Giving At Christmas
"...they fell to the ground and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." - Matthew 2:11
Giving and Christmas go hand in hand, but have you ever thought about where giving gifts at Christmas originated? Some will suggest giving began with St. Nicholas, commonly known as Santa Claus, but it was long before St. Nick.
It began with some men who visited Jesus when He was a young child. They became known as the Three Wise Men. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold is the gift for a king, an expensive gift symbolizing belief that Jesus was born to be a king. Frankincense is the gift for a priest, reminding us that Jesus is the ultimate High Priest, a mediator between God and man. But myrrh was an unusual gift for a child. It's a precious spice or perfume used to anoint a body at death. Why myrrh? It was a prophetic gift. Jesus had come to die to be our Savior -- to give His life for our sins.
King. Priest. Savior. Three gifts which reveal to us, at Christmas, who Jesus is.
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2 Comments
This is a good topic for our morning devotion, but actually giving started a little earlier when God gave his son to be our Saviour. This is the greatest gift ever given. I am truly thankful for having a Saviour that I can call on whenever I want too. Merry Christmas to all and I pray You will have a wonderful New Year.
Rev Jerry H Barrett - Rev Jerry H Barrett
Just like the wise men who brought gifts for our Lord, may we continue to present Him not with gold, frankincense, and myrrh but ourselves. I concur, He is my Shepherd, Savior, Friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, and my End. He is my all in all. I am eternally grateful for the Gift of God in Christ Jesus. I digress, Erik is a believer, he simply does not know it yet. Let us keep him lifted in our prayers and meditation period, he needs it. With warmest regards. - Brother Carlito