Christmas is the season of gift giving. Often lost in the rush to find the perfect gift (or gift card) is the original gift of Christmas. God gave His only son that we might be transformed by placing our faith in Him and not perish. In remembering the birth of Jesus we will see manger scenes, Christmas plays and hear the familiar story of Magi (men of wisdom) from the East who somehow followed a star and found the place where the child was. The scripture tells us of their action in giving the familiar trio of gifts in Matthew 2:11,“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
We have grown up hearing of that story of the miraculous birth of Jesus and the following events. As a child, I remember being a narrator in elementary school memorizing reciting this account from the book of Luke, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Yes, this was a Christmas a play in public school. Times have certainly changed but that is another story.
No matter what our faith background may be, we all have familiar memories of the timeless story. However, many have no idea of the significance of the gifts from the wise men. They brought treasures from their native land but in those gifts God was giving a public statement of the identity of this child. The first gift, gold, was a gift suitable only for a king. In many countries one was forbidden to see the King without Gold. This young child was destined to be King of all Kings (Revelation 19:16). Earthly kings and rulers will rise and fall but only He and His reign are eternal so it only makes sense to follow Him as the ultimate King or master of your life.
Frankincense was a fragrant gum resin. The perfume was used by the priest for worship. Again, God is revealing the identity of this child. Jesus is our high priest. A priest is defined as “one authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion especially as a mediatory agent between humans and God”. Jesus is the ultimate perfect ‘mediatory agent’ to connect us to God. All of us seek to connect with God but fall short of God’s glory and His intention for us (Romans 3:23). We are able to reach toward God and do some good but faith in Jesus is the only way of completely connecting with God and all the love, light and illumination that is God.
The third gift may seem to have been the most unusual gift for a baby yet it was most appropriate for this child. Myrrh was a sweet-smelling gum from a tree native to the land of the third Magi. Myrrh however was commonly used in preparing bodies for burial. How strange, giving a baby a gift associated with death. One does not like to think of death at anytime however it is especially not a common thought at a birth, the beginning of life. This birth was different. This cradle had the shadow of a cross (remember at this time the cross was only an instrument of execution). God used this gift to tell us this baby was destined to give His life to be a willing sacrificial gift as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). As well as we may try to 'do right and be good’; we have no way to pay the penalty for our shortcomings. Christmas is the story of perfect God loving us, who botch things and fail at every turn, by providing the ultimate sacrifice worthy to lead us to abundant and eternal life (Romans 6:23). These three gifts declare the identity of this special child. He is the ultimate King, supreme Priest, and ultimate sacrifice to bring us into an eternal relationship with God. Christmas truly is the gift of giving. Let us make the most of the season by receiving and giving the gift of Jesus.
