Christmas is right around the corner and millions around the world are searching for the perfect gift. Most people, well, at least I believe that many would want to give the perfect gift. There is a common quote that says;” it’s the thought that counts when it comes to picking out the perfect gift.” When I give gifts, I put a lot of thought into the gift and the person receiving. I’m not the kind of person that just walks into the store and picks up whatever it is that is in front of me. When I give gifts I take into consideration a few things.

1. Is the said gift practical?
2. Does the gift have a special meaning?
3. I will also take into account the cost of said gift.

When it comes to getting gifts for my grand-kids I take in the pros and cons. My daughter Beckiah (Becca) was our first daughter to have children. When she made the announcement, it was exciting. I ran out to the store to get her baby a Precious Moments bear. I was in high gear when it came to picking out the perfect gifts for my grandson Tyson (15). Soft blankets, bibs, diapers, toys and whatever else jumped out at me was in my cart. It was the same way for all of my grand-kids.

My daughter Jessica has 2 children and I was present for both of the births. With Beckiah I was with her for the boys, but not Kora. Children are a true blessing from God. As I would and still surf the internet and Amazon, I make sure to read all about the item. Is it useful, fun and how much does it cost. My grand-kids are worth every penny I spend on them. I am bringing up my grand-kids because of the story of the birth of Christ and the gifts the Magi’s brought to a newborn child who is the King of the Jews.

When baby Jesus was born, there was no Amazon or stores to go searching for the perfect gift. Have you ever thought about what in the world was the Magi’s (Wise-men) were thinking. The Magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. What in the world would baby Jesus  who is the newborn king do with these gifts?

 

December 25th is the day that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. In my opinion I think that it has become a day filled with people showering their children and loved ones with toys, gizmos, electronics and so on. When Jesus was born, He received gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Gold

Gold is pretty easy for me to understand. Gold is a gift that is fit for a king. It symbolizes royalty. I would say that you can’t be more royal that Jesus is.

• 1 Timothy 6:15,  which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

When the Magi presented gold to Jesus, they made it known that Jesus has right to rule. The Magi knew that baby Jesus was the King of kings

Frankincense

What is Frankincense? Frankincense is a white resin or gum. Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. Frankincense is fragrant when it is burned. They used Frankincense when they would worship in the temple and was used for priesthood ordinances. Frankincense also represents Jesus’s role as the Lamb of God. He would be sacrificed so we could be saved.  It was mixed with the oil that was used to anoint the priests of Israel.

• Matthew 2:11, Upon finding the baby Jesus, “they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh”.
• John 1:29, The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Myrrh

What is Myrrh? Myrrh is a product of Arabia, and it also came from a tree like Frankincense. Myrrh is a spice that is used when someone is embalmed. Myrrh was also used to make wine more drinkable. I’m not exactly sure why this would be a practical gift for baby Jesus.I would be interested in hearing what my pastor says about this gift. 

Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. I have read a number of articles about what Myrrh is. The only thing I got out of this is that it symbolic when it comes to how Jesus would suffer in ways we would never know. He paid the greatest price when He died on the cross for all of the world.

• John 19:39-40,  He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰ Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

I’m not exactly clear when it came to the intention of these particular gifts to baby Jesus.

What I have gotten out of studying up on the gifts of the Magi, my conclusions are that all of these gifts are of great value. Gold acknowledges that baby Jesus is royalty and He is the King of the Jews and Lord of Lords. Frankincense signifies His priesthood and Myrrh represented Jesus’ humanity.Myrrh was used for embalming and it symbolizes His death and His burial.