gifts were actually for. We only see the Glory at it's outward beauty, when we look at the Gift, without unwrapping it.
We carefully wrap the gifts we're planning to put under the tree. The children cannot see what's inside these presents, until they remove the wrapping. When the outer wrapping is removed, they can rejoice over the true gift held within them. Inside the veil of flesh of Jesus Christ, we find the True Gifts our Heavenly Father sent to us on that First Christmas, but we must unwrap it.
One of the Gifts this Package holds for us, is the Gift of Righteousness, according to Romans 5:17 (Amplified) which says, "For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense), death reigned through the one, much more surely will those who receive God's overflowing Grace (unmerited favor), and the free Gift of Righteousness putting them into right standing with Himself, reign as kings in life through the One Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
This Gift of Righteousness is seen only when we unwrap the package of the flesh. Many only read and focus on Romans 3:10 (Amplified) which says, "As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, No, not one." This was true before Jesus was given to us, but now through God's Gracious Gift, we have all received the free Gift of Righteousness, when we look inside the Package of His flesh.
Let's look again at John 1:16-17 (Amplified) to see what was wrapped in this Gift, born to a virgin two-thousand years ago. When we see Jesus on the cross and not see Him after the cross, we leave the Gift still unwrapped and unseen of it's true contents. 1Corinthians 2:9-10 (Amplified) says, "But on the contrary, as the scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared, made and keeps ready for those who love Him, who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed.Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the Holy Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God, the Divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny."
God has unveiled and revealed them, through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit will reveal the Gifts that are unwrapped by the Resurrected Christ, beyond the veil or the wrappings of the flesh, to us. Paul writes in 2Corinthians 5:16 (Amplified), "Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a purely human point of view, in terms of natural standards of value. No, even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, yet now we have such knowledge of Him that we know Him no longer in terms of the flesh." The True and Living Christ has been unwrapped.
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