So, because of my little devotional book I'm reading through this holiday season, it got me thinking! I started researching things like "why do we have Christmas trees? Or why the lights? Gifts?
Now the gifts tradition is rather obvious to the Christians because it was Jesus that gifted His life for all mankind. It was a gift! For everyone. Also, bringing it right into the nativity was an awesome display from the Wise men that gave their gifts to the baby Jesus when they found him and worshiped him!!! I've often asked myself why the three special gifts were recorded? Did the myrrh, frankincense and gold have a significance in the life of this special baby? Or was that the poplar gift given to a king? For, wasn't the reason for all their travels to find this new King? All the way from the east?
I did some research and found on christiantoday.com some very interesting facts! In Matthew 2:1 it reads, "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem." I read that "from the East" could mean from different countries. This struck some interesting thoughts inside of my head. These men, wherever they were all from, really meant to seek out this baby!
Where these men called Magi or Wise men or Kings? Magi means that they were men that interpreters omens and were astrologers. Again in Matthew 2:2 it reads, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." They have noticed a special star and knew there must be a meaning to all of this! They set out to find out for themselves! In my studies, it took me to Daniel 1:20. "And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm." This was common for kings to have wise men or magi. The king in Daniel 2:5 said, "The king answered and said to the Chaldean's, "My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap." "The king answered Daniel, and said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret. Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon." Daniel 2:48 Joseph interrupted dreams also.
The word "wise men" means "learned men among the Persians". Solomon was the wisest man ever to live and in 1 Kings 10, and "when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cup bearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. Then she said to the king: "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and you wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard." Then in verse 10 "she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones." Giving all these precious gifts were fit for a wise man!
Or were the 'wise men' really kings? We sing about "We three kings". We picture them as wearing crowns with big robes! In Psalms 72 it reads this, "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him. For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and save the world of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight. And He shall live; and the gold of Sheba will be given to Him; Prayer also will be made for Him continually, and daily He shall be praised." Matthew 2:11 says, "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh." Here these kings brought to this new baby King, gifts. I find it so interesting looking at Isaiah 39. "And Hezekiah was pleased with them, and showed them the house of his treasures-the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory-all that was found among his treasures." It says in verse 6 that all this will be carried to Babylon. So then in Daniel 5:2 says, "Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them." So then, the wise men or magi or kings ... at Christmas they brought back the treasures to Jerusalem!!! These men may have been the first to bow down and worship the Lord Jesus at a king!!!
So maybe today we don't really have presents of gold or frankincense but we give gifts just like they did to Jesus!!! This Christmas, take time to remember why we do this! Remember that Jesus is the greatest gift of all!!! He offers eternal life!
