Growing up, I learned that it’s vital never to arrive empty-handed whenever you’re celebrating someone—be it a birthday, wedding, housewarming, holiday, or any special occasion.

Aim to present the guest of honor with the ideal gift.

As a child, I remember the thrill of racing through the store, eagerly exploring aisle after aisle to find the perfect present for my friends at their celebrations. The excitement of giving the gift and witnessing their joy as they unveiled the beautifully wrapped package was extraordinary.

I can’t help but think of the wise men, who must have felt a similar excitement when presenting their gifts to Jesus. Little did they realize that baby Jesus was, in fact, the ultimate gift.

John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whomsoever believed in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. God sent His Son, the perfect gift for all humanity. 

I absolutely adore this story.

While following the command to locate baby Jesus and return him to King Herod, the Magi inadvertently taught us a profound lesson on presenting our gifts to God. The Wise Men exemplified clear guidelines that we can emulate in our own offerings. Before arriving at baby Jesus, they celebrated with exceedingly great joy! Often, we wait to see God’s promises fulfilled before offering our praise, but the Magi reminds us that we can worship Him in advance. Once they reached baby Jesus, they bowed down and worshiped Him, recognizing that true gift-giving begins with worship. Following this, they presented Him with three carefully chosen gifts: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, each carrying its own unique meaning and significance. 

• Gold is a symbol of wealth and power. It’s precious, worthy across all genres and cultures. It’s a gift fit for royalty. This offering to the Supreme Sovereign speaks to Jesus the King. 

• Frankincense was deemed as holy and used as a ceremonial incense of the Jews. The offering of frankincense speaks of Christ as the Incarnate Holy One. Jesus The Priest. 

• Myrrh was used to anointing every part of the tabernacle in the wilderness. Myrrh was used to preserve mummies and in embalming. Baby Jesus was born to die. He was born to be the sin bearer – the sacrificial Lamb of God who would take all our sins upon Himself so that we might have eternal life.  Therefore, this speaks Jesus The messiah 

 The gifts foretold Jesus, revealing Him as our King, Priest, and Messiah—the ultimate Gift.

It would be a mistake not to mention that, just like the Magi offered their gifts, we all have unique gifts to present to the Lord. Your gift is meant to bring glory to God. Too often, we hold back from using our gifts because we don’t recognize their value. God has given us these gifts to share to lead others to a saving understanding of Him. Regardless of how significant or modest our gifts may be, we work as unto the Lord. God has bestowed each of us with a Gift meant to bring Him glory. Our gifts may extend beyond preaching and singing; they encompass giving Him our heart, mind, soul, and strength—our true allegiance!

This faithfulness does not hide behind masks or pretend to follow His ways. Instead, we offer Him gold to acknowledge His right to rule over our hearts, frankincense to honor Him as our High Priest, and Myrrh to remind us that it was through His death on the cross that we were healed and freed.  

None of us are without gifts. We all have something to offer up to the Lord.
Are we willing to pay the cost of our Gifts?