Gifts for Jesus–a Christmas poem

This December, the explanatory notes provided in my New Living Translation Bible taught me some surprising things about the wise men who brought gifts to Jesus after his birth.

First of all, we don’t know how many wise men came to visit Jesus. Maybe you are thinking as I did, “Yes we do. Three!” Christmas songs and nativity sets lead people to assume there were three wise men. Our assumptions are based on the Bible telling us Jesus received three types of gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But, the number of men who actually came bearing these kinds of gifts is not specified. Maybe there were three wise men. Maybe more.

Second, each of these expensive gifts symbolized something about Christ and the work he would do for humanity. The gift of gold represented his royalty, frankincense his divine nature, and myrrh his mortality or death for our sins. Some say the presents were also based upon the different cultures and homelands of the wise men, thus pointing to Jesus as the Messiah for all people–the King of the whole world.

Third, Biblical scholars do not think the wise men saw Jesus immediately after his birth. The verses describing their visit say, “they entered a house,” not a stable, to worship him. It is unclear how much time had past, but Mary and Joseph lived in a Bethlehem home when these visitors arrived.

Those are just a few of my discoveries about the wise men this Christmas. Learning about them led me to study the others who celebrated the coming of Jesus. How did Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the angels react to his arrival? What did they bring to Jesus? Although intangible, their gifts still had significant worth. Their life stories teach us what we can give to Jesus every day. This poem was crafted to help me remember and apply what I learned. I hope you enjoy it!

Gifts for Jesus–a Christmas poem

How do we celebrate Christmas?
What gifts suit the King?
When Jesus came,
what did those in the Bible bring?

Think of Mary,
a virgin,
wondering how her baby came to be…
Like her, we can
believe God still delivers miracles,
accept his assignments,
and present Jesus with our trust.

Think of Joseph,
the humble carpenter,
questioning whether to wed…
Like him, we can
follow holy guidance
and stand with integrity
to show honor, protection, and love.

Think of the angels,
armies of Heaven,
proclaiming the news…
Like them, we can
share God’s truth in our stories,
voice grateful praise,
and work to display his glory.

Think of the shepherds,
ordinary men,
caretakers for sheep…
Like them, we can
cherish the Savior
not worldly possessions,
run to spend time with him, then
spread the joy we find in his presence.

Think of the wise men,
traveling thousands of miles,
gazing at the promised star…
Like them, we can
go searching for Jesus,
not to get something we want,
but to give from our own uniqueness.

Jesus, Messiah,
promised Savior of the world,
our hope and deliverer,
we celebrate your birth!
Learning from the faithful before us,
we bring offerings from the heart.
Lord, may our gifts for you
grow and grow
until they flow constant
each day we start.
Amen

by Jamie Trunnel ©2022, ascripturedlife.com

Merry Christmas friends! Press on in faith! ~Jamie

Readings from the Christmas Bible Story

(1) An angel promises the birth of Jesus to Mary–Luke 1:26-38 NLT

Key verse: Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Luke 1:38 NLT

(2) An angel appears to Joseph–Matthew 1:18-25 NLT

Key verses: Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:19-20

(3) Jesus is born in Bethlehem–Luke 2:1-7 NLT

Key verse: She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:7 NLT

(4) An angel brings the news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds in Luke 2:8-14 NLT

Key verses: Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke 2:9-11

(5) The shepherds visit Jesus–Luke 2:15-20 NLT

Key verses: They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. Luke 2:16-17

(6) The wise men from eastern lands visit Jesus–Matthew 2:1-12 NLT

Key verses: When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11 NLT

Related Posts

Jesus, the Haven with Heavenly Names–an Isaiah 9:6 poem
25 Christmas Bible Verses to Usher in Peace and Joy
Living in God’s Light
The Gift of Christmas
Turning Christmas Upside Down

Inspiring Resources

What is a Christmas nativity?–gotquestions.org
What does the Bible say about the three wise men (Magi)?–gotquestions.org
The Christmas Bible Story: Read the Nativity of Jesus in Scripture–christianity.com
Who are the Christmas Angels–biblestudytools.com
5 Common Myths about the Three Wise Men Story–crosswalk.com

About the Photos: the first photo (Christmas nativity) and the last photo (snowman mug) were taken by me. The other photos used are from the free image service Unsplash.com. I added the Bible verses to them.

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