Dear Redeeming Grace,

With the celebration of Jesus's birth just days away, I suspect we may be reflecting on him more. And there are many passages of scripture that help us marvel at the gift of God's Son. One that has been on my heart and mind the last few days is the familiar passage from Luke 2.

When an angel of the Lord visits the shepherds, watching sheep in the night on the hillside, he makes this statement to them:

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11 ESV)

Two words in that passage have rung in my mind as I've tried to joyfully treasure them. Unto you.

When we give a gift, don't we often address it to someone? In the coming days, many of the Christmas trees in our homes will be wreathed in gifts, each perhaps with a tag stating who the gift is for.

And so I marvel as I read those words -- unto you. To us, who do not deserve God's merciful kindness, he gives the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. He gives his Son. And his Son is glorious. He is the eternal Son of God who has come to be our Savior. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One. And He is the Lord, the sovereign ruler of all things in heaven and on earth.

So may we marvel once again in these coming days at the gift of God given to us. Our Savior, who is Christ the Lord.