Christmas and Gifts

 Christmas and Gifts

by Azi Areson

Christmas is about gifts, right? I mean that seems to be what pop culture has boiled it down to, even some of us as Christians seem to believe it when we put shopping and wrapping gifts above acts of service to our church and community and taking time to thank God for everything he’s done for us. Gifts are central to the way modern people celebrate Christmas, even the Amish often give small gifts to family members at Christmas. “But isn’t it scriptural?” Some might ask, well not exactly, we get the tradition of gift giving as a reminder both of the gift of Jesus’ birth and the wise men’s gifts to baby Jesus.

          But what if I were to suggest something unheard of, for the most part, what if Christmas isn’t about gifts? I believe Christmas is about the promise of Easter. Now I’m mixing holidays up, got to be off my rocker right? Well, maybe but I still think I have a point if you hear me out.

In Genesis 3:15 NIV, it says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” According to BibleRef.com, “Many Bible scholars see this as a reference to Christ, the Son of God, and also the ultimate member of Eve's offspring. Satan would damage Christ, but He would have the ultimate victory on behalf of humanity.” That’s right folks, as early as Genesis God was making a promise, the promise of Easter.

I could go on and on about all the times God reminds us in the Bible of His promise but I’ll cut this short. Christmas without Easter is meaningless. If Jesus came to earth, lived as we did, and then ascended to Heaven without dying for our sins it wouldn’t matter. Without the hope of Easter, that we can join God as His children free of the guilt from our sinful lives, there is no reason for Christianity.

Without the hope of Easter, the hope of Heaven and God’s forgiveness, then we may as well eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die. Because it wouldn’t matter if you were as favored as Job, as faithful as Noah, because none of us can achieve salvation on our own. We need Jesus to take our place because on our own we will never be good enough, we aren’t perfect like He is, only He has the power to take our place and it be good enough for us to achieve salvation if we believe in Him.

So this Christmas, yes, celebrate the gift of Jesus’ birth, but also remember the promise of Easter, the promise of hope, and may you walk the path of righteousness not only this holiday but every day. Amen.

Photo by Mario Amaral on Unsplash