It was the night before Jesus was born and a young Israelite couple was preparing to travel to their hometown. The trip was required by the new Roman governor in charge of the occupation of the Jewish nation. He wanted to have an accurate census of all the people presumably for tax purposes. They were forced to travel even though the woman was nine months pregnant. Joseph was worried about Mary since the baby could have been born at any moment, even along the way.
Thankfully they arrived in Bethlehem without mishap although Mary was in great pain and discomfort as to be expected of a woman with child at full term. Unfortunately, they arrived in the town very late due to their slow pace and there was no room for them at the inn. The coupleâ??s last resort was to stay in the barn with the animals for the night. How ironic that the Shepherd of the World would be born among the sheep and goats. â??But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the clans of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people.â? (Mathew 2:6, Micah 5:2)
The Magi came from the east following a star in search on the new king of the Jews. â??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 and of incense and of myrrh.â? (Matthew 2:11) They brought gifts worthy of royalty which included gold, myrrh and incense. The gifts are symbolic of the gifts we should be willing to give to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings.
Gold: The most precious metal represents the sacrifices we are willing to make for our God. We hold nothing back due to the respect and honor due him as our Lord. Whatever is valuable or treasured in our lives befits our king.
Myrrh: The perfume was a personal gift to the one who would be our Savior. The fragrance was symbolic of our gratitude for the gift of salvation Jesus would give back to us through his death. The myrrh would be used to prepare Jesus for his burial having bore our sins on the Cross.
Incense: Prayers are symbolized by incense during worship. The smoke rises into the heavens representing the ascension of our prayers to God. The smoke is also a reminder of the spiritual nature of our Heavenly Father.
What gifts do we want to give this Christmas to those we love? What presents would we like to receive? What gift would you like to receive from God? What gift should you give to God?
We can give to God our wealth out of the treasures he has given us. â??A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.â? (Proverbs 18:16) We can also give to God some perfume in the form of our personal time for service. We are a fragrant offering to God as we serve and minister to others. â??But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.â? (2 Corinthians 2:14-15) We can give to God in prayer as we draw close to him in our personal relationship made possible by Jesus Christ. â??Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.â? (Proverbs 27:9)
Christmas is such a special time of year. We celebrate the birth of Jesus with family and friends as we share fellowship and exchange gifts. The music, food and decorations during this season enhance the festive spirit which should accompany the remembrance of Godâ??s greatest gift to mankind. Enjoy the holiday. Merry Christmas!
