A little girl was asked what was so special about Christmas.  She replied: Jesus has the birthday and we get the presents.  - Neat answer.

And we do get presents – usually I wait until after Christmas lunch to open mine but I can’t wait today so I’ve brought a few along to open.  I've got a Crib Scene which reminds me of the story we celebrate today; a Bible – God’s story and how we know about Jesus.  Because really, Jesus is the present.  God gave him to us to show how much he loves us and how much he wants us to live lives that are full of love –  because God IS love.

But Jesus also gives us presents – he gives us His love, of course, which is the best present we can receive.  But then he goes a bit further.  He not only loves us but the whole world and he wants the whole world to know it.  So he also gives the world a present –  he gives us.

He asks us to share his love with other people and show them that loving lives are those which want the best for others and that best is to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

So he chooses us to go out and do what the shepherds in today’s Gospel did – they told everyone they met what they had seen at Bethlehem – about how much God loves us – so much that he sent Jesus to show us how we can pass this on to others.

So now I’ll open some other presents

[Volunteers wrapped up as presents]

Each one of these is a present from God to the world – everyone of these people have been given that special job of showing God’s love to all they meet.  But you know – they aren’t the only presents – God asks all of us to do this thing on his behalf.  So we are all Presents.

The Little girl said that Jesus had the birthday and we get the presents.  She wasn’t quite right.  Jesus has the birthday and WE are THE PRESENTS he gives to the world