Matthew 2:1

Merry Christmas to you all. I've shown you in every way by laboring like this that you must support the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Father, thank You for Your word to us. Thank You for what this day represents as we sing glory to You, glory to God in the highest. You are high and lifted up, and yet You associated with us. Jesus, You came and associated with the low to reach out to us, to bring to us the greatest gift ever. God, You love the world so much that You gave Your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus, You came to give, to give everything, to give Your life for us and to teach us the blessedness of giving over receiving.

As we give gifts and receive gifts today, and maybe as some already have a little bit, Lord, we pray that we would be reminded of that blessing now as we think on Your word. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

It doesn't happen often that Christmas falls on a Sunday, but when it does, there's often a question at the church about whether or not we'll have services. As we were approaching Christmas being on a Sunday this year, I just assumed, well, everybody does services on Christmas because that's what we've always done. So here we are on Christmas morning.

As you're getting ready for it, you wonder who's going to show up. I'm very thankful that you're here. Merry Christmas, and thanks for coming. We had people come to the first service as well, although it felt a little chillier at that time. It's such a blessing to be able to gather together with you and to celebrate what this holiday means to us, to be reminded about the reason for this holiday, to worship together, and to rejoice together.

Over the last five weeks leading up to today, we have been in a series called "We Give," really focusing on the center point, if you will, of this holiday that is about giving and receiving. Just before Thanksgiving, we talked about giving thanks. Then we talked about giving comfort, giving mercy, and giving sacrificially as the Lord has given to us.

Last week, we talked about the thing that we're called to give, which might be the most difficult thing for us to offer: forgiveness. As I reflected on this topic this week, I wondered if anyone here faced a practical application of giving forgiveness. I won't ask you to raise your hand, but someone did, and I appreciate that. We are definitely challenged in this area all the time.

As we've been moving toward this holiday, we are discussing the importance of giving. All of these messages lead up to Christmas, a holiday more than any other that is truly associated with giving and receiving. Perhaps this morning you've already exchanged some gifts, or you're planning to do so as soon as we dismiss from our service.

Every year, as we approach this time, there is a joy and anticipation in exchanging gifts. Maybe in your home, like in mine, there are gifts laid out already, wrapped and ready to go. Our kids have been like I was when I was a child, eager to see whose box is for whom and how many gifts they have. The excitement is palpable. You know how it is when you're a kid; you wake up on Christmas morning, and you can't wait to go down and open your presents.

This morning, I was surprised when we went into our daughter's room to wake her up. Our daughter Addison, who is like me in that she doesn't like mornings, expressed her discontent by saying, "That was a really short sleep." It certainly was! But there is joy and anticipation in receiving a gift, as well as in giving one. Watching someone receive something you have been eager to give them brings immense joy.

When our oldest son came downstairs this morning, he found a longboard skateboard, and he was really excited about it. I hope he doesn't end up with another cast on his arm! The joy on their faces brings us joy as parents. Scientists tell us that this joy is related to a hormone release in our bodies, involving oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, among others. But is that the only reason we give gifts? Is it merely to experience that joy in giving?

Because Jesus talks about the blessedness of giving, I was thinking this week about the question: Why do we give gifts on December 25th? What is the purpose of giving these gifts on this day? In all reality, a lot of the reason we give gifts on December 25th is because it's our cultural tradition. If we lived in Holland, we might do it on a different day, like December 5th. If you're in Belgium or Germany, you may begin giving gifts on December 6th. In other parts of the world, gifts are given as late as January 6th.

It's interesting to see that more than 2 billion people around the world celebrate a holiday during this time of year, reminded of the birth of Jesus. In our culture, it is December 25th, and most Christians throughout the world do celebrate and exchange gifts on this day. But why? What is the reason for giving these gifts?

If you look at history, you find that going all the way back to the 3rd and 4th centuries, Christians have been celebrating the birth of Christ at this time of year in December. Of course, many theologians have told us that Jesus was not likely born in December or on December 25th. So why did we choose that time? Why did that day get chosen?

It's actually an interesting point in history. In the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., as Christianity was spreading through Europe, Christians wanted to impact, influence, and transform their culture. They looked at all the different events and celebrations that were significant in the culture at that time, and they sought to find a way to transform and redeem those things. One of the celebrations that people observed in Europe during that time was surrounding the winter solstice.

Some may say that Christmas is just connected to a pagan holiday, and there is some truth in that. However, it's important to understand why it happened that way. Christians were not trying to be worldly or involve themselves in pagan practices; rather, they were trying to transform their culture. They wanted to see their culture redeemed, and so they began to celebrate the birth of Christ at that same time of year.

They knew that they couldn't receive the traditions of those pagan holidays. They understood that just rejecting those traditions wouldn't make them go away. Instead, they decided to try and redeem this. In fact, they aimed not just to redeem it, but to replace it.

For a number of years, as we would lead up to Christmas and decorate the sanctuary, I would receive an anonymous letter from someone. I don't know who it is, and most of the time, I don't read anonymous letters. However, I actually looked forward to this one because it made me chuckle a little bit. The letter was essentially chastising me and the rest of the leadership of the church for celebrating Christmas, claiming that we were celebrating Saturnalia, a pagan holiday.

Here's the thing: in my lifetime, I've never actually met a person who celebrates Saturnalia. But I know a lot of people who celebrate Christmas. Why? Because Christians, for the last 1,600 plus years, have essentially crushed Saturnalia with Christmas. We celebrate Christmas, and in Christmas, we celebrate the giving of gifts. Yes, there are certain trappings of Christmas that have no connection to paganism whatsoever. In fact, the decorated Christmas tree has nothing to do with that. It originated from an event in the mid-1800s when a duke in Germany had a picture sent of him with his family around a decorated tree, and people started to do the same thing.

It's interesting to look at the trappings of Christmas that we celebrate today. A lot of it is not rooted in traditions from hundreds of years ago; rather, it's pretty recent and modern. But why do we give gifts as we celebrate at this time of year? We give gifts in honor of the gifts that were given to Jesus when he was born. We find that story in the Gospel of Matthew. If you would like, you can turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew. Turn to about the middle of your Bible and then turn to the right. You'll pass a whole bunch of names that are hard to pronounce, and finally, you'll get to Matthew after Malachi, just before Mark.

Matthew chapter 2 is where we find this story, starting at verse 1. It's amazing that these individuals, these wise men from the East, showed up in Jerusalem at the palace of the king.

They were given entrance, and there was something pretty awesome about this group of individuals traveling from the far east, probably from the region of Babylon, modern-day Iraq. For a period of time and for many miles, they had been following something they had seen in the stars. They believed this to be directing them to the King of the Jews, the Messiah.

They were ushered in to see King Herod, who was no doubt a little perplexed when he heard that a King of the Jews had been born. He thought, "Wait a minute. I'm the King of the Jews." How did these individuals, these wise men—often illustrated as three wise men because of the three gifts they brought—come to know this? It may have been a much larger group of ambassadors coming from the far east at that time.

As they arrived, they were given entrance to Herod. They said, "We want to see the one who was born King of the Jews. We have come to worship him because we have seen his star in the east." How did they know about this? Where did this tradition come from that caused them to leave their homes on a long journey with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to find this child who was born?

It is very likely that their understanding of this story came from the prophet Daniel, who lived about 500 years before Jesus. During the time when the children of Israel had been taken as prisoners of war and exiled in the kingdom of Babylon, one of those individuals was a man named Daniel, a prophet whose writings we read in the Scriptures. It is possible that this understanding of the one who had come, the King of the Jews, the Messiah, was passed down through Daniel or one of the other prophets.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the scribes and inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They understood that when the wise men spoke of the King of the Jews being born, they were referring to the Messiah. So, Herod asked the wise men in his city, "Where is the Christ to be born?" They knew the answer and said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet Micah in Micah chapter 5, verse 2."

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah. For out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. So they told the wise men from the East that he was going to be born in Bethlehem, not too far from here—just about eight miles from Jerusalem.

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go, search carefully for the young child. When you have found him, bring back word to me that I may come and worship him also." When they heard the king, they departed. Behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them until it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

When they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother. They fell down and worshiped him. When they opened their treasures, they presented gifts to him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Why do we give gifts this time of year? Well, it's in honor of the gifts that were brought to the King of Kings. Jesus was there in Bethlehem.

Listen, I get it. Christmas, as we know it—Christmas parties, cards, trees, lights, and the commercialized Christmas presents—has grown to be what it is in our nation in the year 2016. It really started in the mid-1800s and grew to grandeur in the biggest way in the 1950s. That has been what Christmas has come to be known for over the last half-century. This is what we have exported to other parts of the world as the essence of Christmas in our days.

In fact, I was watching a news show a couple of years ago; I think it was 60 Minutes or something similar. They did a news spot on Christmas in China. Do you realize that Christmas has become really big in China? People there love Christmas. They are all in with lights, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and the whole deal. It is now a huge market in China because they love American culture. However, there is nothing in that connected to the Bible and nothing connected to Christ.

They've got all the lights and all the Christmas trees. In fact, they export all that stuff to us. That's where we get everything. They have it right there, and there's no problem. They are all in on this whole thing, and that's what Christmas has come to be really known for.

Oftentimes, Christians look at this and get frustrated. Then you hear about the culture war, as it's been called in our nation, and the tension that has arisen in the last eight or nine years. People are getting upset and wanting to boycott groups because this store doesn't say "Merry Christmas"; they just say "Happy Holidays." We hear about all these issues, including groups wanting to take down nativity scenes. As a result, Christians get riled up, upset, and angry about these things.

There is sometimes a push within the church among Christians to reject Christmas altogether. They feel we need to reject all the commercializing of Christmas because it's not connected to what it's really supposed to be about. They believe we need to reject it because we can't accept all the traditions of Christmas that have developed in the 21st century. However, I want to remind you that 1,600 years ago, it was Christians who looked at a pagan culture and said, "We want to reach our culture." They recognized that they couldn't accept all the trappings of these holidays, but they also understood that rejecting it wouldn't make it go away. Instead, they sought to redeem it.

That's exactly what they did for more than 1,600 years. They not only redeemed it but also replaced it. As we look at the things our culture is doing and how we have exported these ideas to the rest of the world regarding Christmas, there is an opportunity for us to share the good news about what Jesus has done, who He is, and why He came into this world.

We can't accept all the traditions that surround Christmas today, and rejecting it won't make it disappear. However, there is a way in which we can redeem it. I want to encourage you in just one of those ways today: as you give and receive gifts—maybe you've already given some, and perhaps you'll be giving more today—consider giving those gifts in Jesus' name. As you give to a family member or a friend this time of year, remember the significance of what you are doing.

To make sure that you give in Jesus' name, share with people the reason that you are giving this gift: it is an expression of what Jesus has done in your life. As we close today, I want to give you four things that a gift given in Jesus' name does. There's a sermon guide in your bulletin, so here are four quick things that a gift given in Jesus' name accomplishes.

Number one, a gift given in Jesus' name honors Jesus. That's exactly what the wise men did. They came to honor and worship the Christ, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are interesting gifts, and there have been messages preached on them, as well as articles and books written on the topic of these gifts, why they were chosen, and how they point to Jesus being the King of Kings, the Priest, and foreshadowing His future death and the things He would do through that. They came bringing gifts to honor Him and to worship Him. I want to encourage you that a gift given in Jesus' name is a gift that honors Jesus.

Secondly, a gift given in Jesus' name expresses love. This is exactly what God did in sending His Son, which we celebrate at Christmas. Sure, He may not have been born on December 25th; He might have been born on July 2nd. I don't know. But we know that He was born and that He came, and we know the reason that He came. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. He came to express the love of God. Therefore, a gift given in Jesus' name expresses love in the same way that it honors Jesus.

Third, a gift given in Jesus' name extends grace. You realize that the very nature of a gift is based in grace. It is not something given in return for something else. Hopefully, the reason that you give a gift this Christmas is not just because you are hoping that someone will give you something of equal or better value. You should not be merely giving and exchanging gifts so that you might get that gift and take it back to Target to exchange it for a gift card the day after Christmas, or whatever you do with it. That is not why we give a gift—just to get something from someone.

We give a gift as an expression of grace, an extension of grace. That's what Jesus came to do: to extend grace to us. A gift given in Jesus' name honors Jesus, expresses love, and extends grace. Fourth and finally, a gift given in Jesus' name will be rewarded.

Now, this is kind of a tough point because I just said that we give a gift not to receive something, but there's a promise in the Scriptures that a simple gift given in Jesus' name will one day be rewarded. It's found at the end of the Gospel of Matthew. If you're in Matthew chapter 2, turn to Matthew chapter 25, just briefly.

In Matthew 25, verse 31, we read: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on a throne of His glory, and all the nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left."

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me."

Then the righteous will answer Him and say, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in? Or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?"

And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me." A gift given in Jesus' name will be rewarded as we one day stand before the Lord.

So, I want to encourage you today on Christmas.

As you give gifts to friends, family members, and loved ones, remember to give them in Jesus' name. Sharing with people the reason for your gift is an expression of the love of God that was given to you, the grace of God that was given to you. You don't have to share that you are giving it to receive a reward from the Lord; that's just an added benefit. But I want to encourage you to give in Jesus' name. Amen?

Would you stand with me as we close? Father, we can't even begin to thank you sufficiently for that which you have given to us and that which you have done for us. Father, we do thank you today for your love. You have loved us with such great love that you sent your Son for us. Jesus, we thank you for your love that is demonstrated in that while we were yet sinners, you died for us.

Lord, we pray that that same love would be the very thing that fuels our giving. As we give thanks, as we give comfort, as we give mercy, as we give sacrificially as you gave, and as we give forgiveness and gifts today, I pray that we would give in your name. That we would give for your honor. That we would give to show your love and to demonstrate your grace.

And Lord, we trust that because of what you have done for us, one day we will hear you say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord." God, would you pour out your grace, your Spirit, your blessing, and your joy upon your church today? May those things be very clearly seen in us as we go from this place to share with family and friends today. Bless your church, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agreed said, "Thank you."