The Greatest Gift of All: Eternal Life…

Hello Friends,

We are only two weeks away from celebrating Easter! Are you getting excited? Are you counting down to the day until the Easter Bunny leaves you colorful eggs and a basket filled with sweets and other gifts? We have been planning for this day for several weeks now; and it is only fourteen days away. I hope you are ready!

As we think about Easter, there is something that we need to consider. Rather, there are two things that we need to consider: grace and eternal life. Have you ever heard these words before? They are said a lot during church. “Through grace we have been saved” (Ephesians 2:8). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). How are we saved by grace? What is eternal life? Let me break these words down for you.

It was December 1772, in Olney England. At the age of 47, John Newton, began the writing of a hymn that would grow increasingly more popular over the next 349 years. In his song, “Amazing Grace,” Newton writes about a grace that is immense; he writes about amazing grace, one that saved him out of his wretchedness. By looking within the hymn “Amazing Grace,” one is able to understand a little bit about Newton’s personal conversion. Although every person’s conversion story is unique, there is something about this hymn that remains relatable to Christians everywhere. Newton discusses where he was when he found God, or rather, when God found him. He was a wretch. He was lost. He was blind in sin. Grace saved him.

Grace abounds even in times of suffering and sorrow, and has the ability to bring us closer to God and to those around us. Grace is a gift given to us by God. We didn’t have to do anything to receive this gift. God knew we needed grace: we needed something that would bring us closer to God. And as we get closer to God, we are given something amazing. We are given eternal life.

Now, I need you to use your imagination: Look at this beautifully wrapped package. As you can probably guess by the way it is wrapped, there is a gift inside. Do any of you like to receive gifts? Of course you do! I can’t imagine anyone saying that they don’t enjoy receiving a gift. If I were to give this package to you and ask you to give me five dollars, would it be a gift? No, if you have to pay for it or do something to receive it, it isn’t a gift. When someone gives you a gift, it doesn’t cost you anything. It doesn’t come with any conditions. (Just like grace!) All you have to do is accept it. That’s what makes it a gift.

What was the best gift you have ever received? Was it your first bicycle? Maybe it was an XBox 360® or a Sony PlayStation® or a Nintendo Wii or Switch. For some of you it may have been a battery-operated remote control car or, for others, it might have been a favorite stuffed toy. In a group like this, we might have a lot of different ideas about what makes a great gift, but today I want to tell you about our second gift that is, without question, the greatest gift ever given.

What is that gift? It is the gift of eternal life. It is the gift of God and it was given to anyone who wants to receive it. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Whoever — that’s you and me. The greatest gift of all is for you and me.

When someone gives you a gift, it is never polite to ask, “How much did it cost?” But in this case, the Bible tells us how much God’s gift cost — and the cost was great. It cost God his only Son. Can you imagine how much God loved us to send his one and only Son to earth to die on a cross so that we could have eternal life? Can you imagine how much Jesus loved us to be willing to die on that cross so that we could have eternal life in heaven?

Eternal life — what a gift! And all we have to do to receive it is believe and accept Jesus as our Savior.

With the free gift of grace that God gives us, we can receive the best gift of all: we can live forever with Jesus in our life. The best gift ever can change our life!

Let Us Pray: Thank you, Father, for the greatest gift of all. Thank you for Jesus, who loved us so much that he paid the price for our sin to give us the gift of eternal life and grace. Amen.

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!