My family still talks about the Christmas when my grandmother gave my brothers and me gifts that she insisted the three of us open at the same time. Apparently, Nana had enrolled in a ceramics class and we were about to be the beneficiaries of her handiwork. I searched through the Styrofoam and tissue paper of my present to discover an angel, sitting with wings spread and lightly glazed. It was an odd gift for a teenage boy, but no doubt thoughtful and personal. My older brother also received an angel, leaving little mystery as to what was in the third box. However, when my younger brother opened his gift, he discovered a squirrel , sitting on his back feet with a bushy tail, holding an acorn. What followed was a moment of confused silence. Then the room erupted with laughter. In the years since, Nana’s ceramic squirrel has been affectionately passed from house to house as an instrument of family unity.
Reading the Christmas story more than 2000 years after the event might raise eyebrows at the gifts the wise men brought with them to Bethlehem. Surely, Mary could have used a portable crib, cozy blankets or one of those baby backpacks to carry Jesus back to her hometown. But the Magi “opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). Tradition notwithstanding, these three presents are unexpected. But the wonder of the gifts given to Jesus look forward to the gift of Jesus given to us.
A PERFECT GIFT
What do you get a God who has everything? Jesus didn’t need anything, yet each of the three gifts was perfect. Gold was the perfect gift for a king. Though not apparent to everyone, the Magi knew Jesus had been born a king and gold was the currency of royalty, filling treasuries to fund kingdom expansion. Throughout His life, Jesus promoted His imminent Kingdom and urged people to receive Him as their King (Matthew 4:17).
Frankincense was the perfect gift for a priest. In the Old Testament, temple priests would stoke the fires of incense that represented the prayers of people to God. In the same way, Jesus came as our great high priest to make Himself an offering to God on our behalf (Hebrews 4:14-16).
And myrrh was the perfect gift for a Savior. The sap-like resin was used for perfume, for cleansing, as an anesthetic, and most notably, for preparing bodies for burial. At the beginning of His life, people were already preparing Jesus for His death when He would give Himself as a Savior for the world (John 19:39).
In retrospect, the three gifts aren’t very strange at all. Each anticipates Jesus’ redemptive ministry as our reigning King, priestly Advocate, and sacrificial Savior. And, just as the wise men freely gave their treasure to Jesus, so Jesus came to freely give the treasure of eternal life with Him to each one of us.
There is an interesting connection between chapters three and four in John’s Gospel. In chapter three, Jesus meets a man of great reputation named Nicodemus. In chapter four, He meets an unnamed woman of questionable repute. Nicodemus is a notable Jew; the woman is a despised Samaritan. Nicodemus is religious; the woman is an outsider to the truth. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night; the woman came to Jesus at midday. Yet, with all their differences, the common theme of both chapters is the gift of God. Jesus tells Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Then He says to the woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10). God has given a soul-satisfying gift to the world.
That gift is Jesus.
THE GIFT OF JESUS
Every grade school child remembers the dreaded fundraiser—selling candy bars, popcorn or magazines to raise money for their sports team or club. To maximize sales, the fundraising company typically offers incentives at various levels. Sell 25 candles to get the prize of a whistle. Sell 50 to get a Frisbee. A hundred sales will earn a gift of spy binoculars. And the top seller gets a pizza party for themselves and 10 friends. The gifts are not gifts at all because they are earned. They are simply rewards for good performance.
The gift of God, however, is one hundred percent free. Jesus offers salvation to sinners who can do nothing to earn God’s favor. This gift is available to everyone with no strings attached.
Paul celebrates, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus wants to reign over you as your King, make you a pleasant fragrance before God as your Priest, and give Himself as an atoning sacrifice for sin as your Savior. And you don’t owe Him anything. Salvation is all grace.
When we receive the gift of Jesus, we also receive coordinate benefits from being “in Christ.” We receive the gift of righteous-ness (Romans 5:17), a right standing before God based on what Jesus Christ has done for us. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4) who lives inside of each Christian and guides them into new life with God. And we receive individual spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) that enable us to serve God with our lives. No wonder God’s people ought to be like a child who wakes up on Christmas morning to discover a new bike beside the Christmas tree! We exclaim, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
There is a story about the riches of Jesus from a source that has since been forgotten. Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king who loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived and the hardships they endured. So, on occasion, he would dress in the clothes of a working man or a beggar and visit the homes of the poor. No one imagined that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. The disguised king ate the coarse food the poor man ate and, while together, spoke cheerful, kind words. Sometime later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity, saying, "I am your king!" The king expected the man would surely ask for some gift or favor. Instead, he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the morsels of food I ate, and you brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!”
The wise men thought they were bringing gifts to Jesus. They were unaware that Jesus was God bringing a gift to them. And us. Jesus brought us what we all needed—eternal life with God. He is our free gift with so many benefits that we shout for joy because of Him. God didn’t send us stuff. He sent His Son! The richest gift of Christmas is that our God has given Himself.