What I’m listening to: Skating by Vince Guaraldi Trio

We are on day 20 of our advent series!! As always, if you’re new, be sure to check out my previous posts in the series. The first post also has some additional information about our Advent devotionals. Now let’s dive back into Matthew!

 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. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

                       Matthew 2:9-12 (NIV) 

Do you ever wonder about the three gifts that were given to baby Jesus? Each of the, perhaps unusual seeming, gifts has a meaning behind it. Today we’ll be focusing on the first gift of the three, gold. Here in Matthew no real explanation is given, however, through historical reference we know that gold was given to kings as a symbol of their kingship. Although it may be hard as modern Christians to see the gift as anything other than a statement of fact, it was a bold move at the time. By giving this gift to the child of a carpenter it meant that they truly believed He was God’s Son. They believed a newborn was the Son of God, just as we believe that the story of Jesus is true. Remember that faith in the Lord has always been easy for those who seek it; even if faith is the only basis for the belief that you have. 

Prayer Prompt: Ask God to help you seek and believe in Him the way that the Magi sought and had faith in the Christ child.