Christmas Love

Why do we give gifts at Christmas? How much do we love our children? We celebrate God’s greatest gift to us. He loved us in this way, that He gave His Son. Best Christmas Gift Ever. This is the measure and definition of love.

<Coming from Youth Skit>

Ridiculous and Amazing humans.

Christmas Gifts

Christmas is coming… and on that Christmas Day these children will be expecting gifts.

Some of them, my children in particular, will be brutally disappointed when they open a bunch of empty boxes. Hilarious! Don’t tell them.

There is a very long and varied tradition of gift giving. Going all the way back to Saint Nicholas in the 4th century and maybe even further.

Some draw the origin to those wise men.

Wise Men

Matthew 2:1–2 ESV

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, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

“From the East” was likely Babylon or Persia and that area. Modern day Iraq and Iran area. Babylon in particular could still have Jewish communities, and certainly inherited knowledge from the Exile. Perhaps the prophecies of Daniel and others, surviving as Ancient texts that these wise men have studied.

We know they have the prophet Micah because they quote him:

Matthew 2:5–6 ESV

5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

And they are students of the sky… and in a world where there is no artificial lighting, and living in near desert climates, the sky would be INCREDIBLY full of stars.

But they were students of the sky enough to recognize a new star. We don’t know what it was. A temporary star? A comet, right on time? One theory I love, a distant Supernova, the light traveling all that distance to arrive right on time in a blaze of light for several months? How cool would that be!

But they know somehow that this announces a King. And there’s the whole thing with Herod, a pathetic shadow wannabe king contrasted to the True King of Kings.

But these wise men, travel for weeks or months… and they bring the best of what they have.

Matthew 2:9–11 ESV

9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Gold… always been incredibly valuable. Cash money. Beautiful. Doesn’t tarnish.

Frankincense? “An odorous resin from Arabia.” Yellow-ish powder, stinky, but like “good” stinky. And expensive, because it is imported from far away.

And Myrrh. An oil for anointing, or diluted to make perfume.

All of these crazy expensive gifts. But WEIRD gifts for a baby!

They are gifts for a king.

But, that’s not the origin of Christmas gift giving. Even if they think they are the origin… they are wrong.

Herod ends up killing everyone under two years old, which puts an upper cap on how long he thinks it was. Somewhere between a month or so and two years. I think Herod was being cautious, and the star only lasted a few months, but we don’t know for sure.

But here is the original Christmas gift story:

The Original Christmas Gift

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Best gift ever.

John 3:16 MSG

16 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

This incredible scene in the Chosen. Jesus, meeting Nicodemus… they have it as a secret rooftop meeting.

We don’t know where… but it does say he “came to Jesus by night...” which sounds pretty secret.

“God loved the world in this way...”

This is love.

Did God have to give His Son? There was no rule. No expectation except what He Himself Created within us.

There was no obligation. We were “yet sinners.”

We didn’t deserve it. Just like my kids don’t “deserve” Christmas gifts.

But even a flawed sinner like me… I love them so stinkin’ much!

How much does God love us. You and me.

That he gave his one and only son.

That whoever believes in him shall not die… but live on!

What a gift! What love! This is Christmas!