Gift Giving

Gift Giving

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11

Gift giving has gone on at Christmastime for a long time. In our passage, the wise men bring worthy and timely gifts to Christ and His family. The gold was worthy of a King, the frankincense demonstrated His purity, and the myrrh represented His purpose for coming, to die on the cross. With these gifts, Joseph was able to leave his employment and even leave the country as tyrannical King Herod was killing off all the male babies two years of age and under. The Christ child lived in Egypt for a while before being brought back to Israel as the Old Testament prophesied in Hosea 11:1. With hearts of love, expecting nothing in return, these men gave. The gifts the Wise Men brought were symbolic, meaningful, and beneficial to the Christ child and to His family.

When we give gifts at Christmas time, be sure that you and those in your home are reminded about the significance of gift giving. Every gift that is given is an opportunity to remember the greatest gift – when God sent Christ into this world to bring us the gift of eternal life. As Romans 6:23 instructs: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” With thankful hearts, let’s give to each other all the while remembering the greatest gift .

Published by Dr Steven

Steven Harness is a Christian husband and father of three who has been married to Natalie for nearly 25 years. A veteran pastor and counselor he’s been in gospel ministry for 25 years. He blessed to serve as the lead pastor of the Wilton Baptist Church in Wilton, NY. He has a long-term interest in archeology, history, creation science, ancient languages, and the Bible. He enjoys the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and targeting. He is also a fan of youth sports such as Jr. NBA and Little League baseball, both of which he has enjoyed coaching. Concerning credentials, Steven holds a Bachelor of Bible (BB) at Pensacola Christian College, a Master of Divinity (MDiv.) in Education from Mid-America Theological Seminary, a Master of Ministry (MMin.) in Pastoral Studies, a Doctor of Philosophy of Religion (PhD.) in Counseling from Bethany Divinity Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry (DMin.) in theology and apologetics from Liberty University. He is also a Board-Certified Christian Counselor (BCPPC), a SYMBIS facilitator, and president of the New York Association of Christian Schools. He is the lead counselor of Mountain View Christian Counseling and the lead speaker for Truth Defended, and apologetics ministry. www.truthdefended.org Ultimately, Steven hopes to serve the Lord with gladness, humble plodding along and making a difference for the Kingdom. He is available for special conferences and training sessions. Steve is also a Board-Certified Christian Counselor (BCPPC) and a SYMBIS facilitator. He is the president of Mountain View Christian Counseling and the New York Association of Christian Schools. He recently started "Truth Defended" a ministry equipping Christians to defend their faith. View more posts