What makes something extravagant at Christmas?
Is it cost alone? I don't think so.
Is it the sacrifice made to purchase the gift?
Maybe.
Does a handmade gift qualify for extravagant? Possibly. But there's more.
Top 5 Christmas gifts for kids in 2019:
—Skyrocket Blume Doll.
—Zuru Pets Alive Boppi the Booty Shakin Llama.
—Little Live Pets Scruff-A-Luvs Family Pack.
—Ryan's World Super Surprise Safe.
—Ryan's World Giant Egg Surprise.
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—Bonus gift: Disney Frozen 2 Into the Unknown Singing Feature Elsa Doll.
Top 5 gifts sold in 2019:
—Apple AirPods.
—Instant Pot.
—Eufy RoboVac 11s.
—Away Large Suitcase.
—Gravity Blanket.
Check out some for-real extravagant gift ideas:
—A Giant Infrared Healing Clam — $14,000.
—24 Karat Gold Shoe Laces — $24,000.
—Dolce and Gabbana's DG2027B sunglasses — $383,609.
—A 52 Carat Diamond Dog Collar — $3.2 million.
—A few years ago, the Dallas Cowboys Luxury Package was $500,000. This package included a picture with Jerry Jones, a tailgate party and a luxury suite with food, drinks and friends.
—Playing a game with the Harlem Globetrotters estimated at $110,000 dollars.
—Ego Legos — A replica self-image of Legos costs $60,000 dollars.
These gifts seem over the top, but are they?
What is extravagant?
Maybe it's the gift that has great value to the giver? That's it.
Father God gave us His Son—His one and only Son.
That's extravagant.
So extravagant, many cannot believe it happened.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16, NKJV).
His name was Jesus Christ, and He came with gifts. His gifts to us are the gift of grace, the gift of salvation, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of eternal life.
We were banking when Christ showed up. He saved us from ourselves.
Here's how He came:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with a child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:18-21).
The greatest, most extravagant gift ever given was not a toy, a gadget or a thing—but a person.
"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14).
Good news.
Great joy.
A Savior, born for every person.
Christ is the most extravagant gift ever, and He came for you and me.
"So, everywhere we go, we talk about Christ to all who will listen, warning them and teaching them as well as we know how. We want to be able to present each one to God, perfect because of what Christ has done for each of them" (Col. 1:28, NLT). 
Thomas McDaniels is a pastor/writer and the guy behind thomasmcdaniels.com. He has written for ChurchLeaders.com and currently is a contributing writer for Fox News. He is also the founder of LifeBridge.tv and the Longview Dream Center in Longview, Texas. Thomas can be found on social media, on Instagram and on Twitter.
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