The Exchanging of Gifts. For many people, buying and exchanging gifts is the most important part of Christmas. Many go heavily into debt to buy presents that can’t afford to give to people they don’t even like! Most assume that the Christmas tradition of exchanging gifts is a reenactment of the Magi bringing gifts to Jesus, but such is plainly not the case. There is indisputable evidence that exchanging gifts at this time of the year was in important part of the Roman Saturnalia celebration. Said one author, “The tradition of gift-giving during the holiday season began even before there was a Christmas. Ancient Romans exchanged gifts during the winter festival of Saturnalia.”22 Tertullian also mentions that the practice of exchanging gifts at this season was a part of the pagan Roman Saturnalia. When this mid-winter festival was adopted into the Roman church, this custom was also adopted. As usual, however, apostate leaders tried to find some point of similarity between the pagan and Christian religion – to make the merger seem less obvious. In this case, reference was made to the fact that the wise men when they came to see the Christ-child presented to him gifts. Some suppose that this is where the custom of exchanging gifts at Christmas time came. But not so. The wise men did not exchange gifts among themselves. They presented their gifts to Jesus who was born king of the Jews. (It was an Eastern custom to present gifts when coming into the presence of a king.) But these gifts were not birthday gifts.23 How do we know that these were not birthday gifts? Because the Magi (wise men) did not come to visit Jesus until He was nearly two years old! (Matthew 2:16) The shepherds came from the fields to visit Jesus at His birth, but it was nearly two years later before the Magi arrived. Even if we believed that the Magi brought “Christmas presents” to Jesus, how does that justify our buying gifts for each other? Shouldn’t we instead give some sort of a sacrificial gift or offering to the church, Christ’s body? (I Corinthians 12:27) Wouldn’t that be much more consistent? After all, it is supposed to be His birthday, isn’t it? What would you think, if the whole world celebrated your birthday, but no one brought presents to you? What then must Christ think? Everyone comes together in the spirit of the celebration, and gives gifts at Christmas to everyone but Him. And it’s supposed to His birthday they’re celebrating! Sadly, people often buy so many gifts (for people who don’t really need them), that they have nothing left to give to the Lord! One writer, in reference to this pagan custom, said, “The exchange of gifts and greetings at or near Christmas time began long before Christianity. In the beginning these … presents are said to have been simple boughs of greenery brought from the groves of the goddess Strenia, … Many were charms as well as gifts.”24 Did you know that the early Christians refused to exchange gifts at this time of the year? They knew where the custom came from! It was thoroughly pagan. “Because gift-giving was so essential a part of the pagan celebrations, the early church frowned upon it as sternly as upon other and more questionable New Year customs. In the first centuries, Christians did not give each other presents in the Christmas season.”25 Christians in the United States did not practice this heathen custom of exchanging gifts at Christmas until the 19th century 26, when the merchants revived it in order to enrich their own coffers. It’s a merchants’ holiday! As much as 50 percent of some merchants’ business is transacted at this time of year, so you know why they love Christmas. What a joyous liberation the people of God experience when they forsake this pagan ritual. I didn’t realize what a burden I carried until God delivered me from the whole heathen practice. Did you know that the only place in the entire Bible where the exchanging of gifts is mentioned is in Revelation 11:10: “And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another …” Although this sounds like Christmas, the context plainly shows it to be a wicked celebration of the death of God’s servants. Then (as now), it will be an anti-Christian celebration. Can you see anything “Christian” is this commercial, materialistic, drunken festival? Dear reader, why don’t you give up this carry-over-from-paganism custom? Christ isn’t glorified in it. If anything, He’s forgotten!
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 23:06:16 +0000
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