Presents: Why We Give at Christmas

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“We love because He first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19

In the beginning God created the whole world, and He said it was good. But man sinned, and the result was separation from God. Because God loved us so much, He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. He gave us the perfect gift when He sent Jesus, and that is why we celebrate Christmas.

We give presents at Christmas time to celebrate the first and best Christmas gift ever given- Jesus! Many attribute the inspiration of giving gifts at Christmas time to the Wise Men: gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Though these gifts may seem odd to us, they held great significance.

Gold was often associated with royalty, signifying that Jesus was the King of Kings. Frankincense was burned as incense in Jewish worship-- this signified that people would worship Jesus. Myrrh was regularly used in the process of preparing dead bodies. This pointed to Jesus’ suffering and death.

Gifts are an expression of love and appreciation. They are often a result of sacrifice, given with no expectations. Over 2000 years ago, we were given the perfect gift. Though we celebrate the gift of Jesus at Christmas, we don’t have to just wait for one day out of the year. We can, and should, celebrate all year long, sharing that gift with everyone around us!