"After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was - the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route." (Matthew 2:9-12 HCSB)
KING
GOD
SACRIFICE
As a Christian, they should stir your heart and stretch your soul. When you really contemplate the weight of their meaning and the stature of their significance, you can't help but fall to your knees as did the wise men of old.
Their unusual and highly valued offerings were: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
Gold was a gift befitting a king. In the book of Exodus, the tabernacle in which God Himself dwelt housed various items which were either crafted from solid gold or overlaid in gold.
KING
GOD
SACRIFICE
What do these three words mean to you this Christmas season?
As a Christian, they should stir your heart and stretch your soul. When you really contemplate the weight of their meaning and the stature of their significance, you can't help but fall to your knees as did the wise men of old.
Matthew 2:1-2 records details of the magi’s visit from the East
to pay homage to the newborn King as follows: Now after Jesus was
born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from
the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the
Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Traditionally we celebrate the magi’s worship of our Lord –
otherwise known as Epiphany – in January, but I wanted to
highlight it during this season of giving. The
three gifts offered represent Jesus Christ as our King, Priest and Prophet. Scripture
references are Daniel 9:24-27, Deuteronomy 18:15, and Psalm 110:4.
Some church historians, particularly in the West, have named the
three magi in Scripture as: Melchior, a king of Arabia who most likely was the
oldest of the kings; Balthasar, a king from Saba (present day Yemen); and
Caspar, a king from Tarsus (present day southern Turkey).
Their unusual and highly valued offerings were: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
Gold was a gift befitting a king. In the book of Exodus, the tabernacle in which God Himself dwelt housed various items which were either crafted from solid gold or overlaid in gold.
Gold itself is symbolic of royalty and wealth, and is representative of
heaven’s grandeur on the streets of gold mentioned in the book of
Revelation.
Frankincense is for a Priest and was a chief ingredient in the
incense which was to be burned continually in the tabernacle. In the book
of Revelation the prayers of the saints are rising to God’s throne as burning
incense.
Myrrh is
for a Savior who died for the world.
Myrrh was a chief ingredient in the anointing oil used in ceremonial
rituals to dedicate kings and prophets to the Lord’s service. It was also used
in the burial process along with other herbs and spices to preserve the body as
mentioned in John 19:39.
You say, “What can I bring Jesus?” I’m not royalty… I’ve
not traveled thousands of miles to see Him… I don’t have an extravagant gift to
hand Him. Ah – but you do. His desire is to have your heart this
Christmas season…
This Christmas season celebrate remembering that JESUS is the reason for the season...
We Three Kings of Orient Are
[written by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. in 1857]
Deborah
is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”. It is
written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their
passion. It will encourage and challenge
the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together. Visit http://www.spirituallyunevenmarriage.com
