Tis the season to spend way too much on gifts that possibly will go unused and unappreciated. I know, this is a bit cynical, but it comes from years of experience of watching children and grandchildren get all excited when opening things they had begged for, only to see these items set aside after a few days and not used again. Maybe my experience is unique, but I don’t think so.
My practices of spending all Christmas day assembling toys and searching for batteries to power them are over. The next generation now has that responsibility. However, despite my cynicism, I still enjoy giving gifts and receiving the appreciation of the recipient.
As men who are pursuing a connection with a holy God, I believe it is important to consider what role gifts might play in this relationship. In weeks past, we have discussed the gifts the Holy Spirit provides for each of us to use to encourage others in the Body of Christ and to build God’s Kingdom. These are not the gifts I am referring to here.
There are many references to gifts being given and received throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, gifts were given to fathers in exchange for the right to marry their daughter. Gifts were given to children to allow them to establish their independence and begin their lives as adults. Kings would send gifts to other kings as tribute or to attempt to appease them and keep them from attacking.
God was honored in the Old Testament for providing the gift of children to parents. God also provided the gift of rain after a time of drought and famine.
When we get to the New Testament, we see a bit of a change in how the Bible refers to gifts. Many gifts were asked for and received to meet the needs of others in the Church. Gifts were sought to support orphans and widows who had no other means of support.
One of the most significant accounts of gift giving is seen in the arrival of the Magi to the house of Mary and Joseph. Although we often include the “Three Kings” with Jesus in a manger, it is more likely that they came when he was nearly two years old. This is based on the time it would take them to travel, as well as Herod’s demand that children up to two years old be put to death in an effort to destroy this King of the Jews the Magi told him about.
These valuable items were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world: gold as a precious metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing oil. This is a significant indicator of the message these men came to deliver. They believed God when he revealed the purpose of Jesus through the prophet Micah in 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” They may not have fully grasped the significance of this small child, but they sacrificed years of their lives to deliver these gifts.
There is a more specific meaning to these gits that show an even clearer purpose in the advent of Jesus. Gold represents his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh an anticipation of his death and embalming.
All the gifts we have discussed pale in comparison to the greatest gift ever given. The Apostle John tells us that the Word (Jesus) became flesh to dwell among us. He also reveals that this Word is God. In the miraculous birth of Jesus, he was born without sin. Through his choice and calling, he lived without sin. This is the only way he was qualified to die without sin so that he could pay the penalty for my sin. This provides for me the only hope I have for an eternity in God’s presence. The greatest gift ever presented is the opportunity to receive this forgiveness offered by Jesus. And all he asks in return is an expression of faith and repentance on my part. This sounds like a supremely good deal to me.