Give a Gift

"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, frankincense and myrrh."

Matthew 2:11

The news of the shootings, stabbings, pepper spray attacks and brawls circulated across the country.  Was this some kind of demonstration gone bad, or a prison riot?  No, these were incidents that happened on Black Friday, the first official shopping day of the Christmas season.

Gift giving is a big part of the American holiday experience, leading some to resort to violence in an effort to snag the best possible gifts.  But why do we give?  On, or shortly after, that first Christmas over 2000 years ago, a group of magi from the east appeared to worship the Messiah.  The gifts they presented were chosen carefully and not the result of a frenzied shopping spree.  Rather, they were symbols of who they believed this child to be.

Gold  The first gift was to show their respect for the King of kings.  According to the prophecy found in Isaiah 9:7, "He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever."  That's like no king we've ever seen before!  Gold is given not because a king needs it, but because a reigning king is worthy of the finest gift that can be found.  Am I giving my very best to Jesus, my King?

Frankincense  When the Israelites made sacrifices to the Lord, an offering of grain could be chosen as a memorial, or remembrance, offering.  "And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:  And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD." (Leviticus 2:1-2  KJV)  This offering, given freely as a way to demonstrate to God the giver's attention to God's commandments, is received by God as an aroma pleasing to Him.  The wise men gave the gift of Frankincense as a show of worship and devotion to the living God.  Am I living my life out of worship of, devotion to and reverence for God and His commandments?

Myrrh  This aromatic resin harvested from certain trees was an ingredient utilized in fragrant perfumes and was often used as an embalming agent.  This gift was symbolic of the sacrifice Jesus was making in entering into His own creation and ultimately laying down his life.  "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)    The purpose for Jesus' birth into a sinful world is clear.  "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)   The gift of myrrh was given as a reminder of the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus.  Do I keep my Savior's unspeakable sacrifice at the forefront of my thoughts?

It is easy to get caught up in the materialism of the American Christmas.  But my prayer is that this Christmas, every activity I choose, every cookie I bake, every carol I sing, will be done with a purpose in mind.  Just as the wise men brought gifts which symbolized the position, power and purpose of Jesus, let me live my life in such a way that brings honor to Him.  

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that this Christmas season will be a time used to honor the sacrifice Jesus made in coming down into a sinful world in order to save me from that sin.

How am I holding a low view of Christmas, allowing it to become only about the presents, parties and decorations?

Where am I demeaning the memory of the birth of Christ?

Unspeakable Joy

". . . 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."

Matthew 2:9b-10 (KJV)

"And the angel said unto them,

'Fear not: for, behold,

I bring you good tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people.

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord.' " 

Luke 2:10-11 (KJV)

With a presidential election coming up next year, I am seeing more and more about the candidates who will be running.  Their campaigns are usually strategically planned with the hope of giving themselves the best face among the people in order to garner the nomination of their party, and ultimately the amount of votes needed to win the election in 2012.  Speeches are made, hands are shaken and babies are kissed, all with that goal in mind.  Every activity is purposefully chosen in order to influence the people who have a vote to give. 

Revelation  The birth of Jesus is not like a presidential campaign.  God chose to reveal the coming of the Messiah to two distinctly different groups: one being obscure wise men from the East, the other being lowly sheep herders from the local area.  His focus was not to elevate Jesus as a King, but to show those who were paying attention that His time had finally come.

Wise Men  These men had been watching the night sky and knew something about the prophecies of the Messiah.  Even though they were not of the Jewish heritage, they were paying attention to this important prophecy and to the formation of the stars.  When they saw a special star appear, they followed "His star" in order to come and worship the One of whom they had read.  I don't have to be born into the "right" family or live in a certain country in order to worship Jesus.  I need only to seek the Truth found in God's Word and pay attention to the signs that point to Him. 

Shepherds  In Bible times, the people who took care of the flocks were the lowest in that society.  Yet the most important birth to ever take place was first announced to these "low lifes".  This reveals the heart of God.  He does not pay attention to my position in society or the amount of money in my bank account.  Later, when Jesus entered into His time of ministry, He revealed His purpose by reciting the prophecy found in Isaiah 61:1-2.  “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  The poor, prisoners, the blind, the oppressed.  These are the ones He came to save!  I do not need to work to impress God and win His favor in order to be found worthy to save.  Jesus came to set me free from the bondage of this belief.

Candle in the Window Am I paying attention to where Jesus is revealing Himself? Is my heart humble enough to hear the Good News as proclaimed by the angels?  There is a beautiful children's book written by Grace Johnson about a lonely man who, on Christmas Eve, waits for a visit from the Christ Child.  As he receives three unexpected and needy visitors drawn by the candle placed in his window, he meets their needs, all the while watching for the One whom he expected to visit.  But the Christ Child never arrived, or so He thought.  In reality, by receiving those who were hungry, thirsty and homeless, the old man received Jesus.  

Children's Message Maybe I'm looking for something more "important" to do for Jesus.  If I am not willing to help whoever God puts in my path, I am going to miss out on the joy the shepherds experienced in receiving the news the angels proclaimed.  When Jesus sent 72 of his followers ahead of Him to tell them the Kingdom of God is near, they came back with joy as to how the message was received.  "Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, 'I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.'" (Luke 10:21)  I need to be humble as a little child in order to hear and receive the Good News of Jesus. 

Jesus did not come to impress those who have something to give Him in return, as the presidential candidates do.  He came to save those of us who are lost.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will be wise enough to recognize Jesus in the needs of those around me and humble enough to accept His calling.

Where am I showing that I know the Gospel, but do not live the Gospel? 

How do I carry the attitude that I have it all under control and don't really need a Savior?