Giving and Christmas go hand in hand, but have you ever thought about where giving gifts at Christmas originated? Some will suggest giving began with St. Nicholas, commonly known as Santa Claus, but it was really long before St. Nick.

It began with three men who visited Jesus when He was a young child. They were known as wise men, and they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

• Gold is the gift for a king, an expensive gift symbolizing belief that Jesus was born to be a king.
• Frankincense is the gift for a priest, reminding us that Jesus is the ultimate High Priest, a mediator between God and man.
• But myrrh was an unusual gift for a child. It’s a precious spice or perfume used to anoint a body at death. Why myrrh? It was a prophetic gift. Jesus had come to die to be our Savior, to give His life for our sins.

King. Priest. Savior. Three gifts which reveal to us, at Christmas, who Jesus really is.