GIVING GOOD GIFTS

How do we go about giving good gifts this year for Christmas?

How would you describe a good gift?

·        Something that uniquely suits me

·        Something that will save me time or make my work easier

·        Something that is home-made

·        Something that is expensive

·        Something I wouldn’t buy myself

·        Something I can really use or that I really need

·        Something that someone sacrificed to give

·        Something that has special meaning behind it

·        Something that was difficult to find, make, or get

 

Let’s look at gift-giving from a biblical vantage point.

Ø Costly gifts:  (Genesis 24:53)  gold and silver jewelry, articles of clothing

Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother.

 

Ø Peace gifts:  (Genesis 32:13)  goats, camels, bulls, donkeys

He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau:  two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

 

Ø Generous gifts  (II Corinthians 9:5)  “not as one grudgingly given”

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

 

Ø Gifts to impress  (Proverbs 19:6)

Many curry favor with a ruler, 

and everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts.

 

     Ø Secret gifts  (Proverbs 21:14)

A gift given in secret soothes anger, 

and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

 

     Ø Spiritual gifts:  (Romans 1:11)

 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

 

Ø Gifts to the poor  (Esther 9:22) (Acts 24:17)

 He (Mordecai) wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

 After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.

 

Ø Gifts to God:  (Leviticus 22:18)  (Deuteronomy 12:6)  unblemished male from the herd or flock

‘If any of you—either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel—presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.

 

You must not worship the LORD your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;  there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.  There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

 

Ø Indescribable gifts  (II Corinthians 9:15)

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

 

Ø Perfect gift  (James 1:17)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

  

Let’s look at the gifts that Jesus received:

> GOLD

If diamonds are a woman’s best friend – then gold can’t be far behind!  Almost any adult would appreciate a gift of gold.  To give a gift of gold is equal to giving a gift of money!  Who would turn that down?  Money is good!  Right? 

In this case, the gold was probably used to finance Joseph and Mary’s escape to Egypt.  There is no evidence to indicate that Joseph was a wealthy man.  He obviously had a trade and was capable of producing income;  however, he had just financed a costly trip to Bethlehem and was facing the transition from caring only for his own needs to caring for the needs of himself, his wife, and a newborn son!  The gift of gold given to Jesus was probably viewed as a gift from God  to enable them to be obedient to His guidance!       

> FRANKINCENSE

Remarkably, giving gifts of fragrance are not uncommon in our day!  Many of us will either buy or receive gifts of cologne or perfume.  Others may receive gifts of potpourri, or scented candles, or even incense!  Something capable of eliminating harsh or unwanted odors must have been a welcomed gift in the days of Mary and Joseph.  Who knows?  If there really were animals present at Jesus’ birth, some of that incense might have been handy right on the spot! 

But this was not just any incense!  It was a specific incense that was rare and probably expensive.  It was almost exclusively used in the Temple and was associated with the burning of sacrifices before God.  It had to have been perceived as an odd gift to give to a newborn baby or its parents!  Its purpose was clearly symbolic.  It was a divinely inspired gift to indicate that Jesus would become the unique sacrifice for our sins.  His ultimate death on the cross would be a pleasing sacrifice to God and would satisfy the death penalty that comes on all of us as a result of our sin.

For the record:  the frankincense was probably sold or surrendered to the Temple with the possibility of either gaining a profit for Mary and Joseph or of being a gift from them to God!

> MYRRH

Myrrh is another perfume, but this one would have been a source of mystery to Joseph and Mary.  It was a specific perfume used almost exclusively for embalming the dead!  This would be the equivalent of buying a newborn baby a burial vault.  It was obviously another symbolic gift.  It was a foreshadowing of the death of Jesus.  Is it any wonder that we find Mary repeatedly pondering these things and treasuring them up in her heart? 

Let’s remember, she was probably a young, Jewish girl.  She had been visited by an angel who told her that she would miraculously give birth to God’s Son.  A baby was conceived in her womb without the involvement of a man.  Hardship followed.  A census is called for at the critical time of her delivery.  The baby is born in a stable and His first bed is a manger.  Shepherds come, unexpectedly to worship Him.  Finally, wealthy wise men come reporting the appearance of a new star in the sky and delivering these odd gifts!  What is Mary to make of all this?

 

We might wonder:  Why do we exchange gifts at Christmas anyway?  Is it because the wise men brought gifts to Jesus?   Historically, the practice of gift-giving around Christmas only roots back a little over 200 years.  Some think that our gift-giving springs from the example of St. Nicholas who was a bishop in Asia Minor from whom many legends have arisen.  These legends all have to do with the fact that he was a man who knew how to give “so that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”  Legends report several practices of this church leader:

o   He baked cookies and distributed them to poor children

o   Having come from a wealthy home, he left three bags of gold hanging on the doorknob of a poor family that had three daughters with no dowry.  Without this gift, they would have been forced into prostitution.

o   The miracle that is recorded to his credit comes from him begging grain for his starving people from passing merchant ships, promising them that at the end of their trip, not an ounce would be missing.

The memory of this saint has been embellished and changed significantly over the centuries till he is almost unrecognizable to us now.  Is that why we give gifts at Christmas?   No!  The emphasis on St. Nicholas and gift-giving actually has hazards for us.  We must be careful that gift giving doesn’t become the focus of Christmas instead of thanking the Lord for the gift of His Son (John 3:16).

 

There are at least a couple of good reasons for giving gifts at Christmas time or anytime!

1.     Gift giving is an expression of our love for one another!

Giving and receiving gifts can be part of fulfilling what Paul says about giving in                II Corinthians 8:7-8, "Since you excel in so many ways—you have so much faith, such gifted speakers, such knowledge, such enthusiasm, and such love for us now I want you to excel also in this gracious ministry of giving. I am not saying you must do it, even though the other churches are eager to do it. This is one way to prove your love is real."

2.     The Bible gives us the wonderful story about the gift God gave us - Christ. 

Does giving gifts have to take away from the true meaning of Christmas?  No, it does not.  If we focus on the wonderful gift of salvation the Lord has given us (Isaiah 9:6), it is a natural expression of that gratefulness for us to give to others.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

The key is on our focus.  Is your focus on the gift, or the ultimate gift-giver - our gracious Heavenly Father? 

 

Back in 1998, MasterCard sponsored a variety of "Priceless" commercials. Each ad began with a list of stuff (or services) and a matching set of prices. Then came a phrase identifying some intangible that can't be purchased. And finally, there was the single word "Priceless," followed by the assertion that "There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's MasterCard." They were great commercials, and they were popular, according to the Harris ad tracking service. The ad executive who serviced the "Priceless" account at the McCann-Erickson ad agency explained that "what really hit home with consumers was that a company that is fundamentally all about money and paying for things would actually declare that the things that really count can't be bought."

We would affirm that new gadgets, TV’s, DVD players, phones, power tools, appliances, clothes, jewelry, and all the other things that will be given and received next Friday – all pale in comparison with the gift that is truly priceless!  There is a peace that comes from accepting the Gift of Christ into your life that cannot be attained any other way in this world!  The joy of being forgiven for our sins and of gaining a hope of eternal life is truly priceless.

 

There was another advertising campaign quite a few years ago that said it even better.  I went to the Hallmark store for a card that year and saved the bag because it said it so well:  “When you care enough to send the very best”!  That’s exactly what God did when He sent His one and only Son into the world to save us!  He cared enough to send the VERY BEST!