Remember the Christmas Eve jitters? When I was growing up, Christmas Eve was the best day of the year. I still remember gazing at the boxes underneath the Christmas tree, imagining what was in each one. I remember lying in bed, tossing and turning, because I couldn’t wait to get up the next morning. Something about seeing my gifts made Christmas Eve a very exciting experience.
I read Luke 1 this morning, and apparently, Elisabeth, John the Baptist, and Mary had a similar experience. Mary went to visit Elisabeth, her cousin, while pregnant with Jesus, and when she greeted Elisabeth, John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elisabeth’s womb. Thereafter, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, and she rejoiced over the blessing Mary had received from God. Finally, Mary celebrated God for His kindness toward her. Long story short, they were so excited they couldn’t hide it!
Jesus is the best gift ever because He causes great excitement! While on earth, Jesus was so exciting that people behaved uncharacteristically: blind men screamed for His attention, sick people pressed their way through crowds to touch Him, and people who He had healed couldn’t help spreading the good news about Him. Jesus is the most exciting present every given. Just think about how blessed you are because of His influence in your life, and I’m sure you’ll find a reason to rejoice.