Christmas is a season for gifts. May I speak of the greatest single gift that has ever been given?

Consider these words: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) What a gift!

On the night those shepherds, just and holy men they were, kept watch over their flock by night, an angel of the Lord appeared in glory to them and announced, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) – a Savior, the gift of a Savior.

You know, for most of my life I have not fully appreciated this title of the Master. Maybe I still don’t. But I know that my understanding has recently begun to change. May I share an experience?

Years ago while at the hospital for the birth of one of our children, things had progressed to that point where delivery of the child was only moments away. I was as tense as a cat. I watched the monitoring nurse doing routine checks, and noticed that suddenly her facial expression changed. I sensed instantly that something was wrong.

A call went out, a doctor ran into the room and confirmed that the baby was in serious trouble. Normal delivery would kill her. And even though now it was an unlikely time of the day, the call went throughout the hospital, and a team of doctors and nurses were [was] scrambled. All the while one doctor and one nurse worked with great effort and skill to save my baby’s life. Within minutes of the first alarm, an emergency caesarean section was performed and the baby was saved.\

The nurses took me and took the baby down to the nursery where she was cleaned and examined. When they were done, I had the choice privilege of holding her for the first time. As I sat in that chair and looked into that little face, I was overcome with one of the most profound feelings of gratitude I have ever felt in my life, gratitude to my dear wife for her sacrifice, gratitude to God for a beloved and perfect new daughter, and not the least, gratitude to trained self-sacrificing doctors and nurses, saviors if you will of my little daughter.

Now every so often I look at her, and I remember how I almost lost her, and how she was saved from sure death, and I’m reminded in a deeper and a more personal way of what it means to have the gift of a Savior, ‘which is Christ the Lord.’

Merry Christmas to you.