3 Gifts

"When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." Matthew 2: 9-11

The wise men brought three gifts to Jesus. We can all name the three gifts, but do we really understand each gift's significance? I would imagine that Mary and Joseph were a little baffled by the gifts they received.

The Bible tells us that the first gift was gold. Ok, gold makes sense because Joseph was a carpenter - meaning he wasn't a wealthy guy. I am sure that Joseph and Mary were not that baffled by the gold. But the significance of the gold was not simply because Joseph and Mary needed the money. The gold represented Jesus being King, not just a king, but the King.

The real confusion begins with the frankincense and myrrh. --- Let's take a look at these two:

Frankincense is a resin from a tree that has been made into a powder. The powder is then burned as incense. Some of God's instructions to Moses were to burn incense containing frankincense as an offering to the Lord on the altar. Jesus came to be our High Priest, and He was the ultimate sacrifice that was most pleasing to God.

Myrrh is another resin produced by a tree. However, its purpose is much different from that of frankincense. Myrrh is used for embalming purposes. Can you imagine what Mary was thinking when the wise man handed her that one? It may be pricey stuff, but embalming ointment for a child? Well, Jesus was born with the purpose of dying. Jesus came to earth to die for our sins and be our Lord and Savior. Myrrh symbolized the most important event during Jesus' life on earth.

We give gifts on Christmas because of the three gifts the wise men gave Jesus. I am sure that Joseph and Mary loved the gifts they received for Jesus. Just like I am sure we have all enjoyed the gifts we have received over the years. But let's remember that Jesus Himself is the greatest gift of all. And, Jesus is the best gift to share!