Gifts For Jesus
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Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a
sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Hebrews 13:15
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We still have one more celebration with family on Friday! Yesterday, though, we had a Birthday Party for Jesus! We ate, sang Happy Birthday, read the Christmas story,
quoted a Bible verse for a prize, played some games, and made an M & M
jar with a poem. We also made a Birthday card for Jesus, and in the card, we wrote Him a note or drew him a picture of the gift we wanted to give Him this Christmas. We even had an extra chair at the table because we knew He was there with us. We finished off the party by making a paper chain and writing
names of Jesus on each strip. We wrapped it around the tree. All in all, it was a great Birthday party and I believe Jesus enjoyed it along with us.
Babies don't remember their own birth, but as they grow, they look forward to their Birthdays because it is a day to celebrate them. I've never really thought about whether Jesus remembered His birth, the manger He was laid in, the Shepherds who came to see Him, or the Wise men that brought Him gifts. I don't know if Mary and Joseph told Him about the day He was born or how they celebrated His Birthday each year while He was growing up. Or if He, like children today, got super excited for His day. But there is precedent in Scripture for bringing Him gifts and offerings. The wise men knew this.
Scripture doesn't tell us how many wise men there were; only that they were from the east. It appears they knew the prophecy of Numbers 24:17 that spoke of a star that would lead them to the Messiah. Today, we say there were three wise men, also known as Magi or Kings, because of the number of gifts they brought to Jesus. It is doubtful they showed up at the manger because Matthew 2:11 talks about them entering the house where Jesus was. There they bowed down and worshiped Him and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In the song, How Many Kings by Downhere, I like how they describe what each gift represented. "Gold for His honor and frankincense for His pleasure and myrrh for the cross he'll suffer" tell us these wise men knew who Jesus was. They may have studied the stars, but they also appeared to know Scripture.
Maybe, like me, you grew up in a Christian home and have always known the story of Jesus' birth. Somehow, it has become part of Christmas, but not the focus. Or maybe you became a Christian as an adult, but years have passed, and complacency has set in. You, too, have let the busyness of the season take over. This year, even though Christmas day has come and gone, maybe you could think of something you want to give Him. We often tell someone "Happy Belated Birthday" when we missed the actual day. Besides, no one knows for sure what day Jesus was born. All that to say, there are lots of gifts to choose from, so here are a few verses to get you thinking:
God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7)
Jesus, as the King, will say "Whatever you did for the least of your brothers and sisters, you did for Me" (Matt 25:40)
Be still and know that I am God (Ps 46:10)
Praise God's name and glorify Him with thanksgiving ((Ps 69:30)
There is no one like Jesus. He alone deserves our honor and praise. He alone is worthy of our worship. To give Him a gift will bring Him joy!