Does giving gifts take away from the true meaning of Christmas?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

When our heart and focus is on Christ, our giving of gifts during the Christmas season doesn't have to take away from the true meaning of this holy day. The Bible shows that giving was often an act of worship, honor, and celebration that reflects God as the best gift-giver. The birth of Jesus is the central gift of Christmas, and our giving can reflect God's generosity when it's done joyfully and not under pressure. While modern culture often distorts Christmas into a materialistic frenzy, believers are called to keep their attention on God’s greatest gift: Jesus. When our giving is rooted in gratitude for Christ, it can become a meaningful way to celebrate Him rather than a distraction from Him.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament shows God's people giving gifts as acts of worship, honor, and celebration. For example, Jacob tells his sons to take gifts to Egypt as a sign of respect to Joseph (before knowing his identity), showing how gifts were used to build goodwill (Genesis 43:11).
• God asked for freewill offerings to build the Tabernacle, showing that offerings and giving were part of worship, given willingly from the heart (Exodus 25:2).
• During the celebration of Purim, the Jews gave presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor, linking gift-giving to joy and remembrance (Esther 9:22).
• Gifts were often tokens of honor and access. Proverbs 18:16 tells us, “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.”

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The real meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus—God's ultimate gift of love to the world to save us from our sin (Luke 2; John 3:16).
• When talking about the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas, many people point to the Magi (wise men) bringing gifts to baby Jesus (Matthew 2:10-11).
• Giving is a matter of the heart, not obligation. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
• Acts 20:35 tells us that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
• James 1:17 reminds us that our giving mirrors God's generosity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Today, in our materialistic-saturated culture, Christmas is often made more about "what I get" rather than about "what God gave us." Millions of marketing and advertising dollars ensure that is the case, because let's face it: Christmas is a very lucrative time of year for retail businesses. But just because obscene materialism has become a big part of the Christmas season today, it does not mean that the tradition of giving gifts has to take away from the real meaning of Christmas. The key is our focus. It's easy to become consumed with the gift giving aspect because it's such an ingrained part of our culture, but our focus should be on God, who is the ultimate gift-giver (James 1:17). When we stop and realize that the birth of Jesus was not just a one-time gift from God over two thousand years ago, but that it has tangible meaning and impact on our lives every single day in the "now," giving gifts to one another can be a natural expression of our gratitude.

Ultimately, the question of whether giving gifts takes away from the true meaning of Christmas must be answered on an individual basis. If a person feels like it does, it may be worth reevaluating one's motivations behind giving gifts. The Bible speaks of excelling "in this grace of giving" as Christians (2 Corinthians 8:7-8 NIV). Our God is a very giving God, so it would make sense that as His followers we reflect the same characteristic, not just at Christmas, but year round.

UNDERSTAND

• Gift-giving in the Bible is often connected to worship, honor, and joyful celebration.
• Giving can reflect God's generous nature rather than distract from it.
• The birth of Jesus is the central gift of Christmas, and when giving is done with a grateful heart, it honors Christ rather than feeding materialism.

REFLECT

• When you give gifts at Christmas, what motivates you?
• How do you personally guard your heart from getting caught up in the materialism of the Christmas season?
• How could your Christmas giving more intentionally reflect God’s generosity and the gift of Christ?

ENGAGE

• How can we help each other keep Christ at the center of Christmas while still participating in gift-giving?
• What are some practical ways we as believers could model joyful, worshipful giving during the holidays?
• How do we balance cultural traditions with biblical truth when it comes to celebrating Christmas?