We Give Gifts

I have 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." (Acts 20:35)

Why do we give gifts at Christmas? The answer reaches back to the wise men who came to worship a King.

A Christmas Morning Gathering

It doesn't happen often that Christmas falls on a Sunday, but when it does there's often a question about whether the church will have services. As we approached this year, I simply assumed everyone does services on Christmas because that's what we've always done — so here we are on Christmas morning. I'm very thankful you're here. It's such a blessing to gather together, to be reminded of the reason for this holiday, and to worship and rejoice together.

Over the last five weeks we've been in a series called We Give, focusing on the center point of this holiday, which really is about giving and receiving. Just before Thanksgiving we talked about giving thanks, then giving comfort, giving mercy, and giving sacrificially as the Lord has given to us. Last week we talked about what might be the most difficult thing for us to give — forgiveness. All of these messages have led up to Christmas, the holiday more than any other associated with giving and receiving.

The Joy of Giving

Every year as we come to this time there's a joy and anticipation in exchanging gifts. In our home, gifts have been laid out, wrapped and ready, and our kids have been excited about which box belongs to whom. When we woke our daughter Addison this morning — she's like me, not a morning person — she said, "That was a really short sleep." But there's also a real joy in giving a gift, in watching someone receive the thing you've been wanting to give them. When our oldest came downstairs this morning and found a longboard skateboard, his excitement brought us joy.

Scientists tell us that joy is related to a hormone response in the body — oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine. But is that the only reason we give gifts? Jesus speaks of the blessedness of giving. So I want to ask: why do we give gifts on December 25th?

Why December 25th?

A lot of the reason we give gifts on December 25th is simply our culture and tradition. In Holland gifts might be given on December 5th; in Belgium or Germany, December 6th; in other parts of the world, as late as January 6th. More than two billion people around the world celebrate during this season, remembering the birth of Jesus. But in our culture it's December 25th — and why that day?

Going back to the third and fourth centuries, Christians have celebrated the birth of Christ in December. Many theologians have noted Jesus was likely not born on December 25th, so why was that date chosen? As Christianity spread through Europe, Christians wanted to influence and transform their culture. One of the celebrations in that region surrounded the winter solstice. Some people say Christmas is just connected to a pagan holiday, and there is some truth in that — but it's important to understand why.

Redeeming, Not Receiving or Rejecting

It wasn't that Christians were trying to be worldly or to involve themselves in pagan practices. They were trying to redeem their culture. They understood they couldn't receive the traditions of those pagan holidays, but simply rejecting them wouldn't make them go away. So instead they decided to redeem the day — and not just redeem it but replace it — by celebrating the birth of Christ at that time of year.

For a number of years, as we decorated the sanctuary for Christmas, I would receive an anonymous letter chastising the leadership for celebrating Christmas — "Don't you know that's Saturnalia, a pagan holiday?" But here's the thing: in my lifetime I've never met a person who celebrates Saturnalia, yet I know many who celebrate Christmas. Why? Because Christians for the last sixteen hundred-plus years have essentially crushed Saturnalia with Christmas.

Some of the trappings of Christmas have no connection to paganism at all. The decorated Christmas tree, for instance, comes from the mid-1800s, when a picture of a German duke and his family with a decorated tree was circulated and people began doing the same. So much of what we associate with Christmas is actually fairly recent and modern.

The Gifts of the Wise Men

We give gifts at this time of year in honor of the gifts that were given to Jesus when He was born. We find that story in the Gospel of Matthew.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:1–2)

These wise men traveled from the Far East, probably from the region of Babylon, modern-day Iraq. For many miles they had followed something they had seen in the stars, believing it directed them to the King of the Jews, the Messiah. They were ushered in to see King Herod, who was no doubt perplexed to hear that a King of the Jews had been born — "Wait a minute, I'm the king of the Jews." We often picture three wise men because there were three gifts, but this may have been a much larger group of ambassadors.

How did they know to come? It's very likely this understanding came through the prophet Daniel, who lived about 500 years before Jesus, during the time Israel had been taken captive to Babylon. Daniel, or another prophet, may have passed down the expectation of the coming King of the Jews.

Herod and the Prophecy

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: '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.'" (Matthew 2:3–6)

Herod understood they were speaking of the Messiah, and the scribes pointed to Micah's prophecy — Bethlehem, just eight miles from Jerusalem.

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and 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; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:7–11)

Why do we give gifts this time of year? In honor of the gifts that were brought to the King of kings, Jesus, there in Bethlehem.

Christmas in Our Culture

I get it — Christmas as we know it, the parties, cards, trees, lights, and the commercialized presents, is what Christmas has grown to be in our nation in 2016. It really started in the mid-1800s, grew to grandeur in the 1950s, and that's what we've exported to other parts of the world. I once watched a news segment on Christmas in China. Christmas has become big there — lights, trees, Santa Claus, the whole deal — a huge market, because they love American culture. Yet there's nothing in it connected to the Bible or to Christ. They have all the lights and trees; in fact, they export them to us.

That's what often frustrates Christians, and we hear about the "culture war" — tension over stores saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," efforts to take down nativity scenes. Christians get riled up and angry, and some push for the church simply to reject Christmas and all its commercialization because it's not connected to what it's supposed to be about.

Give in Jesus's Name

But I want to remind you that 1,600 years ago Christians looked at a pagan culture and said, "We want to reach our culture." They couldn't receive all the trappings, but rejecting them wouldn't make them go away — so they redeemed them, and even replaced them. We can do the same. As our culture celebrates Christmas, there's an opportunity to share the good news of who Jesus is and why He came.

So I want to encourage you: as you give and receive gifts this season, give those gifts in Jesus's name. As you give to a family member or friend, share with them that the reason you're giving is as an expression of what Jesus has done in your life. Let me give you four things that a gift given in Jesus's name does.

Four Things a Gift in Jesus's Name Does

First, a gift given in Jesus's name honors Jesus. That's exactly what the wise men did. They came to honor and worship the Christ, bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Much has been written on these gifts and how they point to His kingship, His priesthood, and His future death — but the heart of it is that they came to honor Him.

Second, a gift given in Jesus's name expresses love. That's exactly what God did in sending His Son, which we celebrate at Christmas. He may not have been born on December 25th — He might have been born on July 2nd, I don't know — but we know He was born and that He came. "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." He came to express the love of God.

Third, a gift given in Jesus's name extends grace. The very nature of a gift is grace — it's not given in return for something else. Hopefully you don't give a gift merely hoping to receive something of equal or greater value, or so the other person can take it back to the store and exchange it. We give as an extension of grace, which is exactly what Jesus came to do — to extend grace to us.

Fourth, a gift given in Jesus's name will be rewarded. This is a tough point, since I just said we don't give to receive, but there's a promise in Scripture.

When the Son of Man comes in His glory... He will set the sheep on His right hand... 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."... 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." (Matthew 25:31–40)

A gift given in Jesus's name will be rewarded as we one day stand before the Lord.

So as you give gifts this Christmas to friends, family, and loved ones, remember to give them in Jesus's name — as an expression of the love and grace of God given to you. You don't have to tell anyone you're giving to receive a reward; that's just an added benefit. But give in Jesus's name.

Closing Prayer

Father, we can't even begin to thank You sufficiently for that which You have given to us and done for us. We thank You today for Your love — so great a love that You sent Your Son for us. Jesus, we thank You for Your love demonstrated in that while we were yet sinners You died for us. I pray that that same love would be the very thing that fuels our giving — as we give thanks, give comfort, give mercy, give sacrificially as You gave, give forgiveness, and give gifts today. I pray that we would give in Your name, for Your honor, to show Your love and 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." Pour out Your grace, Your Spirit, Your blessing, and Your joy upon Your church today, that these things would be clearly seen in us as we go to share with family and friends. Bless Your church, we ask this in Jesus's name. Amen.