We Give Gifts

It's Christmas Day here at Cross Connection, and we're celebrating together, talking about why we give gifts. Open with us to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, and we'll discuss that together.

Good morning, and Merry Christmas to you all! Would you open your Bibles while you're standing to the book of Acts? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one.

Acts chapter 20. For the last time this year, we will read this verse that we've looked at every week for the last five weeks leading up to today. Acts chapter 20 is right after Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament, near the last third of your Bible.

Acts chapter 20, verse 35, records the words of the Apostle Paul. He says, "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 to reach out to us and bring us the greatest gift ever. God, You loved 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 and 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 who 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 that everybody would hold 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 am 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 is such a blessing to be able to gather together with you and celebrate what this holiday means to us. We are 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," focusing on the center point of this holiday, which is really about giving and receiving. Just before Thanksgiving, we talked about giving thanks. Then we discussed giving comfort, giving mercy, and giving sacrificially as the Lord has given to us. Last week, we talked about the thing that we are called to give that might be the most difficult for us: giving forgiveness.

In fact, as I was thinking about it this week, I wondered if anyone here was challenged on a practical application of giving forgiveness this week. I want to ask you to raise your hand if you were. I hope somebody did! We are definitely challenged in that area all the time.

As we've been moving toward this day, this holiday, we have been talking about the importance of giving. All of these messages lead up to the Christmas holiday because this is the holiday more than any other that is really 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, when we come up to this time, there is a joy and anticipation in exchanging gifts. Maybe in your home, like in mine, there have been some gifts laid out already, wrapped and ready to go. Our kids have been like I was when I was a kid, wanting to see whose box is for whom and how many they have. They are really excited about all those things. You know how it is when you're a kid, especially waking up on Christmas morning; you can't wait to go down and open up Christmas presents.

I was actually surprised this morning when we went into our daughters' rooms to wake them up. Our daughter Addison, right there, is like me—she doesn't like mornings. Is anyone else not a morning person here? Addison certainly is not! So when we woke her up...

She said that was a really short sleep. It definitely was, but there's that joy and anticipation of receiving a gift. There is also a real joy and anticipation in giving a gift as well. When you watch someone receive something that you have been wanting to give to them, you've been looking forward to it.

When our oldest came downstairs this morning, he found a longboard skateboard. He was really excited about it, and I'm really hoping that he doesn't end up with another cast on his arm. You see that joy in their faces, and it causes us joy when we see the joy of our children receiving a gift. Scientists tell us that this is actually related to a hormone dump that takes place in your body, related to oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, among other things.

But is that the only reason we give gifts—to have that experience of joy in giving? Jesus talks about the blessedness of giving, and 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 that 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, they give gifts as late as January 6th.

It's interesting to see that more than two 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 that day. But why? What is the reason for giving these gifts?

If you look at history, you will find that going all the way back to the third and fourth century, 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 kind of an interesting point in history that in the third and fourth century AD...

Christianity was spreading through Europe, and as Christians sought to impact, influence, transform, and reform their culture, they looked at various waypoints, significant events, and cultural practices. They wanted to find a way to redeem these elements. One of the celebrations during that time was centered around the winter solstice. Some people argue that Christmas is merely connected to a pagan holiday, and there is some truth to that. However, it is important to understand why this connection occurred.

Christians were not trying to be worldly or engage in pagan practices; rather, they aimed to transform their culture and see it redeemed. They began to celebrate the birth of Christ during the same time of year. They recognized that simply rejecting the traditions of pagan holidays would not make them disappear. Instead, they decided to redeem and replace these traditions.

For many years, as we prepared for Christmas and decorated the sanctuary, I would receive an anonymous letter from someone I did not know. Most of the time, I do not read anonymous letters, but I looked forward to this one because it made me chuckle. The letter chastised me and the church leadership for celebrating Christmas, claiming that we were actually celebrating Saturnalia, a pagan holiday.

Here’s the thing: in my lifetime, I have never met anyone who celebrates Saturnalia, but I know many people who celebrate Christmas. Why? Because Christians, for the last sixteen hundred years, have essentially overshadowed Saturnalia with Christmas. We celebrate Christmas, which includes the giving of gifts. Yes, there are certain aspects of Christmas that have no connection to paganism whatsoever. For instance, the decorated Christmas tree has nothing to do with pagan traditions. It originated in the mid-1800s when a Duke in Germany was photographed with his family around a decorated tree, and people began to emulate that practice.

It is fascinating to observe how these traditions have evolved over time.

To look at the trappings of Christmas that we celebrate in our day, a lot of it is not rooted in things from hundreds and hundreds of years ago; it's actually pretty recent and modern that these traditions came to be. 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 and just before Mark. Matthew chapter two is where we find this story, starting at verse 1.

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 is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." It's amazing that these individuals, these wise men from the East, showed up in Jerusalem at the palace of the king and were given entrance. There was something pretty awesome about this group of individuals traveling from the Far East, probably from the region of Babylon, modern-day Iraq.

They had, for a period of time and for many miles, been following something they had seen in the stars, believing it was 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 must have thought, "Wait a minute, I'm the king of the Jews."

How did these individuals, these wise men—often illustrated as three because of the three gifts they brought—come to know about this? It may have been a much bigger group of ambassadors coming from the Far East at that time. As they arrived, they expressed their desire to see the one who was born King of the Jews, saying they had come to worship Him because they had seen a star.

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 that was born? It's very likely that their understanding of this story came from the prophet Daniel.

Lived about 500 years before Jesus, during the time that the children of Israel, the nation of Israel, had been taken as prisoners of war to the exiles in the kingdom of Babylon. One of those people from the nation of Israel was a man by the name of Daniel, who is a prophet that we read of in the Scriptures. It is very possible that this understanding of the one who had come, the King of the Jews, the Messiah, came through Daniel or one of the other prophets.

Here, these wise men come from the East seeking Him out. When Herod the King heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had gathered all the chief priests and the scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They understood that when they said the King of the Jews had been born, Herod and the chief priests and the scribes recognized that these men were speaking of the Messiah.

Herod asked the wise men in his city where the Christ was to be born, and they knew. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet Micah." Micah chapter 5, verse 2 states, "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 there—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, 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 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, and they fell down and worshiped Him. When they had 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 says he was there in Bethlehem. I get it; Christmas, as we know it, with Christmas parties, cards, trees, lights, and the commercialized Christmas presents, has become something different. I understand that this is what Christmas is in our nation in the year 2016. It has grown to be this way, and it really started in the mid-1800s. It reached its grandeur in the 1950s, and 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 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. 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 a huge market now, and Christmas in China thrives because they love American culture. However, there is nothing in that connected to the Bible or to Christ. They have all the lights and Christmas trees; in fact, they export all that stuff to us. That's where we get all the decorations. They have it right there, no problem, and they are fully engaged in this whole thing.

This is what Christmas has come to be known for. Oftentimes, Christians look at this and get frustrated. Then you hear about the so-called culture war in our nation, the tension that has arisen over the last eight or nine years. People are getting upset and wanting to boycott groups because a 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. Christians get riled up; they get upset and angry about these matters.

As a result, there is sometimes a push within the church among Christians to reject Christmas altogether. They feel we need to reject all the commercialization of Christmas because it is not connected to what it is really supposed to be about. They believe we need to reject it because we just can't receive all the...

The traditions of Christmas that have developed in the 21st century present a challenge for Christians today. Since we can't fully embrace these traditions, we must find a way to reject what does not align with our beliefs. However, I want to remind you that 1,600 years ago, it was Christians who looked at a pagan culture and decided to reach out to it. They recognized that while they could not accept all the trappings of these holidays, rejecting them would not make them disappear. Instead, they sought to redeem these traditions, and that is exactly what they did. For more than 1,600 years, they not only redeemed these customs but also replaced them with meaningful practices.

As we reflect on the ways our culture celebrates Christmas, we see an opportunity to share the good news about what Jesus has done, who He is, and why He came into this world. We cannot accept all the traditions that surround Christmas today, and simply rejecting them will not make them go away. However, there is a way in which we can redeem these practices. I want to encourage you to consider one of those ways today.

As you give and receive gifts—whether you have already given some or plan to give more—I urge you to do so in Jesus' name. When you give to a family member or a friend during this time of year, make sure to express that the reason for your gift is an expression of what Jesus has done in your life.

As we close today, I want to share four things that a gift given in Jesus' name accomplishes. There is a sermon guide in your bulletin outlining these four points.

Number one: A gift given in Jesus' name honors Jesus. This is exactly what the wise men did when they came to honor and worship Christ. They brought Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts are interesting; many messages have been preached, and numerous articles and books have been written about their significance. They point to Him as the King of Kings, highlight His role as the priest, and foreshadow His future death and the redemptive work He would accomplish through it.

Gifts to honor Him and to worship Him are important. I want to encourage you that a gift given in Jesus's name is a gift that honors Jesus.

Secondly, a gift given in Jesus's name expresses love. That's 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. We also 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's name expresses love in the same way it honors Jesus.

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

So, a gift given in Jesus's name honors Jesus, expresses love, and extends grace.

Finally, a gift given in Jesus's name will be rewarded. 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's name will one day be rewarded. It's found at the end of the Gospel of Matthew. If you're in Matthew, turn to Matthew chapter 25 just briefly. In Matthew 25, verse 36, most of your Bibles...

Words are probably in red, indicating that these are things that Jesus spoke. In Matthew 25:31, it says, "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. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and 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?"

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's name will be rewarded as we one day stand before the Lord.

I want to encourage you today, especially during this Christmas season. As you give gifts to friends, family members, and loved ones, remember to give them in Jesus's name. Share with people that the reason you are giving this 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 really have to share with them 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's name.

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, for that which You have done for us. Father, we do thank You today, though.

For your love, that you loved us, was such a 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.

I 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. May we give for your honor, to show your love, and to demonstrate your grace.

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.

Bless your church, we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.