People familiar with the Christmas story are aware of angels who announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds watching their sheep on the hillsides of Bethlehem.  We should also be aware of individuals called “kings of the east” paying a visit to the son of the virgin Mary.  These individuals are commonly called the “Magi”, who were well acquainted with the stars in the sky.  In their study of the stars, they one day noticed a special star in the sky, and they decided to follow it because they believed it would lead them to a special king.

        Most people believe there were three kings, no doubt because “Words from Above” tell us that there were three gifts given to the new king when they arrived at his house.  These three kings were even given names, the first one being Balthazar, who is said to have had black skin and black hair, wore a purple robe, and was called the King of Tarse and Egypt.  The second was named Caspar, who is said to have had brown hair, wore a green robe and a green crown with green jewels in it, and was the King of Sheba. The third was Melchior, who is said to have white hair, wore a gold robe, and was the King of Arabia.

        People familiar with the Christmas story know that the Magi presented gifts out of their treasures, namely gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Gold is associated with kings, and this is significant because Jesus is called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Frankincense is usually associated with priests, which is significant because Jesus is called our Great High Priest, the one who intercedes for us with God.  Myrrh is usually associated with the burial of the dead, and this is significant because Jesus came to die to pay for the sins of all the people of the world.  The celebration of the birthday of Jesus today is also associated with the giving of gifts, but one major difference is that people normally give gifts to each other rather than to Jesus.

        Jesus is God’s gift to the world, and Jesus in turn gave Himself as a sacrifice on the cross to provide for salvation and eternal life for all people, none of whom even come close to deserving it.  He willingly and voluntarily laid down His life to spare us from spiritual death, which is the penalty for sin.  Of course, we cannot give gifts to Jesus like the magi, but we can give gifts in the name of Jesus, and we can give of ourselves in the service of His kingdom, a wise thing to do.

Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For informa-tion, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.