The Ultimate Christmas Gifts

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Every year during Christmas, the world is reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. On Christmas day, we exchange gifts in celebration of Christ's birth. In addition to laying down His life for our sins, are there other gifts Jesus gave to mankind? Through the precious sacrifice of His life, three extraordinary gifts were set in motion: Jesus became our Mediator between God and Man, the Holy Spirit began dwelling in the believers of Christ, and Jesus gave us the authority to use His name.

"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises" (Hebrews 8:6). Christ said in the Gospel of John that He is the only way; no man can go to the Father except through Him. A mediator is the middle person mediating between two other persons who are at enmity with each other. During the Old Covenant, ordinances had to be followed in order for the high priest to come into the presence of God. Under the New Covenant, Jesus became our mediator to God. The necessity of Jesus mediating on our behalf is explained very clearly in Hebrews, "Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them" (Hebrew 7:25). After the death of Christ, we no longer needed those ritualistic ordinances of the Old Testament. Jesus is the Everlasting High Priest who mediates with God on our behalf. Only through the atonement of His blood, can salvation be gained.