Merry Christmas, Church!
This morning, we celebrate the coming of the Messiah.
We celebrate God using the most unexpected means—through the virgin Mary and a humble manger—to bring the Savior of the world to earth. As many of us sit together this morning, enjoying time with family in our pajamas, I want to invite you to pause and reflect.
It is my hope and prayer that this moment moves beyond tradition, beyond the manger, and into a heart of praise. Today, we celebrate not only the birth of Christ, but His life. Because within Christ’s humble beginnings are hints that point us beyond the manger and into the fullness of who He came to be.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:9–12
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The Gifts That Tell the Story
In this familiar account of the wise men, we often picture a beautiful nativity scene—figures gathered around baby Jesus, gifts in hand. But Matthew is showing us something deeper, something hidden within the gifts themselves.
The three gifts Jesus received—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—are not simply generous offerings. They tell the story of the Messiah.
Gold is a symbol of royalty. It represents kingship, authority, and reign. Gold is offered to Jesus as a prophetic declaration: He is the true King who has come.
Frankincense represents divinity and priesthood. Used as incense in the temple, it points to Jesus as our great High Priest—the mediator between God and humanity.
Myrrh, perhaps the most striking gift, was commonly used for burial. A strange gift for a child, it reveals from the very beginning that Jesus would be a suffering servant, one who would die for the sins of the world.
More Than a Birth
Do you see it?
Through the wise men, God tells the story of Jesus’ life:
that He would reign as King,
serve as our great High Priest,
and lay down His life for our salvation.
Christmas is more than the celebration of a birth. It marks the beginning of the life of the Son of God—the One who came to save us.
A Closing Prayer
As we read and reflect today, may our hearts be filled with praise.
Over 2,000 years ago, God came to earth to save it.
