What gift will you bring your Lord, Jesus Christ, this Christmas?
Tradition says that “three wise men from the East” came to bring baby Jesus gifts, when He was born. However, there is nothing in Matthew 2 that says there were “three” men. There could have been many Arabian or Persian men who made the journey to Bethlehem. And we don’t know that they were “wise” either. The Magi were astrologers who studied the stars. They did bring three gifts though; not to baby Jesus, but rather the child Jesus, who was around 2 years old at the time (Matthew 2:8, 11 and 16).
The gifts they brought Jesus were gold, frankincense, and myrrh:
- Gold, because He was a King; the ultimate king actually.
- Frankincense, because He was a High Priest.
- Myrrh, an aromatic oil, was used for embalming the dead, and of course, Christ took our place as the perfect sacrifice for our sin. Prophetic gifts indeed!
What gift will you bring Christ this Christmas?
- Truth? Christ knows your innermost thoughts (Psalm 139:2; 1 Corinthians 2:11), so it pays to be honest with Him about everything.
- Love? Jesus says that the greatest commandments are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself,” Matthew 22:37-39. So, what will that “love” look like for you? We can’t “love” without spending time in prayer and in our Bibles. It’s in relationship with God that transformation happens, allowing us to love ourselves, God and others as God loves us.
God is asking all believers this Christmas to bring Him the gift of worship, in Spirit and in truth, because they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks (John 4:23-24).
God has gifted us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our response, like the Magi, is surely our worship.
Merry Christmas Church. As children of the Living God, you are perfectly loved. What a gift!
