Giving Gifts
One of the main reasons the tradition of gift giving exists during Christmas, is to remind us of the gifts presented to Jesus by the wise men after He was born – Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh. These gifts were not picked at random. Each of them hold significance.
During the time Jesus was born, these 3 gifts were staple items to give to honour a king or deity. In addition to the value of the gifts, they each also hold spiritual symbols.
Gold
Gold represents the acknowledgement of royalty. Many scholars agreed that the giving of gold represented Jesus’ kingship with an everlasting heavenly throne.
Frankincense
Frankincense was used in temple routines in Jewish worship at the time by priests. Hence as a gift, it symbolised Jesus’ priesthood and the worship to be offered unto Jesus.
Myrrh
Myrrh was often used in embalming rituals in Egypt. It had connections with the idea of death and burial. Scholars feel that the gift of Myrrh was a symbol of the great suffering and sacrifice Jesus would carry out for all of mankind.
Above all, the giving of gifts during Christmas reminds us of the greatest gift of all – Jesus unto humanity, and the great suffering He went through for you and me. For without Jesus, we would have had no chance of eternal life.
