Weekend, December 16, 2023
Gifts for a King
They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 NLT)
Christmas is a time of giving, a time when we remember friends and family and give gifts in the name of Jesus.
But sadly, many of us often feel pressure to spend a lot of money or buy gifts for people with whom we have no relationship at all. Then there are times when we receive gifts from people, yet we haven’t bought gifts for them. Thus, we sometimes give gifts out of obligation.
On the other hand, we look forward to buying gifts for certain people. In fact, we often can’t wait to give our gifts to them because we want to see the joy they have in receiving them. Jesus said that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NLT). And it truly is.
The wise men from the East brought gifts to Jesus—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Now, what kind of gifts were these for a child? Myrrh is an embalming element. Why give an embalming element to a baby? The wise men, however, had an insight into who Jesus was.
They gave Jesus gold because they recognized it was a proper gift for a king. They gave him frankincense, which is what the high priest used when he went into the temple to represent the people. And they gave Him myrrh because they recognized this king would die for the world. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is our High Priest. And, of course, He is the One who died for all our sin.
What can we give to God in this holiday season? What do we give to God, who has everything? Here is what God wants from you: He wants your life. The greatest gift that you can give Him this Christmas is yourself.
And the greatest gift that you can give to God as you enter a new year of opportunities is to say, “Lord, I give You my life. I give You my talents. I give You my abilities, my weaknesses, my dreams, and my future. I offer myself to You.” That is what God wants from us.
Therefore, let’s be like the wise men and worship Jesus and give to Him. We will be glad that we did, because we can never outgive God.
Make time for Jesus. Make room for Christ. As the classic Christmas carol “Joy to the World” says, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” The same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, died on the cross, and rose from the dead is alive right now. He is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. He says, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Revelation 3:20 NLT).
Jesus is knocking at the door of your life. Are you going to open it, let Him in, and make room for Him?
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In thanks for your gift, you can receive a copy of Marvel at the Moon by Levi Lusko
In this fantastic 90-day devotional, author and pastor Levi Lusko uses illuminating stories, biblical teaching, and eye-opening surprises about outer space to show kids that they’re never alone because God is always with them. A copy of this beautifully illustrated book will be mailed to you when you make a gift of support to Harvest Ministries this month.
