I AM GIFT

They belonged to you, and you gave them to me… John 17:6

Have you ever thought of yourself as a gift from God the Father to Jesus His Son? The Creator has given us to Jesus so that we may believe in the love the Father has for His Son and the love they both have for us.

John 17 is known as “The Priestly Prayer” because John presents it as the prayer of Jesus before His arrest. Jesus prays for us, because we have been given to Him by God, His Father. How precious we are to our God! Knowing the love His Son has for us, He presents Him with the gift of the creatures He created!

A gift is given with no strings attached, a sign of a person’s love and esteem for the receiver. Gifts are treasured possessions, cherished as a reminder of the giver. When we receive a gift it is usually offered in pretty paper with perhaps a bow and a card included. We tear the paper off in anticipation of what is hidden. When Jesus received each one of us, we were wrapped in the grace of God, the most beautiful wrapping a gift could have. If we think of ourselves as a “gift” we should envision the beauty that enfolded us and realize how precious we were before we were presented to Jesus. Our beauty has been from the beginning and will last through all eternity.

The loveliness and value of the gift increased when Jesus accepted it from the Father. The Father’s grace enveloped each one and continues to enhance our beauty as Jesus holds us in his hands and heart. …everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them” (John 17:10). As gift, we glorify Jesus!

Do we believe these words of Jesus? Do we reveal and reflect the Son’s glory in our words and actions? In verse 22-23 Jesus goes on to say that I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one…so that the world may know that you sent me and that you loved them even as you loved me.

Reflect on this! We are glorified with Jesus! The Father loves us as much as He loves His Son! The love the Father has for us could not be kept to Himself, so He gave His beloved creatures to His Son. Now, just as Jesus and the Father are one, we are part of that oneness.

The gift has been received from and shared with the Giver. The Giver and the Receiver cherish each one of us because of their great love for each other. If we are one with them, we share in the Divine Love between the Father and the Son. We are gift, prayed for, protected, cherished, forgiven, never forgotten, glorified, and always one with the Father and the Son.

Alma Maish