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

Mardi Gras - An Excuse for "Christians" to Sink Into Drunken Debauchery?

Being out and about this week, I was oblivious to two significant events going on in the Christian world. As a result of going to Galveston to take care of some Feast of Tabernacles business, I became aware that Tuesday, February 17, 2015 was a big day for both Christians and non-Christians. Galveston was in the midst Mardi Gras festivities.

I was reminded of the second significant Christian observance when I came into contact with individuals who had a cross marked on their foreheads with black ashes. This cross on the forehead marked Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

For many, the words Mardi Gras conjure up all sorts of images in our minds. We think of parades, floats, masquerades, balls, beads, doubloons, parties, king cake and revelry. New Orleans promotes it as “the greatest free show on earth”, and it is considered by most to be a good wholesome time of frolicking and fun.

Most people think that Mardi Gras came to us from the French, and that its history dates back only a century or so (The first “REX” parade in New Orleans was held in 1872). There are also accounts of some sort of Mardi Gras celebrations dating back to the early 1700’s (though those celebrations were little more than drunken brawls).

In actuality, the Mardi Gras celebration originated in the pagan pre-Christian celebrations of spring. Ancient Greeks would sacrifice a goat, cut its hide into strips and run naked through the fields while their pagan priests lashed them with the goat-hide strips. This was a part of their spring fertility rite to insure a productive harvest for their fields and increase the fertility of their flocks and women. The custom was degenerate, even by pagan standards, being a time of lewdness, immorality, drunkenness and revelry and was associated with the worship of the Greek god “Pan”.

“Pan”, besides being the Greek god of fields and pastures, was even more closely associated with cattle, flocks and herds than with agriculture. He was a fertility god and therefore always represented as crude, wanton, and lustful. He took the form of half goat and half man, having the legs, ears, and horns of a goat (the goat is the ancient symbol of Satan), but the torso, arms and face of a man.

The Romans, also thoroughly enjoyed this Greek festival. It was held each year in Rome during mid-February.

One writer says of this predecessor to our modern Mardi Gras: “It became known as “Lupercalia”, after the grotto on the Palatine hill where the festivals of the god PAN were held. The Roman aristocracy of the time preferred debauchery and licentiousness to legality and morality. Men donned women’s clothing, the better to abandon themselves to orgy; thus the masquerade tradition began.” (Errol Laborde, MARDI GRAS! Picayune Press, N.O.LA. p.33).

Another writes: “Most scholars see a relationship between present day Mardi Gras and the ancient tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of spring. A possible ancestor of the celebration is the Lupercalis, a circus-like orgy held in mid-February in Rome.” (Arthur Hardy, NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS GUIDE, 1982 ed. p.9).

Obviously, the celebration was totally licentious. Though it is mistakenly believed that our present Mardi Gras celebration is of more recent descent, sociologists and historians trace the present celebration directly to these obscene pagan spring fertility rites. Of course, most of the elements attending the ancient pagan celebration: (i.e., the drunkenness, lewdness, men-masquerading-as-women, obscenity, nudity, etc.,) have survived and are still very much a part of the present Mardi Gras celebration.

Mardi Gras is the last chance for Christians to eat, drink, and revel before Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and the marking of the forehead. With the beginning of the Lenten season Christians are to fast (abstain from chosen item) for forty days.

It is hard to believe that a festive occasion characterized by eating, drinking, and debauchery can be considered Christian, but in a world under Satan’s sway it is not a problem.

What were your thoughts on Tuesday and Wednesday? Were they upon Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday?

Or were your thoughts upon those things that are biblical? More specifically, have we begun to think of the Passover? Have we begin to focus upon examining ourselves in order to be prepared to renew our covenant in the Passover ceremony described in 1 Corinthians 11 and John 13?

We are blessed to be able to know the truths of the Bible concerning the Passover and the Days of Unleavened. God’s festival plan will begin to unfold in just a few weeks. The coming festivals give us significant things to consider in the weeks ahead.

Perhaps we can use the Sabbath as time to study and consider the magnitude of the sacrifice of our Savior and be renewed in our commitment to God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Gary Smith