When the Wise Men visited we all know from the Biblical story that they have gifts. All three gifts are ordinary offerings and gifts only given to a king. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. 

The first symbol of Christmas is giving. God’s gift to mankind is Jesus. Men offered gift to God. John 3:16 is very clear that God gave His only begotten Son. Ganoon din ang mga hari noon, si Maria, si Jose, nagbigya din sila sa Diyos ng may kusang loob. Yung mga Hari sila ang dumating, sila ang may regalo. Uso kase sa atin yung, “sa maybahay ang aming bati…” perwisyo sa daratingan at very stressful sa may bahay. Sina Maria at Jose, walang handa. Silang mga dumating na hari sila ang may dalang aginaldo.

 Wakasan na natin ang kaugalian na sa panahon ng Pasko ay wala tayong ginawa kundi magbigay ng stress sa iba na kahit walang pera ay kelangan magbigay dahil lang Pasko! OMG.
– Tama na ang pamamasko sa mga bahay-bahay dahil nasisira ang spirit of Christmas.
– Magpunta lamang sa mga ninong at ninang hindi yung kahit sino na lang kahit hindi naman kilala maghihintay ng P20 or P50. Nagmumukha tuloy limos ang pasko sa mga bata or abuloy sa mga matatanda.
– Mamasko lang kung imbitado. Hwag mang-ambush sa bahay ng may bahay. Kung di kayo expected, wag kayo pumunta.
– Kung mamasko wag ng magsama ng ibang tao na hindi naman kilala ng mga ninang at ninong. Nagiging hanapbuhay na kase ito ng marami kaya ang iba nagha holiday na lang sa ibang bayan para lang makaiwas sa mga ‘intruders’ or unexpected guests na nakikilala ka lang pag pasko. 😞
– Tapos yung mga credit card, ‘buy now, pay later’ kaya pag January ang dami nasa hospital na dahil sa heart attack dahil ubos na ang pera tapos buong taon na naman babayaran ito. OMG again!
– Kung walang pang regalo, wag pilitin kung wala kang pera talaga. Bakit kelangan i-pressure ang sarili dahil lang nakaugalian na?
– Focus ka na lang sa pagpapasalamat sa Diyos dahil Christmas is about Jesus coming into the world. Wise men brought gifts for the Baby as a sign of respect and tribute to the King Jesus. Let’s bring a gift to Jesus – maybe our repentance for wrongdoings we have committed. Magbago tayo at magsisi. That’s a good gift to God.
– Do not seek or demand gifts. Wag tayong mang-stress at hwag tayong magpa stress.
– Gift-giving should be voluntary and not to be obligatory.
– Kung matanda ka na, alisin mo na yung ‘papasko ko…’ dahil hindi na ito dapat.
– Sobrang naging money-centered or ‘commercialized’ na ang christmas. Now, let’s put Christ back into Christmas.

But why are these Wise Men became wise indeed. It may be attributed to their social status quo, IQ and educational achievement. But let me say why they are wise in another light. We shall refer to Matthew 2.

1. They Sought The Lord

“Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Verse 2). Wise men still seek Him. Especially with the time clock of humanity running out. Wise men will seek Him now. There will be time when He won’t be able to be found Thus, the prophet Isaiah said, SEEK YE THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, call ye upon Him while He is near.” (Isa. 55:6)

Have you sought the Lord? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? God’s gift is eternal life. What a gift to receive this Christmas. Ask Jesus to be your Savior today!

2. They Worshiped Christ  

“… for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.” (Verse 2). “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, AND WORSHIPED HIM.” (Verse 11)

Again, Isaiah the prophet told us that Jesus Christ is God. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: … and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, the Prince of Peace,” Isaiah 9:6. Only God is to be worshiped. That’s why the wise men worshiped the Lord Jesus (See Luke 20:41-44.) The wise still worship the Lord.

3. They Were Directed By The Bible  

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” Psalms 119:105. The Bible is for direction in life. In this story, the wise men followed the direction of the prophet Micah, who told them that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. It’s amazing to think that Micah would write about the little town of Bethlehem as the birth place of Christ 500 years before Christ. He didn’t know, but God knew and told him what to write. The Bible is the Word of God, and not the word of man. You can trust your life with it. Be sure to read it and study it.

4. They Gave What They Had To Give  

“… and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Verse 11) in a day of selfishness and greed, it is still “More blessed to give than to receive,” Acts 20:35. The Christian will be wise to be a giver, for “God loveth a cheerful giver,” 2 Corinthians 9:7. A wise lady once said to me, “The first thing to put in the offering plate at church is yourself: God wants us. When He has us, everything we have will be His also.”

5. They Followed Gods Leadership!  

“And being warned of God … they departed into their own country another way.” (Verse 12) God has something to say about everything. It is always best for the individual and the human race. Men’s troubles today stem from his NOT following God’s Word. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord …” Psalms 37:23.

You will realised that these gifts were given and intended to baby Jesus not to Mary and Joseph. The Wise men knelt and worship Jesus not Mary, not  Joseph but to Jesus.

The Gift of Mary

What did Mary give? She gave her womb despite of what people may say at pag-tsismisan sya na nagkaanak sa pagkadalaga, but she gave her body as a ‘container’ for the King to be born. God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! 

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 

Sometimes God’s favour is not the same as if winning a lotto! God’s favour is different to ‘easyness’ of life. Magkaiba yon.

But Mary’s response to Gabriel is found in Luke 1:38: “I am the Lord’s servant, be it unto me according to your word.” She said impliedly that “I don’t understand and yet I trust the Lord, dahil ako ay isang alipin lamang ng Diyos. ” 

Mary offered her womb.

The Gift of Joseph

Joseph gave his home. He also does not understand, but he agreed to take Mary as his wife, even though Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit. That’s Joseph’s offering, that’s his gift. 

Joseph offered his home.

Hotel has no gift

We all know that when Mary and Joseph was knocking as baby Jesus is going to be born. They don’t have a room. They didn’t let Jesus in. They don’t have a gift.

What about you? Do you have a gift?

Life is God’s gift to man; what we do with it is our gift to God. You have something precious. You‘re at a moment in your lives when you can take what you have and make something significant from it. You have two creators: first, our Father in Heaven, and then yourself.

Repentance is one – let’s change for the better.

Let your light shine and be the salt of the world.