The First Gift of Christmas

The first gift of Christmas is not what you might think. That’s because it has been rightly eclipsed by the greatest: Immanuel: God with us. The Bible is about Jesus. The Old Testament predicts the coming Messiah. The New Testament tells how those promises were fulfilled, along with those yet to come. In my previous article, “Why is Christmas So Hard?” I shared why some people find the holiday season to be difficult for various reasons. However, the number 1 present is still available and is the perfect gift for those who find the season to be hard to get through.

 There Are Hints About It in Christmas Movies

Every Christmas morning, billions of people celebrate the birth of Christ. We share gifts from family and friends. Many of them with spend the day watching their favorite Christmas movies, of which there are hundreds. The first gift of Christmas is all around us, many do not realize it or its importance. In fact, it’s in almost every Christmas movie if you look in the right places.

It’s in Most Christmas songs

Part of the Christmas tradition involves Christmas songs, both spiritual and secular. Secular favorites like “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” make children and adults laugh. Others such as, “Silent Night,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and “O Holy Night” remind us of the birth of Jesus. You can find the first gift of Christmas in most of the sacred Christmas carols.

The First Gift is Hinted in The “12 Days of Christmas”

1 song, in particular, is parodied year after year, bringing laughs to kids and adults alike. It is titled “The 12 Days of Christmas.” The song has many hints about the first gift of Christmas. Its lyrics remind us of love and eccentric Christmas celebrations, but also the full Christmas season. The date set aside to celebrate the birth of Christ for most Christians is December 25. For the Armenian Orthodox Church, the date is January 6. There are 12 days between those 2 dates, hence, the 12 days of Christmas – the Christmas season.

The First Present was not a Celebration

Here is a list from a February 2, 2020 entry at thesocialsetters.com titled “Having a Baby? Here’s our list of all the events you can have to celebrate!”

• Baby Reveal – Prospective parents tell their friends and family that they are expecting.
• Gender Reveal – The baby’s gender has been discovered and it’s time to tell everyone.
• Babymoon – The parents are starstruck with the idea of having a baby of their own.
• Baby Shower – Friends and family share in the joy by giving the family gifts for the newborn.
• Hatchlorette – Mom’s friends spoil her with special treats as a sendoff to motherhood.
• Sip and See – Special friends visit the newborn but do not touch it. Instead, they eat and drink and gaze.

It wasn’t the birth of Jesus

I know: It sounds like sacrilege. While the birth of Christ is, beyond all doubt, the greatest gift, it was not the first gift of Christmas. Jesus was the reason for the first gift. Jesus’ birth had been prophesied and anticipated. He was the long-awaited Messiah. Surely, someone would have prepared a gift suitable for a king. The Magi came from the East to worship Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but they were not the first gift either.

Then, What Was the First Gift of Christmas?

It remains the best present we could offer Him today. The same one we can offer our friends, family, and even strangers. The innkeeper offered the only thing that he could. It was not beautiful, nor was it prepared in advance for the birth of Jesus. In fact, it was all that the innkeeper had left to offer. It wasn’t the stable, nor the manger. No, this is something God asks of us all and it is something we all can give. It is willingness. That’s right, the first gift of Christmas was willingness. The innkeeper could have turned Joseph and Mary away, but he was willing to make space where he could. He was willing.