Christmas has to be the most wonderful time of the year but who in the world came up with the unwonderful practice of the gift exchange? I say unwonderful because if you’re exchanging something, then it’s no longer a gift, it’s merely an exchange. And, if you have to buy a gift in order to get a gift, you might as well buy your own gift. Now, the only thing worse than the gift exchange is the unspoken gift exchange. This happens when someone gives you a gift expecting that you’ll be giving them one in return. And, if they bought you an expensive gift, they’ll also be expecting a considerable gift in return. The problem is that real gifts comes with no strings attached. At least that’s the way it was on the first Christmas. 

Oftentimes we bring this same way of reasoning into our relationship with God. We think that we’re supposed to exchange gifts with him so we point out the sacrifices, commitments, and promises we’ve made. We assume that God see us through the lens of how good we’ve been. But the first Christmas is a reminder that salvation and having a right relationship with God is not a gift exchange, neither is it a gift based on merit but rather a gift that God grants everyone of us not because of who we are, but rather because of who he is.

On the first Christmas, the day Jesus was born the angel of the Lord appeared to a group of shepherds living nearby and said to them:

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:10-12 NIV

The very first Christmas present came wrapped in cloths and on the very first Christmas there was no gift exchange. If this simple but powerful truth could fully fill our hearts and minds it would give a whole new meaning to Christmas. But even more importantly, it would radically transform the way we relate to God, because we don’t have to relate Him based upon what we can offer. We can relate to him based upon what he offers, which is the free gift of salvation that comes through his son Jesus Christ.