The story is told of Shah Abbis, a Persian Monarch who loved his people very much.  In order to know and understand them better, he would mingle with his subjects in various disguises.  One day, disguised as a peasant, he came to the public baths and wandered around for a while.  Just before noon, he wandered into the boiler rooms, where a workman was about to partake of his lunch.  He was the keeper of the fires at the baths.  Shah Abbis sat down and visited with him, and by and by the fireman offered him part of his meager lunch.  The emperor accepted.  A couple of days later the emperor returned.  This time he brought his lunch with enough food for both of them, but not the kind that would be served on an emperor's table lest he do anything that might reveal his identity.

Again and again Shah Abbis returned just to talk with him.  A deep, warm affection grew in his heart for that simple, honest fire-man.  One day, after they had finished their lunch, he told the fireman who he was and produced the proof.  The fireman's face turned white and his hands went up in fear.  The emperor said, “Please don't be afraid.  I'm exactly the same man that you've been eating lunch with every day.  I don't want you to be afraid of me.  I want to give you the nicest gift that you have ever received.  What would you like to have?”

Slowly the fear left the fireman and a smile came over his face.  He said, “I've always thought of the emperor as so powerful, so strong, so mighty that I trembled whenever I thought of him.  I didn't know you were like this, so warm and so kind.  It's been a joy to have you come by.  As for the gift, I don't want anything costly.  Give me what you have been giving me.  Come back at times and just sit down and talk with me.” *

At Christmas, some will think of the birth of Jesus.  Although we don’t know the exact date of His birth, it’s most important to understand WHY Jesus came from heaven and was born as a baby.  If you want to know why Jesus came, search for His “I have come” statements in Scripture (see Luke 19:10; John 6:38; 9:39; 10:10; 12:46; 18:37).

Here are a few reasons that Jesus came:

To demonstrate God’s love.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).  In order that we might live, Christ had to die for our sins (Romans 5:8).

At Christmas, some may acknowledge that Christ was born into the world.  May the world know WHY He came: to show us God, to show us how much God loves us, and to show what God wants to give us.

Won’t YOU accept His Gift on His terms?

-- David A. Sargent