Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! –2 Corinthians 9:15
There are so many special aspects of the Christmas season to delight our senses: music, trees, decorations, food, and fragrances. But my hunch is that what every child looks forward to the most is that exciting experience on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning when gifts are opened! No one knows when our western tradition of gift-giving to celebrate the birth of Christ began, but it is very ancient. There are various theories of what may have inspired it.
The legend of St. Nicholas (now secularized in many countries) traces to a prominent Christian bishop in the early centuries after Christ. He was renowned for his generosity and gift-giving to the needy of his congregations. The biblical account of the visit by the Magi to adore the Christ child in Matthew 2 includes the not-insignificant detail that those wealthy foreign visitors brought gifts to the newborn King of the Jews. And very valuable gifts they were: gold, myrrh, and incense, treasures that a poor carpenter like Joseph could have never afforded. The gift of the magi allowed him and Mary to survive and care for their firstborn son during their extended period of exile in Egypt.
The potential origin of the gift-giving tradition with the most spiritual depth is the suggestion that we give gifts because God started it all. Jesus was the first and greatest Christmas gift. One of the best-known verses in the Bible, John 3:16, shows what God the Father’s expression of love for mankind led Him to do: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” Love at its highest and purest form is marked by giving.
It feels natural and right that we should express our love for family and friends by giving gifts at Christmastime. We know that ultimately everything comes from the Lord. He is the original and supreme Giver. Life itself, and all its blessings, are His gracious gifts. In the words of the Apostle Paul, God’s abundant gifts to us are so vast that they are indescribable. Words cannot adequately capture them. The gift of a Savior causes us to stand back in speechless awe.
-Pastor Doug Pratt
