Wise men from the East brought baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. In the ancient East, people brought a gift when they met an important person like a king. These wise men knew that this baby was a king!
For thousands of years, kings have used gold to show their power and riches. Israel’s priests burned the frankincense in the temple as part of their worship to God. After Jesus died on the cross for our sins, those who prepared his body for burial covered it with myrrh. You could say that the wise men’s gifts represented Jesus’ kingship (gold), Godhood (frankincense) and death (myrrh).
But of all the gifts that could be presented to Jesus, Jackie was right that the one he wants to see most is our hearts. Just remember, we can’t give God anything to work our way into his heavenly kingdom. No one will ever give God a gift greater than the one he gave us when he sent his Son to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world.
“I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about” (Ephesians 2: 8-9).
Think About This: The wisest people in this world see Jesus as the king (gold) who came from heaven (frankincense) to die for our sins (myrrh).
Memorize This Truth: “The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).