Day 14 – Christmas Presents
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
One of the main reasons we have the custom of giving and receiving presents at Christmas, is to remind us of the presents given to Jesus by the Wise Men. What were these gifts? Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh.
- Gold is associated with Kings and we know that Jesus is the King of Kings.
- Frankincense is sometimes used in worship in churches and showed a worship of Jesus.
- Myrrh is a perfume that is put on dead bodies to make them smell nice. Christian believe that it showed that Jesus would suffer and die.
The wisemen travelled from the East to see baby Jesus but not at His birth. They met Jesus in a home with history suggesting He was a toddler. We combine these stories at Christmas. However, I find it important to teach my children this fact of history (and God’s Word) so they have the timeline proper).
Christmas itself is really about a big present that God gave the world about 2000 years ago – Jesus!
All over the world, families and friends give presents to each other. While most children around the world believe in a Christmas gift bringer; Santa Claus, it is interesting to see that in parts of Germany they believe that it is the Christkind. In Spain, they believe it is the three wise men. In parts of Italy they believe it is an old lady called Befana.
We know that our families, friends, parents, etc. take thought in bringing gifts for us but may we never forget THE reason we celebrate Christmas is to thank God for His perfect gift given to us all. We only need to receive this free gift to have eternal life! The best gift to receive at Christmas IS the gift of eternal life. The joy you will know will help you to sing throughout the whole holiday season.