Mary
September 2
Matthew 2:9-12
Gifts for the King
After the wise men had gone to King Herod to find out about the newborn king, the star they had first seen in the east went on ahead of them. The wise men’s discouragement turned to great joy when they saw the star leading them to Bethlehem and stop over the place where Jesus was.
They came to the house and found the small child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and gave Him gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.
Later, God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod to tell him about the child. So they returned to their country by another way.
Why did the Magi give Jesus such strange gifts?
If you were looking for a suitable gift for a toddler, you would probably go to a toy store or perhaps the kiddies section of a clothing store. Because you can’t really ask a baby what it would like, you would have to choose something you thought was suitable.
Let’s see why the wise men’s gifts were probably the best gifts they could have given Jesus.
Gold is a fitting gift for a king. Gold reminds us that Jesus is the King of kings.
Incense was used in the Temple. The sweet smell of incense reminds us that our prayers and worship are like a sweet smell to the Lord.
Myrrh is a spice that was used when someone died. This might seem like the strangest gift of all, but it reminds us that Jesus came to earth to die for our sins (see John 3:16 and John 19:39-40).
If you would like to give Jesus the very best gift, let Him have all of you—just as you are.
Verse for today
"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Revelation 4:11