Giving Gifts

By Chaplain (Col) Stephen W. Leonard, USA, Ret.

You have just experienced the great joy of giving gifts and receiving them on and around Christmas Day. We witness family, sons and daughters, wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, and many others, opening the gifts they received. Gift-giving is an exciting experience, bringing joy to every generous heart in the Christmas season.

Very possibly, even probably, gift-giving became a tradition because of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus upon his birth. These gifts turned out to be life-savers. They were very important to the survival of the Holy Family, because of the danger posed by King Herod to the life of Jesus and to any others, like Joseph and Mary, who stood in his way.

The sale of gold, frankincense, and myrrh could easily bring enough money and more to satisfy the trip into Egypt and living expenses in a foreign country where they had no relatives nor friends. The gifts were timely as Joseph and Mary had to act quickly, since Herod soon knew the Wise men were not returning to Jerusalem with the expected news of Jesus’ exact location.

The trip into Egypt had to be immediate because Herod had become enraged, murderous, and he acted precipitously.

The angel warned Joseph to leave that very night, not even waiting till daylight. And Joseph explicitly followed the angel’s instruction.

The Holy Family struck out for Egypt right away despite the dangers of traveling at night. God protected them then as He did on their trip to Bethlehem from Nazareth.

Jesus’ birth was celebrated on December 25th because it corresponded with His death on a cross on March 25th. We know the date of His death by crucifixion. His conception was thought to be the same day as His death. Nine months later, we have, December 25th.

No matter how it was configured, I think the Holy Spirit had a lot to do with it. I do not think He would allow the world, most of it, to celebrate Christmas on December 25th, if His birthday was actually on September 6th, or June 12th.

Except for some of the Eastern church who celebrate Christmas on Epiphany, January 6, most of all the world, even Japan, Korea, or India, celebrate Christmas on December 25th.

I do not think the Holy Spirit would want the world to be so completely wrong about when Jesus was truly born. And they did not select December 25th at complete random. They had good reasons to select the 25th of December as early as the 2nd or 3rd century. They thought the Holy Spirit had factual reason for it because it really was December 25th.

We give gifts to one another because the Magi brought gifts to Jesus as an infant King. There is no better example that sets such a joyful example for this grand tradition than the Wisemen doing it first, especially their gifts to the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Encouragement