For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Devotion based on Acts 13:47

A friend has Christmas gifts for your whole family, but they won’t be there to deliver them, so they put the gifts into a box and ask you to give them to your family.

What would you do? You would share those gifts with the people for whom they are intended, right? They are counting on you to deliver the gifts.

The gift of God has come into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. The words of our Bible verse for today were first spoken about him: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” God gave us Jesus to be a light for all people living in the darkness of sin. God gave us Jesus to bring salvation—rescue from death and eternal punishment—to the ends of the earth. God sent his Son to be a gift for all people.

But how do they receive that gift, especially now that Jesus has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven? Early Christian missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, recognized that God spoke these words to them. They were not the light themselves. They could not save anyone from death and hell. But God had a mission for them—to shine the light of Jesus for all to see, to hand out the gift of salvation to the whole world.

Think about the person who first told you about who Jesus really was. Think about all the people who have given you the gift of helping you see more clearly how Jesus saved you and forgives all your sins. Jesus is God’s gift for all the world, and those people made sure to deliver the gift specifically to you. Like them, you now get to give others the greatest gift of all—life and hope through Jesus their Savior. With whom will you share that gift today?

Prayer: