Christmas Presents
At Christmas time people give presents to one another. The greatest gift of all was when God sent His Son Jesus to be born in Bethlehem.
Jingle Bells
Saint Nicholas
‘Santa Claus’ comes from the name Saint Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas’ Day, usually on 6th December, is a festival for children in many countries in Europe.
Saint Nicholas is known as the ‘bringer of gifts’.
Did you know?
The wise men brought three gifts to Jesus. Find out the meaning of each gift:
Gold – the Kingship of Jesus Christ
Gold is very valuable. To find gold you have to dig underground, which would have been difficult in Bible days. It could sometimes be found in streams or on the surface, but only in small quantities and very rarely.
Gold is a symbol of ‘kingship’. Although Jesus was only a baby the wise men knew that he was Christ the King.
Frankincense – the divinity of Jesus Christ
Frankincense is made by cutting a tree named ‘Arbor Thurisfrom’ found in Persia, Arabia and India. It’s like a sap that is gathered and then dried for 3 months and becomes like a hardened resin or gum.
Frankincense was normally burned during worship as an offering to God. So this gift shows Jesus is a divine King.
Myrrh – the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ
Myrrh is a bitter perfume and was used to embalm the dead because it had the property to preserve.
Myrrh represents the bitter cup that Christ had to drink in suffering for our sins and the healing for us that his death brings.
The wise men brought gifts to Jesus – they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The Bible says
Matthew 2:1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.””
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east 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 worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.