December 15, 2021

“and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”  Matthew 2:11(KJV)

Gifts!  When we think of Christmas, we think of gifts.  Imagine a Christmas without gifts.  A Christmas without gifts would be like Thanksgiving without a turkey.  It would be like the Fourth of July without fireworks.  It would be like Valentine’s Day without a sweetheart.  It would not be Christmas without gifts.

Gifts sometimes mean things.  And the gifts the Magi brought had meaning!  The gold recognized the fact that this child was a king.  A king with wealth and riches beyond apprehension.  The frankincense recognized the Divine nature of the child, for Jesus was God in the flesh.  And frankincense was the incense that was offered to one worthy of worship.  The myrrh was symbolic of the human nature of Christ, for Christ would die just as all humans die.

As we think of that first Christmas, we think of the gifts of the Magi.  But let’s not forget the other gift in that wonderful picture.  For the object of the worship was a gift from God.  A gift full of meaning, for Jesus was a king.  A king whose wealth and riches surpassed human apprehension, for the wealth of His kingdom is the hearts of men.  Jesus was Divine, as well.  And Jesus’ gift was to bring God and man back into personal relationship with one another.  Now God is with us.  And Jesus was fully human.  Yes, He would die.  A death that was not His own but a death for us.  A death that brings us forgiveness and hope for life eternal.

Christmas is a time for gifts.  This Christmas let us take time to remember the meaning behind that first and most wonderful of all gifts.  The gift of a little baby lying in a manger and all that  means to us.