Christmas Gifts: Kingly Present or Ancient Eastern Custom?

It is the 26th of December and Christmas is past. Yesterday in many parts of the world Christmas was observed. Families gathered, gifts were exchanged.

On what scriptural basis do people in the Christian world exchange gifts? The scriptural support for gift giving is found in Matthew 2:11,

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Does this quote support exchanging gifts in observance of Christmas? Although giving gifts based upon Matthew 2:11 indicates a misinterpretation of what is happening in the verse. First, let us look at the historic origin of trading gifts back and forth, then see exactly what the Bible does say about it.

From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155, we quote, "The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the Pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows."

The fact is, this custom of exchanging gifts with friends and relatives at the Christmas season has not a single trace of Christianity about it, strange though that may seem. This does not celebrate Christ's birthday or honor it or Him! Suppose someone you love has a birthday. You want to honor that person on his or her birthday. Would you lavishly buy gifts for everyone else, trading gifts back and forth with all your other friends and loved ones, but ignore completely any gift for the one whose birthday you are honoring? It would seem rather absurd, when viewed in that light.

Yet this is exactly what people the world over do. They honor a day that is not Christ's birthday by spending significant amounts of money to buy presents to trade back and forth among friends and relatives.

Now consider what the Bible says about giving gifts when Christ was born in Matthew 2. Let’s examine the passage:

“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, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."” (Matt 2:1-2)

• Note they were seeking a king they would worship.

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” (Matt 2:3-4)

• The arrival of these men from the east upset Herod because he saw this king as threatening his rule in Judea and apparently the men’s search for a king stirred Jerusalem as well.
• An inquiry was made to determine where the Christ was born.
• Matthew 2:5-6 tells us that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.
• Matthew 2:7-8 informs us that Herod wanted to know when the men began their journey and asks that when they find this king they are to report back to him.
• How long was the journey of these men from the east? Matthew 2:16 tells us that Herod set about killing all infants aged two years and younger. Herod had determined from the inquiries of the men from the east that their journey began approximately two years earlier. Since the men did not return to tell Herod of the location of this king, he killed all that fit into that time frame with the hope of eliminating his supposed rival.
• Note Matthew 2:10 tells us that the child was not in a manger in Bethlehem since about two years had passed. Christ, was no longer a newborn, but was possibly as old as two. He was living in all probability in his home town of Nazareth.

Now back to the verse we addressed at the outset,

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matt 2:11)

Notice, they inquired for the child Jesus, who was born King of the Jews! Now why did they present gifts to Him? Because it was His birthday? Not at all, because it was some time after the date of His birth! Was it to set an example for us, today, to trade gifts back and forth among ourselves? No, notice carefully! They did not exchange gifts among themselves, but "they presented unto Him gifts." They gave their gifts to Christ, not to their friends, relatives, or one another!

Why did they give gifts to the child? Let me quote from the Adam Clarke on Matthew 2:11, “The people of the east never approach the presence of kings and great personages, without a present in their hands. This custom is often noticed in the Old Testament, and still prevails in the east, and in some of the newly discovered South Sea Islands.” (From Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

They were not instituting a new Christian custom of exchanging gifts with friends to honor Christ's birthday. They were following an old and ancient eastern custom of presenting gifts to a king when they come into his presence. They were approaching Him, born King of the Jews, in person. Therefore custom required they present gifts—even as the Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon—even as many people today take a gift along when they visit the White House for an appointment with the President.

The custom of trading gifts back and forth does not stem from this scriptural incident at all, but rather, as quoted from history above, it is the continuance of an ancient pagan custom.

Have a most pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith

Black Friday and the Merchants of the Earth

The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. It is one of the most intense shopping days of the year. It is quite a contrast to the purpose of Thanksgiving which is to express thanks and gratitude to God for all of His blessings. Most shoppers have little thought for God’s blessings as they rush into the Black Friday fray. After all Thanksgiving was yesterday.

Working part-time at Home Depot, Black Friday is a serious time for the store. For weeks prior to that date, freight of all kinds is coming into the store. Once the freight is unpacked the aisles are filled with sale items and covered with black visqueen to hide the items until Black Friday arrives.

Additionally, very few employees are given time off on this Friday. Management wants all hands on deck for the sale.

As one stops to analyze Black Friday one can only stand amazed at the amount of commerce that takes place on that day. Not only is Home Depot swarming with customers but the company has more than 2,200 convenient locations throughout the United States (including the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), Canada, China and Mexico. In considering the amount of business conducted in one day one has to additionally note that J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and myriads of other stores are running sales also. Not only are the brick and mortar stores busy, but so is e-commerce that accounts for additional sales.

All of this effort by stores, employees and customers is all geared toward maximizing sales for the Christmas season. We might ask, “What does this have to do with the birth of Christ?” The simple answer is that Black Friday has nothing to do with the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Black Friday is about commerce pure and simple. Should we be surprised? Consider what we are told about commerce in the book of Revelation. "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'” (Revelation 18:9-18)

Black Friday is part of a greater commercial system that is central to this present age. The system provides all of the goods that we love as human beings. This system is corrupt and God inspired the Apostle John to let us know that this system will one day cease to exist. There will no Black Friday sales events.

There will no longer be a system based upon get, greed and covetousness. Instead, the world will come to treasure the real treasures that can only be acquired from God. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Put another way, God offers us things that are lasting and cannot be acquired in a store or on a website.

Have a most pleasant Sabbath.

Gary Smith