Where did Christmas gift giving come from? If we go back to the first Christmas story when God sent Jesus to earth, we recall that Jesus was given three gifts by the wise men or Magi, which serve as the inspiration for all our Christmas gift giving today.
Tomorrow night I'm going to be sharing "The Gifts of the Magi" as my Christmas Eve devotion. The Magi presented Jesus with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts were very prophetic for they spoke of our Lord's offices of King, Priest, and Savior.
GOLD: This carries obvious significance. It's a gift fit for royalty. It says to the Christ child, You will be a King. Throughout history gold has been considered the most precious of metals and the universal symbol of material value and wealth. It was used extensively in the construction of the Temple (see 1 Kings 6-7, 9; 2 Chron. 2-4). It was also a symbol of nobility and royalty (see Gen. 41:4; 1 Kings 10:1-13; etc.). Matthew continually presents Christ as the King, and here we see the King of the Jews, the King of kings, appropriately being presented with the royal gift of gold.
FRANKINCENSE: Frankincense was a costly, beautiful-smelling incense that was used only for the most special of occasions. It was used in the grain offerings at the Tabernacle and Temple (Lev. 2:2, 15-16), in certain royal processions (Song of Sol. 3:6-7), and sometimes at weddings if it could be afforded. Origen, the great church Father, suggested that frankincense was the incense of deity. In the Old Testament it was stored in a special chamber in front of the Temple and was sprinkled on certain offerings as a symbol of the people's desire to please the Lord.
MYRRH: This is perhaps the most mysterious of the gifts. It is a resin produced by a small, tough, scraggly tree that grows in semi-desert regions of North Africa and the Red Sea. Myrrh is an Arabic word for bitter, and it is considered a wound healer because of its strong antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Myrrh was also a perfume, not quite so expensive as frankincense but nevertheless valuable. Some interpreters suggest that myrrh represents the gift for a mortal, emphasizing Jesus' humanity. This perfume is mentioned often in Scripture, beginning in Genesis (37:25; 43:11). Mixed with wine it was also used as an anesthetic (Mark 15:23), and mixed with other spices it was used in preparation of bodies for burial, even Jesus' body (John 19:39).
Those were the Magi's gifts to Jesus. Gold for His royalty, frankincense for His deity, and myrrh for His humanity. Some strange gifts for God's Son, but very significant for foreshadowing His future life. Once again, seems like God thought of everything (because He did)!
Merry Christmas to all! Keep Christ at the center of your Christmas season!
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