Receiving a gift is special; it is an expression of love. The more precious the gift, the more precious the person is to the giver. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the ultimate gift – himself, voluntarily dying for us (1 Tim 2:5,6).  Without his sacrifice, we would have no hope, we would be destined for a fate worse than death. Accepting his gift is the only way we can be saved from the dreadful fate we all otherwise face (Joh 3:18).

His death for us is extraordinary for several reasons:

1. He chose the time and place. During his life, there were many attempts to murder him.  This began at a very young age when a ruler ordered that all children of the same age as Jesus be killed (Mat 2:13-16).  The last attempt, ironically, was when he was crucified – they went to break his legs so he would die but were too late; the Lord Jesus Christ had already died by separating his spirit from his body (Luk 23:46, Joh 19:31-33).
2. He planned it before he created the heavens and the earth (Acts 2:23). It is remarkable to reflect that the Lord Jesus Christ created humans despite knowing that they would treat him so horrifically (Isa 52:14, Isa 53:7-9).
3. He did this out of love. Despite knowing all things that would happen to him (Joh 18:4) he willingly allowed cruel people to torture and torment him for the joy that was set before him (Heb 12:2).
4. He resurrected himself. Several accounts of his appearances are recorded; this includes to his disciples, over 500 people at once, and twice after he returned to heaven (1 Cor 15:4-8, Rev 1:17-18).

The Lord Jesus Christ, unlike anyone else, was born to die so that we might all have eternal life.  It was deliberate and out of love for us.  It saves us, if we believe, from a fate too awful to imagine, providing us with a destiny too amazing to understand.