The Season of Waiting: Why Do We Exchange Gifts?
"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
- John 3:16, NLT
As December begins, the air quietly fills with a familiar warmth. Lights shimmer along the streets, and subtle smiles appear on people’s faces. Exchanging gifts with family and neighbors feels almost instinctive — a tradition woven so naturally into the rhythm of the season.
Growing up, I eagerly awaited the moment a gift would be placed in my hands on Christmas morning. That childhood anticipation still lingers somewhere deep within me every year. But at some point, a question inevitably rises: Why do we give and receive gifts at Christmas? Is it simply because of the Santa Claus stories we heard as children? Many celebrate enthusiastically, yet few pause to consider why this tradition exists at all.
Not long ago, I watched a video capturing Christmas festivities in Vietnam. Even in a nation where Christianity is far from mainstream, the streets were bright with trees, ornaments, and joyful crowds exchanging gifts. But when asked, “Do you know what this day means? Do you know why gifts are exchanged?” not a single person could answer.
That scene made me wonder: Are we all a little like that sometimes? Enjoying the atmosphere — the lights, the music, the celebrations — while forgetting the meaning that gave birth to all of it.
Christmas Is the Day of Christ
Christmas is the day love and salvation entered the world. It is not merely the height of a festive season. It is the day Christ came to us — the day Love Himself stepped into human history. In a world filled with hatred, jealousy, distrust, conflict, and division, God looked upon broken humanity with mercy. He sent His only Son into a world under the shadow of judgment, opening the one true way of life, the one true light, the one true hope.
John 3:16 expresses this with unmatched clarity: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” Christmas begins with a gift God has given to us — a gift no earthly treasure can equal: Jesus Himself.
Why Jesus Is the Most Precious Gift
The meaning of Christmas unfolds through seven precious gifts Christ brings into the lives of believers — seven ways His grace permeates our existence.
1. The forgiveness of sins and adoption as God’s children: When we believe in Christ, recognize our sin, and repent, God forgives us fully and grants us the right to be called His children.
2. The restoration of our relationship with God: Though sin made us God’s enemies, in Christ we become His sons and daughters again, able to draw near and call Him Father.
3. The assurance that God never leaves us: He does not abandon us to walk the long road of life alone. He protects, guides, and watches over us.
4. The authority to pray in Jesus’ name: “Ask, and you shall receive.” Because we have been given the name of Jesus, we can approach God not with anxiety, but with boldness and prayer.
5. The gift of the Holy Spirit: To every believer, Christ grants the Spirit — the power, wisdom, and gifts we need to endure what we cannot survive by strength alone.
6. Eternal life and the inheritance of heaven: Christ opened the way into the kingdom of God. Heaven becomes not merely our hope, but our inheritance.
7. A peace the world cannot give: Jesus said, “My peace I give you.” This peace is unlike anything the world can offer, and no one can take it away. The first words of the risen Christ were “Peace be with you.” And when the angels announced His birth to the shepherds, their message was the same: “On earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:14) It is no wonder the apostle Paul began his letters with the blessing: “Grace and peace be with you.” For Christmas is the day God’s peace arrived in the world.
Are We Receiving This Gift?
Christmas is not a holiday that simply arrives with the calendar. It is a season meant to awaken our hearts — to remind us of the greatest gift God has given. Is that gift alive within us today? Is His peace still moving quietly in our hearts? As this Christmas approaches, may we rediscover, cherish, and truly enjoy the gift God has placed into our lives.
Becoming a Gift to the World
Those who believe in Jesus know the true reason for Christmas. And because we know, we are called to live as God’s gift to the world. Sharing small presents with others is beautiful, but more important is this: to point beyond the holiday, beyond the decorations and stories, to the One who came to save us.
The world needs people who will gently, clearly, lovingly say: The true gift of Christmas is Jesus. And through your life, others may come to recognize the gift He offers to them as well.
May the great and wondrous gift God has given us rest deeply within your heart this Christmas. May His peace settle into your life, and may that peace flow outward to someone who needs it.
Merry Christmas.
About Author
Choi Jong Eui
Pastor, teacher, and writer committed to connecting Christian faith with everyday life. He writes with the hope of praising the Lord and faithfully completing the mission entrusted to him, bearing good fruit to the glory of God.
