The Magi

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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 2:10-11

First of all, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I pray that all of you have a beautiful day full of family, friends, love, and blessings as we celebrate our Lord and Savior.

Now, I have a couple of questions for you. The first question is this: How do you worship Jesus?

The first thing that comes to my mind is to sing! Sometimes, I’ll even sing in prayer. But, the Magi, upon seeing Jesus, bowed down and worshiped him. I do not think they sang. They showed reverence and adoration to Jesus. They probably lowered themselves all the way down to the ground praised him. That’s what I imagine anyway.

See, worship is so much more than singing. It is showing our Lord that we revere him, we respect him, we adore him. What is the best way to show all of that? Making it a way of life. We can continually decide every day to live in a way that brings glory to God.

Now the other question I have for you is this: What did you get your loved ones for Christmas?

Whenever I get my loved ones something, it matches who they are. It’s something I know they need, want, or would like. But, if there is one thing I love on this day, it’s watching my loved ones’ faces as they open those gifts. Because the gifts match who they are, I know their faces will light up!

God knew what we needed. He knew what we needed when he sent down his son. Jesus Christ is the best gift any of us could ever receive. Because of him, we are saved, we are reconciled to God, we are forgiven. The Lord saves!!

Doesn’t your face just light up thinking about the gift you were offered in Jesus Christ?!

The Magi were celebrating Jesus too! They were worshipping him, after all! I’m sure their faces lit up upon seeing the child with his mother Mary! In worshipping Jesus, the Magi also gifted things to him. They gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Strange gifts for a baby, huh? But they matched who Jesus Christ is.

A lot of people, or bible scholars, view these gifts as symbols. They’re symbols of Jesus’ identity and what he’d accomplish. These people viewed gold as a gift for royalty. Makes sense, right? Kings in those times always had gold. And who is the ultimate king other than Jesus? Scholars also viewed frankincense as a gift for the deity. In the Bible, frankincense is used in worship. And this worship was in regards to God. Whenever you read a Bible figure worshipping God, it’s typically done with frankincense. So, the Magi gifting baby Jesus frankincense is viewed to symbolize that they knew he was God incarnate. Now, myrrh is a spice used to anoint a body for burial… We are all aware of what it is that Jesus came to earth to do. Don’t those symbols match who Jesus is?

When you worship Jesus, do you give him anything like you have given your loved one’s gifts today?

Don’t you revere him? Adore him? Respect him? Give him the gift of your life. Live in such a way that brings more glory to God than blessings for yourself. Lay all of your gifts, talents, and treasures at Jesus’ feet. Because when you do, when you lay your life down at his feet, he is surely pleased! All that is wanted is to have a close relationship with you!

So today, amongst enjoying friends and family. Amongst celebrating the gift God has given you, Jesus Christ; Think. Think of a way you can use the gifts, talents, and treasures you possess to give back to God. Worship him today! There will always be opportunities for you to glorify him! Not just today, either, but every day. Make that daily decision to live for Christ, it’s a wonderful gift you could give!

Again, have a Merry Christmas everyone! God bless!

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Featured Image by Robert Thiemann on Unsplash