Christmas is all about the presents

I heard someone recently talking about how they feel like we have lost the meaning of Christmas. They said something to the effect of "Christmas isn't about presents." That started me thinking. And I have to say that I disagree.

In fact, the story of the first Christmas is all about presents. The one most people think about first is the story of the Wise Men. The travelled hundreds or possibly even thousands of miles bring presents to and to worship the one who had been born king of the Jews. This story is often used as the basis for our custom of giving presents for Christmas.

But this isn't even the most important present at the first Christmas. Jesus himself was a present. John 3:16 tells us that Jesus was a gift given to the people of the world by God because he loved us. It was the greatest gift of all time. God gave the gift not because we deserved it (we don't) or because we asked for it (we didn't), but simply because he wanted to. At Christmas, we aren't having a birthday party for Jesus. We're celebrating the greatest gift that has ever been given.

If we are celebrating the greatest gift that has ever been given, what better way is there to celebrate than to give presents to the others? When we focus on giving to others, I think we are very close to the true meaning of Christmas because we are emulating what God did. So maybe Christmas really is all about the presents.