Christmas – A Season for Giving and Receiving
On our first Christmas after we were married, I wanted to give Barbara something special, something she would never forget. So, I asked her, “What special gift can I get you that you will remember this Christmas?” She thought for a minute and said, “Surprise me.” I can do that. Christmas morning dawned with our expectations of giving and receiving special gifts. She gave me a very nice briefcase. She asked me what I had for her. I told her it was a surprise and the surprise would be found in the closet of our spare bedroom. I followed her in and watched as she expectantly opened the door to the closet. The rubber snake I had situated above door fell on her just as I had planned. “Surprise!” I said. When I regained consciousness, I was lying on the floor with her standing over me. “Never, ever do that again” she said. And I have not ever surprised her with a rubber snake but she has also never forgotten that special surprise I gave her our first Christmas.
Christmas is the time of year we are looking for gifts to get for our family and friends and anticipating receiving gifts from them. Giving and receiving is how Christmas is celebrated because God gave us the greatest gift of His son to save us from our sins when we receive Him into our lives. The giving and receiving theme of Christmas is emphasized in the story of the wise men found in Matthew 2.
After seeing the star and determining it is a sign that a new king of the Jews has been born, the wise men traveled to Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews, expecting to see the pageantry, power, and prosperity due a new king. Instead, they are met with confusion and questions because King Herod knew nothing about a new king being born. Of course, feeling threatened by the prospect of a contender for his throne, he lays a trap for this new king. He asks his Jewish priests and teachers where the scripture prophesied the king would be born. They tell him “Bethlehem”. So he gives them instructions to find the child and report back to him. They follow the star to the house where they find a poor, young couple with a baby. They are not wealthy or prestigious or powerful. They are weak, humble, poor and probably confused and maybe frightened to have these distinguished, rich, and learned men coming to their door with very valuable gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The wise men leave to return home on a different route in obedience to a dream.
What are Joseph and Mary going to do with such expensive gifts? Well, when king Herod finds out he has been tricked himself, he angrily orders that all baby boys under two years of age and under to be killed in Bethlehem and its vicinity. A tragedy for the residents of Bethlehem as weeping and mourning is heard throughout the area. Despite King Herod’s power and wickedness, Jesus is not harmed in this atrocity because Joseph has been warned in a dream and he is obedient to the message to leave and go to Egypt to live until King Herod is dead. But how will they live since Joseph supports him family by carpentry? Oh, did the wise men not give them treasures? Yes, treasures enough for them to live several years in a foreign country until they can safely return.
The wise men did not receive the royal welcome and accommodations they were expecting from a king. They received a gift much grander. They were greeted by a common young couple with a baby. But not just any baby. This baby is Jesus, God incarnate, king of kings and Lord of lords. He was not what they were expecting but exceedingly more than they could have imagined. God led them to Jesus. Whatever else you are expecting to receive this year, expect Jesus. Find the gift of Jesus and nothing else will matter. Find Him in unexpected places and situations. If you do search for Him, you will receive a gift much more valuable than anything you have ever received.
They thought they were giving gifts to a king, but, actually, they were giving gifts to the savior of the world so he and his family could move and live safely far away from the king that wanted to take His life. God used their gifts to accomplish His plan of salvation for us. God used their obedience to keep Jesus safe. They probably had no idea they were such an intricate component in the flow of God’s plan. All they knew is they were being obedient and doing what they were called to do. The best gift you can give someone else is to allow God to use you to accomplish His plan and purpose in their world. Are you allowing God to use you to help others? The most precious gift you can give someone else is yourself obediently serving them by serving God.
Yes, Christmas is a time of giving and receiving.
Milan
