|
|
|
|
Story of the Gifts of the Magi |
 Why were those
first three gifts so special?
How To Share The Gospel With The Gifts Of The Magi
You can share Christ at Christmas through the object lessons of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Most people do not have a saving knowledge of Christ but they do recall the story of the wise men who traveled from the east to present Baby Jesus with these gifts. It's an endearing story to most in part because it is the basis of all our Christmas gift giving. You can use the symbolic meaning of these three original Christmas gifts to better explain who Jesus grew up to be and the gift of eternal life that He offers to us.
If you could write your own ticket for a perfect Christmas, what would it be? it might include just the right presents for the ones you love, a beautiful tree, Christmas carols, snow on the ground, time off from work, chestnut roasting on an open fire and lots of fruitcake….well, maybe not that.
Deep in the heart of most believers would also be a desire to carve out meaning for their families and to share what makes the season really special, to communicate the identity of Christ so easily lost in the hustle and bustle of the season.
In the past you may have looked back at the season wishing you'd done more to communicate Jesus, but be assured you can share the gospel at Christmas time and one way is to explain the original three Christmas gifts.
Most people recall the story of the three wise men, alias three kings, who presented baby Jesus with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Many even understand that the reason they give gifts is tied to this story. You can connect this familiar story to the gospel in the meaning of the gifts
Jesus died because we have sinned and separated ourselves from God (Rom 3:23). He died because we are not perfect and do not belong in His perfect heaven. He died to pay a price we couldn't pay, to give us the greatest gift of all which we could never buy...eternal life.
This is God's great Christmas gift to us. But like a gift under the tree you don't really have it until you open it. You have to receive it. Eternal life is God's gift to you and that life is in Jesus.
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
I John 5:11
To receive that life you must receive the Son. Speaking of Jesus, John tells us,
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12
If you open your heart and receive him as King, as Priest and as Sacrifice, then when you die you will rise again to eternal life. You will rejoice in your resurrection as the song rejoices in His.
Glorious now behold him arise,
King and God and sacrifice,
Alleluia, alleluia:
Earth to heaven replies.
O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Gifts are opened at Christmas and Christmas will truly come to you when you take God's gift, Jesus Christ, into your heart to live with Him now and forever.
To do that you could pray a prayer like this:
Dear Jesus, I realize that to me you have been a character in a story but not the leader of my life. I now see in the gifts of Christmas more clearly who You are. The gold says that you are a King. I take you as my king. The frankincense says that you are a priest, a bridge between me and the Father. I take you as my priest. The Myrrh says that You are a sacrifice. I confess that I have sinned and I take You as my sacrifice, the One who died to pay the price of the sins I have committed, opening the way to heaven.
Do you need gold, frankincense and myrrh to tell the story at Christmas? Of course not. You just need God's Word Holy Spirit working in any given situation. But gold, frankincense and myrrh are a great evangelism tool at Christmas and if you use them especially myrrh, you will fulfill the prophecy of Christ. Remember when he was anointed with "muron" or myrrh perfume? Matthews account goes on to say that…
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant.
"Why this waste?" they asked. This perfume could have
been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.
Aware of this, Jesus said to them,
"Why are you bothering this women? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
When she poured out this perfume on my body,
she did it to prepare me for burial.
I tell you the truth, whenever this gospel is preached
throughout the world, what she has done will also be told,
in memory of her."
Matthew 26:8-13
So when you tell people about Jesus using gold, frankincense and myrrh, we can fulfill His world by reflecting on the woman who also gave Him myrrh.
About the author.
Bruce Thomas is the president of First Christmas Project which markets the First Christmas Present, a small wooden treasure chest with gold, frankincense and myrrh and a pamphlet which explains the gospel using the three original Christmas gifts as an object lesson. It is designed to be given by Christians to their friends and family.
|
|
|
Search the Bible on Praize.Click here!
|
|
