The Season of Giving

We often call Christmas the Season of Giving, and that's pretty awesome!  It's great to see that the birth of Christ can serve as an inspiration to the world to be more charitable.  There is absolutely no problem with this!  I see bumper stickers demanding that we all remember to keep Christ as the center of Christmas, which works for those of us who know Him.  However, for the passing world which has no idea who Jesus is, how much sense does that make?  They don't understand the need for a Savior yet, they don't recognize the price of a life owned by sin, nor do they recognize the birth of the One who willingly paid that debt...not yet at least.  What do they see?  They see the name of Christ attached to a holiday that professes selflessness as its central theme.  And, you know what?  That's pretty accurate!

The example of giving at Christmas does not ultimately come from the gifts of the wise men, nor does it come from December 25th being adopted as Jesus' birthday.  One of the best scriptures explaining from where giving at Christmas comes is Philippians 2:3-8 which says, "(Christ Jesus), being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!"

In the first half of that verse, we find ourselves at Christmas.  Sure, it misses the narration by Linus about the shepherds in the field being terrified and the "no room at the inn," but we as Christians must remember why the story of Mary, Joseph, the angels, the Shepherds and, four years later, the Magi is important.  This was not a Silent or Holy Night in and of itself.  The question is what "Came Upon a Midnight Clear?"  What, beyond the mere tradition of it all, happened?  It was at that moment when Jesus decided that it was time to forsake His Godly position and become a man, or as Paul writes in Philippians 2, made Himself "nothing."  He came as a servant of all people for all time.  This gift continued until around 33 years later when Jesus reached the summit of His purpose on earth, when He died on the cross for our sin.  Jesus is the gift at Christmas, not merely His presence but ultimately His selfless sacrifice.

So, this Christmas, let's focus on the words of application that came right before the above passage in Philippians 2.  These are verses 3 and 4 which say, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."  It's not enough to give gifts, because we can give for selfish reasons.  We aren't called to be generous, we're called to be selfless.  We aren't called to be giving because it feels good, we are called to put others above ourselves regardless of how it feels.  Jesus made Himself obedient to death on a cross, and, from what I have read, that doesn't feel nice at all.  1 John 3:16 says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us."  He placed the needs of everyone over His own needs.  That’s what Christmas is all about!  So what?  John continues, "And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."

In this Season of Giving, let's have the attitude of Jesus.  Let's consider the needs of others so much greater than our own that we lay everything we have and are, our entire lives, down for their sake.  Let's not just put Christ back in Christmas...let's be Christ in Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

In His Grip,

BJ