The Gift Experience
VARIATION ON A THEME:A gift experience
Reuben: Hi Caleb. Come and look at this new Gift Catalogue; it seems that there's a new kind of present on the market now, which is proving very popular indeed. It's called a 'GIFT EXPERIENCE'.
Caleb: Haven't got time man, we’re due on the fields near Bethlehem tonight, AND I hear the sheep have been restless all day.
Reuben: Just take a look, it won’t take you too long. It says you can drive a Formula One car for a day, at £1,000
(Caleb: Wow)
Caleb: Or a trip in a hot-air balloon (£190) sky diving ( £280)…bungee jumping (£100) or, wait for it, there's an afternoon in a recording studio (£180)
Caleb: Come on, have you heard me sing?
Reuben: Well, what about a pamper session at a health club at around £140. It seems that this is becoming more and more popular with men now as well as women.
Caleb: I'm NOT interested Reuben, Can't afford it! Anyway these experiences are all over in a flash, and forgotten in no time, and you feel you've wasted all your money for nothing.
Reuben: Hang on Caleb, look at this section:
It says if you are worried about choosing the wrong activity and would like a wider choice, they have now brought out a MULTI-CHOICE OPTION, eight activities in one gift package, and you just can choose any one which one you fancy.
It says there are no age restrictions, no need to take out personal insurance, and 'participants can share the experience with four other people.'
See Benjamin, Daniel and Titus could come in on it too.
Caleb: So what's on offer? (his shepherd friends, Ben, Dan, and Titus gather round)
Reuben: Choice 1 Relax and take time off work.
(Benjamin: I could do with that, it's a cold time of the year, looking after sheep.)
2 Spend a whole night under the stars in a far- eastern beauty spot
(Daniel: We do that already)
3 Have a heart thumping spooky experience in the dead of night.
(Titus: I fancy that one)
4 A concert ticket to listen to a heavenly choir
(Caleb: That would be pleasant)
5 Go on an exciting treasure hunt
(Benjamin: Now that sounds good, but what kind of treasure?)
6 Free entry to see a show ‘Saviour of the World’ or ‘The Messiah’
(Daniel: The Saviour of the world! I’ve wanted to see that for ages)
7 There's two more offers here; a chat with two celebrities, whose names will go down in history
(Titus: mmmmmm…it would depend who they were)
8 A chance to do an interview about your most vivid experience.
(All: OOOOOH?)
Reuben finishes off by saying: There you have it: but you can only choose ONE.
Caleb: Well it’s too much to take in right now, when we’re supposed in the fields right now, keeping watch over our flocks by night.
Reuben:
O.K. all of you , but remember, chances like these don't come round very often.
Mind you, I wouldn’t mind experiencing all of those all at once.
That night was the shepherds finest hour!
Every event in that MULTI CHOICE LIST came to be, in that very same order. But the ultimate gift experience for these shepherds, was to gaze on the face of their Messiah, the Son of God…PURE LOVE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, one who was to save them from their sins, and be a light to a people walking in darkness.
They didn't have to pay, because this gift was free…and it was an experience so wonderful they immediately wanted to share with others.
We're not talking about a gift that was only available THEN, but one also available today, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!
We can accept this gift now.
He is the gift you can give away and keep at the same time.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him shall not die…
But have eternal life.