"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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." Matthew 2:10-11
When looking for gifts to give others, most of us try to get appropriate ones - things a person can use or articles we feel they would like. I'm sure glad my family feels this way. I can always count on a new pair of Brooks and some other running gear for Christmas and I know these gifts come with a lot of thought from the giver and are more than merely presents, they are displays of my family's love for me. Much in the same way that the wise men brought gifts to our infant Savior more than 2,000 years ago. While the items may not seem like much... only three gifts for a king? They were perfectly picked and lovingly given... three gifts for a King.
What was the meaning of these three gifts? It was certainly no accident that gold, frankincense and myrrh were presented to the baby Jesus. But why? Gold was a gift worthy for a king of which Jesus would be the King of all kings, "On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords." Revelation 19:16. Frankincense was a very expensive gift with a wonderful fragrance. It was typically burned by priests as an offering to the Lord (Leviticus 2:16). Jesus was the Great High Priest and the ultimate sacrifice, "our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time..."Hebrews 4:14. Myrrh had many uses including being used as a perfume, an anesthetic, an ingredient in anointing oil, and for burial embalming... death. John 19:40 says, "Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs."
Oh my. So these gifts were indeed appropriate. Gold for the King of Kings, frankincense for the High Priest and myrrh for our Savior who died to give us all the best Christmas gift we could receive - a gift greater than anything a box could ever hold, the gift of Salvation. What a wonderful display of God's love for us! "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16.
Heavenly Father, thank You, thank You, thank You for giving us the best gift ever... your son Jesus who died on the cross to offer us the gift of eternal life. The best part is, it is a gift that can and should be shared! Let us be generous with our time, resources and love as we proclaim with our lips, and show through our actions, the true meaning of Christmas to others. With joy in our hearts, we ask this in your precious name, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
We Three Kings - Building 429
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