“And behold, the star … went before them until it came to rest over the place where the Child was. … They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
(Matthew 2:9b, 10b-11 ESV)
It’s a charming picture—Jesus reaching out His toddler hands to touch the gifts the wise men offered, the gold and spices. I wonder if Mary had to stop Him making a mess with the myrrh and frankincense? These were precious gifts, but not exactly calculated for a toddler’s use.
And yet, they acknowledged the truth of who Jesus is on a deeper level. Gold is a gift fit for a king; myrrh and frankincense were precious spices used to make incense for God’s temple, and so it makes sense to give them to a Child who is God incarnate. I don’t know how much the wise men understood of all this, but it may be that the Holy Spirit guided the gift-giving just as He brought these Gentile wise men from far away to worship the King of the Jews.
For Jesus is God’s Gift to the world—more precious than gold, more holy than the spices of the temple. Because He gave Himself up for us all, we have life, forgiveness, and peace with God. Because He has risen from the dead and will never die again, we too will live in happiness and joy with Him forever. What more could we want?
We Pray: Thank You, Father, for Your good Gift! Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* What is one of the best gifts you ever got?
* Why do you say so?
* Why do you think God’s Gift of Jesus came to us in such humble wrappings?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on January 3, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights