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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Three Gifts

I was listening to the Today Show the other morning and Kathy Lee and Hoda were talking about Christmas and gift giving. Kathy Lee said that when her children were born, she and her husband decided that they should only get three gifts at Christmas. It symbolizes the three gifts given to Jesus by the Wise Men that came from the East. One gift would be something needed, one would be one wanted, and the third gift would represent something wished for.

Three gifts! Wow, I wonder at all the cash we could have saved over the years if we had followed the Wise Men's example: When Kathy Lee's daughter turned 21, Kathy Lee asked what she would like for Christmas. Her daughter said, "I think we should stop gift-giving for Christmas and concentrate on the meaning and the family during the holidays." Wow, I think this is something I could get into. Actually, my mother only gave me gifts at Christmas if I came home. Otherwise, I got a nice card.

This comes from Matthew 2:1-12.
The gifts of the Magi are identified as gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The meaning of the gifts is open to interpretation. Myrrh was commonly used as an anointing oil, Frankincense as a perfume, and gold as a valuable. Sometimes the gold is said to symbolize virtue, Frankincense-prayer, and myrrh-suffering. Others have said the gold symbolizes kingship on earth, Frankincense (an incense) meaning priest-ship, and myrrh (an embalming oil) death. Some say that they represent Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. 


The gold represented His sovereign dominion, symbol of Royalty (King Jesus. The frankincense represented His sinless deity, symbol of Worship (Savior. The myrrh represented His sacrificial death, symbol of His purpose (to die for our sin).

 Excerpt taken from a sermon written by Dr.Adrian Rogers: 

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME
ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD