“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11 KJV)
They brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gifts for a king. They understood that the child — the subject of their search — was our King, our Priest, our Savior. Who were they? Wise men from the East. How many wise men were there? We do not know. Since only gold, frankincense, and myrrh were named as gifts, we assume there were three men. One for each gift.
Back at home in the East, these men had studied the heavens in search of understanding and had “seen his star” (Mt. 2:2). Oh, what mystery lies behind the wise men and their astronomical discovery! I think it very interesting that they didn’t merely see his star and go on to the next thing. Rather, they saw his star, discovered what it meant and “came to worship him” (Mt. 2:2).
Consider their gifts. Gold is the highest quality of precious metals, majestic and fit for a king. Frankincense was used by priests in worship events because it gave off a sweet fragrance when heated or burned. Myrrh was an aromatic gummy resin used in burial preparation. Majesty. Worship. Burial. These gifts identify the child as king, priest, and savior. Each of them help us understand more about the baby born in a manger in Bethlehem.
In his We Three Kings, Poet John Henry Hopkins wrote about these wise men as though they were individually singing as each gave his gift. This beloved Christmas carol reminds us that no matter who we are, no matter our background or station in life, the proper posture is bowing before Christ and giving him our best gifts.
What might those be for you and me? Hands, voice, writing, giving, administration, helping, time . . .? This special season provides each of us an opportunity to consider what gifts we should offer to Christ all year long.
Dear Father, thank you for giving Christ to us as King, Priest, and Savior. Enable us to follow his star and give ourselves to you. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today as you give your gifts to Christ,