Same Christmas, Different Gifts

Christmas shopping was a little different this year. As we learned earlier in the month, more are shopping online than ever before. Retailers, to curb the shopping crowd size, have taken to “online only” deals, encouraging people to stay home and shop online. This year there might be more presents delivered than purchased at the store and rather than going to the store to pick out presents, families huddled around the computer to make their Christmas wish lists. The way we buy gifts and perhaps the gifts themselves may be a little different this year.

“They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

The Magi had seen the star of the newborn King of the Jews and they sought Him to bring Him gifts. The wise men are often part of the Nativity decoration but they were not at the barn where Jesus was born. They arrived sometime between two years after Jesus’ birth, given that Herod wanted this newborn king killed and he sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem that were two years old and younger. These gifts must have seemed strange to Mary and Joseph. Gold would have been a royal gift for a king, frankincense was a symbol of deity or priesthood, and myrrh was a spice used in embalming—not exactly normal gifts to give a toddler and not a normal way to receive them. 

“Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the Lord.” (Isaiah 60:6)  

The gifts were one of over 300 prophecies that would be fulfilled in Jesus’ life. They might have seemed odd at the time but the gifts were entirely appropriate for our Lord: gold for His kingship, frankincense for His Priesthood, and myrrh for His temporary death. This year, you might receive gifts in a different way, but remember while the way of gifting might be different, it’s still the same Christmas. 

This is the final post for us this year. Our next post will be on Monday, January 4th. We wish your family the happiest Christmas and a most blessed new year.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed