How Many Gifts Did Jesus Receive?

What Are the Three Gifts Given to Baby Jesus?

Photograph by Marilyna/iStock/Getty Images One of the most well-known biblical Christmas tales tells of three kings, sometimes known as magi or wise men, who traveled for 12 days in search of the infant Jesus in Bethlehem after being guided there by the star known as the North Star.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, this story served as the inspiration for Three Kings Day, also known as the Feast of the Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6th by Christians across Spain and Latin America.

1 Three Prophetic Gifts

According to the book of Matthew, the three magi, later named as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, presented the Christ infant with three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, which were later recognized as gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
In this case, gold indicated a recognition of Jesus’ monarchy, while frankincense represented his future function as priest.
As a funeral ointment, myrrh alluded to Jesus’ death on the cross and, hence, his role as the Redeemer of the world.

About the Author

Since beginning her professional journalism career in 2007, Nathalie Alonso has covered a wide range of topics for newspapers and magazines in New York City, including arts, culture, and travel. She has also worked as a freelance journalist. She graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in American Studies and currently resides in Queens with her two cats.

How much were the wise men’s gifts worth?

Asked in the following category: General The most recent update was made on the 26th of January, 2020.
In order to better understand the magi and the gifts they gave to Jesus when he was born, Daniels, a Christian millionaire, commissioned a team of historians to do extensive study.
In the end, they arrived to the conclusion that over 300 kings came bearing presents for Jesus, bringing with them a combined wealth of more than $4 million in today’s money.
Outside of the Arabian Peninsula, it is nearly hard to grow the sacred trees that yield Frankincense and Myrrh, which resulted in a persistent scarcity of the products and high demand.
According to a well-known Roman historian, the sap made the Arabians the wealthiest people on the planet by the time of Jesus, making them more precious even than gold.

This wise man provided which gift, in addition to those listed above?
The answer is that, according to Matthew 2:1-12, ″wise men″ traveled from the East to see Jesus, bringing presents of gold, frankincense (an aromatic gum resin used in incense and perfumes), and myrrh (a resin used in perfumes and cosmetics) (another aromatic plant resin).
In a similar vein, one would wonder how much myrrh is worth now.
granulated myrrh for incense is sold by a merchant named New Age on Amazon.com for $13.95, with a pound costing $13.95.
The price of gold has fluctuated dramatically throughout the years; it was so highly valued during recent difficult economic times that it came close to $1,900 an ounce.

Right now, the price is hovering around $1,600.What was the total number of gifts that Baby Jesus received?a total of three gifts

45 Gifts Jesus Gives You

God has promised a plethora of blessings to His offspring.
Here are only a few examples.
In Romans 5, we are given the following gifts: 1.
We are justified by faith (v.
1), which means we have been pronounced righteous in God’s eyes.

Essentially, this is a legal verdict, and it includes the following: forgiveness of our sins and the imputing of our sin to Christ’s account; the removal of our sins from the record of sin; the credit of Christ’s righteousness being applied to our account; and God declaring us ″righteous″ solely on the basis of Christ’s righteousness on our behalf.
2.
Having a good relationship with God (v.
1) We are no longer considered God’s adversaries.
″As a result of man’s sinful rebellion against God and His laws, God has declared Himself to be at war with every human being,″ says the Bible.

″However, the first and most significant outcome of justification is that the sinner’s fight with God is permanently finished.″ (Source: John McArthur) 3.Obtaining access to the Father (v.2) It is now possible to gain access to the New Testament through Jesus Christ, which was previously unthinkable in the Old Testament.Standing before God in grace (v.2) Because of God’s rescuing grace, we have a permanent and secure place in the universe.Besides sanctifying grace, we have sustaining grace, enabling grace, and suffering grace available to us.

Our standing is not dependent on our own accomplishments, but rather on God’s performance.5.The expectation of God’s majesty (v.

2) ″Hope″ does not convey a sense of insecurity, but rather of something that is definite but has not yet been realized.
The ultimate goal of our lives is to participate in the glory of God.
3) Trials are the ″pressure″ that, like a ″juicer,″ extracts the sweet ″juice″ of perseverance, endurance, character, and hope from the bitter ″juice″ of failure.
This gift is especially available as a consequence of our connection with Christ or as a result of our decision to do what is right.
We are showered with the love of God (v.
5) and this love overflows in us.

Having a clear understanding of His enormous love for us will result in a love for Him that overflows.8.God’s wonderful Holy Spirit (v.5) He lives inside us: ″God has given us the Spirit as a deposit, ensuring that what is to come will be fulfilled″ (2 Cor.5:5).The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, comforts us, makes Christ known to us, teaches us the truth, and directs us on our journey through life.

9.
Christ experienced the entire brunt of God’s anger against us and our sin (v.
9) in order to save us from God’s wrath.
10.
Reconciled with the Almighty (vv.
10-11) We have been restored to a condition of right connection with God after previously being separated and estranged from Him.

Gifts from the book of Ephesians (1:1–8) 11.God is our Father, and we have been adopted into his family (v.4).We are God’s offspring, with a new nature and a new connection with our families.We are made in the image of God.

12.
Redemption via the shed blood of Jesus (v.
7) This is a word picture that depicts the ancient slave markets in Africa.
A redeemer paid the requisite money to purchase the freedom of a prisoner or slave from his or her bondage agreement.
″Redeemed, how I love to announce it, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed by His immeasurable compassion, His child, and forever, I am,″ we may sing.

″Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,″ we can sing.13.Repentance and forgiveness of sins (v.7) For example, according to the lines of another song: ″My sin–oh, the ecstasy of this magnificent thought–my sin has been nailed to the cross in its whole, and I am free of its burden no longer.We give thanks to the Lord.

″Give thanks to the Lord, O my soul.″ Happiness follows forgiveness: ″Blessed is he whose faults are forgiven, whose sins are covered,″ the Bible says.(See Psalm 32:1) God is faithful to forgive our sins–past, present, and future–as a result of the blood of Jesus on the cross (1 John 1:9).14.The reason for one’s existence (vv.12, 14) ″We exist for the glory of God’s honor,″ says the Bible.Gifts that have been revealed in other texts include: 15.

Christ’s righteousness is a source of comfort (2 Cor.5:21) Christ’s righteousness is exchanged for our own wickedness on the cross.Christ in you, number sixteen (Col.1:27; Gal.

2:20) We look to him as our ″savior and king,″ and our lives are lived from the perspective of ″no longer I, but Christ.″ Life is a seventeenth-century novel (1 John 5:11-13) We have eternal life, which speaks to the quantity (length) of our lives, and we have abundant life, which speaks to the quality of our lives.
It is because we are in a connection with Jesus and sharing of His life that we are spiritually alive.
16.

Forgiveness (Ps.103:10-11): God does not treat us as our offenses deserve, nor does he recompense us in accordance with our deeds.We shall be able to benefit from His undeserved kindness for the rest of our lives.

19.
God’s peace (Philippians 4:6-7) God’s peace, which comes as a consequence of prayer, keeps watch over our hearts and thoughts.
20.

Happiness (Ps.16:11; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 4:13,14) There is ″abounding delight″ when one is in God’s presence.We experience ″exceeding delight,″ which is different from worldly happiness in that it is not depending on our circumstances.

Even in the midst of our faith’s challenges, as we share in Christ’s sufferings and disgrace, we may find pleasure in the Lord.
21.
The triumph of good against evil (Romans 6:6-23) We have been ″liberated″ from the grip of sin.
In the moment in which we acknowledge ourselves to be ″dead″ to sin (crucified with Christ) and give our bodies over to God as instruments of righteousness, we are no longer under the control of our flesh.

22.The Church, or the Body of Christ (1 Cor.12:12-27; Romans 12:5) We immediately have a plethora of ″brothers and sisters″ in the God’s family, and we are ″members of one another.″ 23, Spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 1 Peter 4:10; Rom.12:6-8; Eph.4:7, 11-16) Every believer possesses one or more spiritual gifts, which are to be used for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ and bringing glory to God.24.

Glory in the future (Rom 8:17-18) As heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, we will be exalted in the presence of God and his angels in heaven.
One great intercessor is Jesus, who intercedes for us in heaven, and the other is the Holy Spirit, who intercedes inside us (Heb.
7:25; Rom.
8:34; Rom.

8:26).Secondly, we begin to comprehend how God employs His extremely large and tremendous power in our favor (Eph.1:18-20).We are encouraged to ″come boldly unto the throne of grace″ and to ″make our requests known unto God″ in prayer (Heb.4:16; Phil.4:6).

Take note of the following: ″Oh, what serenity we frequently sacrifice…when we do not bring all to God in prayer.″ Wisdom (no.28) (Prov.2:6; James 1:5) Although man may possess knowledge, genuine wisdom can only be found in God.He gives us the ability to perceive things from His point of view.

Do you want even more knowledge?″Ask God for help.″ 29.A place to call home in the afterlife (John 14:2-3) The Lord Jesus Christ is preparing a space for us in our heavenly Father’s home.30.Freedom from the grip of dread (Ps.23:4) The fact that God is present makes all the difference in the universe.

″I shall have no dread of harm,″ the Psalmist said since God was with him.31.There is no condemnation (Rom.8:1) Despite the fact that the Law condemns, there is no condemnation in Christ, our Deliverer.

An advocate (number 32) (1 John 2:1; Rev.12:10) As a result of our sin, we have an advocate with the Father: ″If anybody sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.″ Jesus defends us against the accuser, Satan, who accuses Christians at all hours of the day and night.In the future, awards will be granted for loyalty and service (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:10, respectively).

34.
God’s loving presence (Matt.
28:20; Heb.
13:5b)-God’s loving presence is constant: ″I am with you always,″ He says.
The changeless Christ will never abandon or forsake those who have placed their trust in Him.

God’s Word is number 35.(Ps.119:105; John 17:17; John 15:3) Not only does the valuable Word serve as a lamp to illuminate our way, but it also sanctifies and purifies us.36.Preparation (Ps.

37:25) ″I have not seen the upright deserted, nor his descendants begging bread,″ the Psalmist declared.One of the most powerful church hymns, ″Great Is Thy Faithfulness,″ describes God’s provision in this way: ″All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided.″ 37.Suggestions and recommendations (Psalm 23:3) According to David, ″He directs my steps in the path of righteousness…″ All that is required of us is that we follow and obey.38.

Protection from the adversary (Psalm 121:1-8; Ephesians 6:10-17) God, who never sleeps and is constantly watching over us, provides us with His armor for protection, and His presence keeps us safe from evil ″forever.″ God grants us victory over the devil.
39.
I wish you all spiritual benefits (Eph.
1:3) ″Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly regions with every spiritual blessing in Christ,″ the apostle Paul writes.
40.
He heals my spirit (Ps.

23:2-3) ″He takes me along peaceful rivers,″ says the author of the Psalm.In him, I find restoration of spirit.″ In the future, Christians will receive a ″incorruptible inheritance,″ which will be ″preserved in heaven,″ according to 1 Peter 1:3-4; Eph.1:13; Rom.

8:17; 1 Cor.3:21-23.Keepers of the covenant (Psalm 121; 1 Peter 1:15; Jude 24) God’s power will keep us safe from all harm and peril.43.The importance of life and holiness (2 Peter 1:3) As a result of God’s power, we are given ″all things pertaining to life and godliness, through an understanding of him.″ 44.God’s precious and very great promises (2 Peter 1:4) God has ″granted to us his precious and very great promises in order that you may become partakers of this divine nature through them.″ Call to ministry (Gal.

1:15; Eph.3:7-8; 1 Tim.1:12) ″He who chose me before I was born, and who has called me by his grace,″ says Paul.

How many gifts did “my true love give to me” in the traditional song?

For those who are unfamiliar with the song, the first present is described as follows: ″On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a Partridge in a Pear Tree.″ Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge on a Pear Tree were given to me on the second day of Christmas by my true love, bringing the total number of presents given to me to 4 so far.
In all, I’ve received 1+3+6=10 presents so far, including three French Hens, two more Turtle Doves, and another Partidge in a Pear Tree on day three; that’s three plus two plus one equals six gifts on day three, for a total of one plus three plus six equals ten gifts so far.
On day 12, the music progresses all the way to ″12 Drummers Drumming,″ which is the last verse.
The Tetrahedral numbers, which are made up of the Triangular numbers, are the keys to calculating the total amount of presents received throughout the course of the 12 days.
Here are the first five Triangular numbers that you should know.

It is just the number of balls necessary to form a triangle with ‘n’ rows that is known as the ‘nth’ triangle number: This is also the amount of gifts that my true love gave me on each of the first five days of Christmas, bringing the total to five!
I was given 15 presents on the fifth day, which included 5 (gold rings) + 4 (calling birds) + 3 (French hens) + 2 (turtle doves) + 1 (partridge on a pear tree).
Now, in order to calculate the total number of gifts for all twelve days, we must add together the first twelve of these Triangle numbers: 1+3+6+10+15+…
all the way up to the twelfth term.
Adding up the first ‘n’ triangle numbers gives you the ‘nth’ TETRAHEDRAL NUMBER, which is the sum of the first ‘n’ triangle numbers.

4 Gifts That Jesus Gives

″A person cannot receive even a single item unless it is provided to him directly from the source of creation.″ 3:27 (John 3:27) We are looking at some of the statements of John the Baptist, the man who was given the wonderful honor of heralding the arrival of Jesus Christ on the scene.
John’s preaching in the desert drew large crowds, and his message was straightforward: ″Something that has never happened before in the history of the world is about to take place.″ God is getting closer!
You are about to have a meeting with God!
Set your heart on doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord″ (John 1:23).
Many individuals came to the conclusion that if they were going to meet with God, they had best prepare themselves, which prompted them to confess their sins and be baptized as a sign of their repentance.

When John finished speaking, he told them about Jesus, telling them that He is ″the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world″ (1:29).
He is the one who ″baptizes with the Holy Spirit″ (baptizes with the Holy Spirit) (1:33).
He has the ability to infuse your life with the presence and power of God.
″A person cannot get even one thing unless it is given to him from above,″ says John in his following comments (3:27).
Purity, peace, love, and joy are among the four gifts that Jesus Christ, who descended from heaven, is prepared to bestow to anybody who would accept them, as revealed in the passages that follow: purity, peace, love, and joy.

What is the source of these items?What is the best way to obtain them?The solution is, of course, Jesus Christ.In the event that we have him, we will be blessed with these four wonderful gifts: purity, peace, love, and joy.Jesus is the source of these blessings as well as the one who binds them all together in one place.Have you personally experienced these blessings via Jesus Christ?

We Have Come to Worship Him

Then, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and inquired as to the whereabouts of the child who had been born king of the Jews.
As a result, we have come to revere him since we witnessed his star as it rose….’ In the midst of their adoration, they discovered the infant with Mary his mother, and they dropped on their knees and worshipped him.
Then, as they opened their treasures, they presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.″ (Matthew 2:1–2; Matthew 2:1–11) We know very little about the wise men based on the biblical narrative.
Hundreds of thousands of Christmas cards depict three kings offering presents to a little kid in a manger each year.
″We Three Kings of Orient Are,″ as the song goes, is sung.

However, we do not know if the gifts were presented by three wise men, as is often believed.
That they were kings, or even when they landed in Bethlehem, is not revealed in the Bible.
Actually, given the length of their travel and Herod’s order that all children under the age of two be slain, it seems likely that they arrived after the newborn Jesus had already developed into a small toddler.
That very little information is provided on the wise men certainly indicates that Matthew’s attention was not drawn to the wise men themselves as a subject of study.
He was more intrigued in the fact that Gentiles had come to worship the Jewish Messiah, as well as the presents that they brought with them.

A literary critic would pay particular attention to the presents since they appear at the conclusion of the story after the kid has been discovered and so occupy a prominent position in the narrative.

Gold

It is simple to see why gold is a suitable present for the Lord Jesus Christ. Gold is considered to be the metal of kings. When Jesus was given with gold, it was an acknowledgement of his authority to govern. The wise men were aware that Jesus was the King of kings and that he was the Messiah. When Jesus was given with gold, it was an acknowledgement of his authority to govern.

Incense

Incense was also given as a thoughtful gift.
It was used in the temple’s religious ceremonies.
It was used in conjunction with the oil that was used to anoint the priests of the nation of Israel.
It was included in the meal offerings, which were intended to be expressions of gratitude and worship to God.
They did so in order to draw attention to Christ as our great High Priest, the one whose entire life had been acceptable and well pleased to his Father.

Myrrh

Myrrh was traditionally used in embalming.
By any human standard, it would be strange, if not disrespectful, to give an embalming spice to a child who is supposed to be the Savior.
However, it was neither offensive nor out of the ordinary in this instance.
It was a gift of faith on my part.
We do not know what the wise men may have known or suspected about Christ’s career, but we do know that the Old Testament prophesied of his suffering on several occasions, and we believe that they did.

What Gifts Do You Offer?

There is a sense in which we, too, may offer our gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh on the basis of our faith.Make a start with your myrrh.Aside from representing Christ’s death, myrrh represents the spiritual death that should befall you as a result of your transgression against the law.″Lord Jesus Christ, I recognize that I am less perfect than you are and that I am a sinner,″ you should say as you lay it at Christ’s feet.

As a result of my sin, I am aware that I will be permanently barred from your presence, and I accept this responsibility.You, on the other hand, took my guilt upon yourself by dying in my place.That is something I believe.Now I’m asking you to accept me as your kid for the rest of my life.″ You should then come with your incense, confessing that your life is as unclean as the sinless life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that you are a sinner like him.

According to the Bible, there is no good in man that is not tainted by evil.However, it also teaches that Christ comes to dwell in the believer so that the good actions that are created in his or her life can be transformed into ″a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God″ in their own right.Finally, bring your gold with you.Royalty is represented by the color gold.As a result, by bringing your gold, you are acknowledging Christ’s authority over your life.

″I am your servant, and you are my Master,″ you declare.Provide direction and guidance in my life so that I may mature spiritually and be able to appreciate and serve you as you deserve.″ If you have come to the altar believing in everything that the myrrh, incense, and gold represent, you have begun a journey that will bring you great spiritual joy and blessing.Because those are the blessings of faith.They are the only things we have to offer to the one who has given us everything through his grace and mercy.This essay is based on the book Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, by James Montgomery Boice, which is available online.A renowned voice for the Reformed religion for more than three decades, James Montgomery Boice served as senior minister of the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he served until his death in June 2000.

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The Gift of Jesus

″I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly,″ Jesus declared (John 10:10).Whatever it is that is revealed in the story of Jesus’ birth is something that will be yours if you accept the abundant life he came to offer you as yours.When God gave us Jesus, he provided us with everything we could possibly need in this life.The scriptures state, ″Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly realms through Christ″ (Eph.

1:3).″According to his divine power, he has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness,″ the verse continues (2 Peter 1:3).And in him are all of God’s promises fulfilled (1 Corinthians 1:20).God has already given, and it is now up to you to accept what has been given.

Just as in the parable of the Prodigal Son, when the brother of the prodigal son heard of his father throwing a party to celebrate his brother’s return home after he had been away working and the father didn’t give him a kid so he could have a party with his friends, the father told him that everything he had was his.Take note that, despite the fact that it was his, he did not accept it because the son did not know how to receive.But as many as welcomed him, he gave them the authority to become sons of God (John 1:12), and as a son of God, you have access to all that God possesses.When you read the tale of Jesus’ birth, you will learn how to obtain all of God’s promises, which is an amazing concept.I understand that many people prefer to place their trust in God, but you have a role to play in accepting God’s promises as well.

There needs to be a spiritual interaction between the two of you.Take note of 1 Corinthians 1:20, which states, ″All of God’s promises are in him (Jesus), yea and amen.″ God has already said yes and amen to his promises, and now He just need your consent to complete them.What exactly does the word Amen mean?It is a slang expression that implies ″So be it.″ The angel described to Mary how she would become pregnant, and when she responded, ″Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word,″ she was in effect saying ″Amen.″ After then, the angel vanished.Why?Because her ″Amen″ sealed the deal and brought everything to a close.

The spiritual exchange had place, and God was pleased with her response.
Watch this: Jesus was before all things (Col.
1:16,17), yet he was spiritual in his being before everything.
He was spiritual before he was physical, and he remained so throughout his life.
What method did God use to transform Jesus from a spiritual being into a physical one?
Words.

God spoke his message into the world via the lips of men and a virgin girl in order to establish his will on the globe.
If you want God’s will to be done in your life, you must know how to speak and what to say.
Because it is the word you believe and utter that will determine your destiny (Mark 11:23).

″And lucky is she who believed,″ Mary’s cousin Elizabeth said in Luke 1:45, ″for she will see the manifestation of the things which were told her by the Lord.″ We all know she didn’t simply believe it; she also expressed herself.You see, the word of God is supposed to bring forth fruit for you to enjoy.Any message from God that you believe and pronounce is supposed to do the same thing as Jesus did: it is supposed to transform from words into physical action.Take note that he is the word made flesh (John 1:14).During his public ministry, Jesus stated, ″I am come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.″ As a result, when Jesus hung on the cross and said, ″It is finished,″ he had accomplished what he had set out to achieve.That is why all of God’s promises are included inside him, and so there would be no promises if he did not exist.

He was created in order to be our sacrifice.According to Galatians 3:13, Jesus was made a curse for us in order for us to be able to enjoy the blessing of Abraham.We may receive the free gift of righteousness, as well as an abundance of grace, because of him (Romans 5:17).It is now time to bring Jesus’ accomplished work to fruition.It is necessary to actualize a rich existence.

1 According to John 1:1 and 2, It is for that which has existed from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have gazed at, and which our hands have handled, of the word of life, that we are thankful.The life has been manifested, and we have witnessed it and bore witness, as well as demonstrating to you that eternal life, which was with the Father and manifested unto us; It is important to note that Jesus was manifested; you and I were born, but Jesus was more than just born; he was manifested.Understand Mary didn’t merely give birth to a son; she also gave birth to the bodily embodiment of the message.Mary had Jesus (the word become flesh) because it is the word that you utter from your heart that will bring out the fruit of your womb (birth).You must have the word within you in order to be able to express it out loud.You bring forth spiritually through your mouth, just as a woman brings forth physically through her womb.

Jesus was born before he was born in her womb, and he came out of her lips.Jesus is a representation of the word.Whatever Jesus accomplished, the Word will do for you if you believe it and say it.

In fact, according to Romans 10:6-8, you don’t have to call Jesus up from the dead or call him down from heaven since the Word is near you, even in your tongue and in your heart – that is, the word of faith – and you don’t have to call him up or down from either heaven or earth.It is important to note that it must be in your tongue and in your heart.″To him who believes,″ Jesus declared in Mark 9:23, ″everything is possible.″ What exactly should you be believing now?This is the word.And, according to 2 Corinthians 4:13, when you believe, you are able to communicate.Anything is possible if you believe in it and declare it from the Word of God.

No more impossibilities – so that you can receive the healing you require.It is possible to get the deliverance you seek.Whatever you require from God is within reach.However, it all starts with putting the word in your heart and speaking it out loudly and clearly.It is necessary to speak the word in order for it to become corporeal.

written by Frank Broom

‘Three-gift Christmas’ parents try to bring some reason to the season

Another option exists if the mountain of gifts in your living room is obstructing your view of the Christmas tree, straining your budget, and causing you anxiety.The idea that Jesus received three gifts from the Wise Men on December 25, three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, has inspired many parents to declare that they, too, would like their children to receive three gifts for Christmas.Some people do it because they are religious.Others do it in order to save money, relieve seasonal stress, or simply to get away from the commercialism that dominates the Christmas season and its festivities.

With our great email, you’ll never miss a story from TODAY Parents!Please register here.Stacy Myers, a mother of two who lives in Marion, Virginia, said all of these considerations played a role in her and her husband’s decision to adopt the rule after the birth of their first child.Using the three-gift rule, we chose to simplify Christmas in our home so that we could focus on the actual purpose for the season, which is the birth of Jesus, rather than on ‘Gimme, gimme, gimme’ and ‘What can I put on my list?’,″ says the author.

Myers shared his thoughts.″It all comes down to trying to shift your perspective on this time of year — to focus more on family and religion than than material possessions, since material possessions tend to accumulate in your home.″ Related: What are the best three presents to give?Consult our TODAY Gift Guide for more ideas!A excellent method to save money over the holidays, according to Stacy Makes Cents blogger Stacy Myers, who identifies herself as a ″debt-free thrifty housewife″ and offers budgeting advice on her blog, Stacy Makes Cents, is to follow the three-gift rule.She exclaimed in surprise when she learned the findings of a Gallup poll, which revealed that the typical American plans to spend $786 on Christmas gifts this season.

When she was asked if the family prepared any homemade gifts, she said, ″Oh my gosh, no.″ ″Wow, that’s unbelievable.″ Glennon Doyle came up with the three-gift rule after realizing that she was spending so much time trying to buy gifts and decorations that she wasn’t taking enough time to simply enjoy the holiday season.Consequently, the mother of three and author of ″Love Warrior″ sat down with her children a few years ago and explained that things needed to be different.″It wasn’t even that my children were begging for items that they want.″It was basically whatever the ad was that convinced them that they should buy that particular item,″ Doyle explained.″All of those gifts wind up in the charity pile or in the garbage in the end, anyway,″ she says.The rush to get gifts in the morning is similar to a sugar rush.

″It’s fantastic for five minutes, and then it’s done.″ Melton now asks her children to create a list that includes items they want, items they need, and items they want to read in order to complete the task.
A bonus is included in her version of the three-gift Christmas: she invites each youngster to come up with a gift suggestion for someone who is less fortunate than themselves.
Related: How a 3-gift system works Christmas helps to make our vacation less stressful.
Many families tailor their approach to the rule to meet their specific needs.
In the tradition of the Three Wise Men, Myers gives her children three gifts: a ″gold″ gift, which is something a child would want and treasure, such as a favorite toy; a ″frankincense″ gift, which is something that will be used in worship or spiritual life, such as a Bible; and a ″myrrh″ gift, which is something for the body, such as clothes or shoes.
According to Myers, ″When I look at other people and then look at how we do things here, it appears like our Christmas is not as stressful as other people’s.″ If I think back to when I was a child, I can’t recall what I received as a gift for Christmas.

But the things that we used to do together, like as going out to look at Christmas lights or baking cookies with my mother, are things that I cherish.″ Whether you want to restrict gifts or not, Doyle recommends holding a family gathering to discuss what your children genuinely want so that their wish list is thoughtful and produced by their own desires rather than advertisements on television.
According to her, ″you need to do whatever makes your Christmas pleasant and quiet.″ Note from the editor: This story was originally published on December 16, 2013, and has been updated.

Who were the three kings in the Christmas story?

Culture
People in the Bible

The wise men from the East, while only making a brief appearance in the narrative of Jesus’ birth, had a lasting effect on the Christian imagination.As part of our coverage of the history of the Bible and the hunt for sacred books, National Geographic investigates important biblical personalities in our ongoing series People in the Bible.Many Christmas songs make mention of the three kings, who go to Bethlehem in the company of a star to pay their respects to the newborn Jesus.In the Bible, they are not referred to as kings, nor is their number given; rather, they are referred to as ″wise men from the East.″ The art of magic was performed by knowledgeable astrologers in several courts in the east, including ancient Babylon and Persia.

These astrologers were typically appointed as priestly counsellors at these courts.As a result of this interpretation, the three magi have come to be known as kings.A brilliant star guided the magi from the east until it came to rest ″over the area where the child was,″ at which point they entered the home and ″began to see the infant with his mother,″ according to the Book of Matthew (Matthew 1:24).The magi bowed down to the newborn Jesus and ″presented him with presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,″ according to the Bible.

A possible parallel is made by their contributions to Isaiah’s prophecy of countries paying tribute to Jerusalem, which states: ″A multitude of camels shall cover you.″ It is they who will bring gold and frankincense, and they will sing the praises of the Lord″ (Matthew 2:11, Isaiah 60:6).(Read on to find out the difference between Arabian Camels and Bactrian Camels.) King Herod had heard tales about the birth of a new ″king,″ and he was enraged enough to go in search of the child.It is recorded in the Book of Matthew that on their route to Bethlehem, the magi stopped at King Herod’s palace, where he requested that they inform him as to where the newborn infant was, so that ″I may also go and do him honor.″ However, the magi were cautioned not to return to Herod in a dream, and as a result, they ″went for their own country via another path″ and were never seen or heard from again″ (Matthew 2:12).

Building a backstory

Later versions of the narrative named the magi by their given names as well as their respective countries of origin: Melchior was from Persia, Gaspar (also known as ″Caspar″ or ″Jaspar″) was from India, and Balthazar was originally from Arabia.Their gifts also had unique symbolic significance: gold reflected Jesus’ title as ″King of the Jews,″ frankincense represented the infant’s divinity and identification as the Son of God, and myrrh alluded to the infant’s death.In this article, you will learn what archaeology has to say about the historical Jesus.Popular depictions of Christmas appear to compress the nativity story, making it appear as though the three kings arrive in Bethlehem on Christmas, whereas traditional celebrations place their visit in Bethlehem 12 days after the holiday season begins.

As the formal celebration of the advent of the Magi (also known as Three Kings Day), Epiphany (also known as Three Kings Day) is one of Christianity’s earliest festivals and is celebrated on January 6th.Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 by Roman Catholics, while it is celebrated on January 19 by Orthodox Christian sects.

Meet the 3 Wise Men Who Visited Jesus

The Three Kings, also known as the Magi, are only mentioned once in the Gospel of Matthew, in verses 2-12.Because so little information is provided in the Bible concerning these guys, we have to rely on oral tradition and guesswork to form our understanding of them.The Bible does not specify how many wise men came to visit, but it is usually accepted that there were three since they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, all of which were given to the infant Jesus.

The Three Kings

The Magi were both real and symbolic at the same time. As real men, the three kings confirmed ancient prophecies about Jesus being the Messiah, and as symbols, they demonstrated that he had come to save all people, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, from all parts of the world, including their own. These affluent travelers were on the other extreme of the social and economic spectrum from the shepherds who had seen Jesus shortly after his birth
many persons in the Bible are not identified by their first names. Ultimately, they all point to Jesus Christ, who is the physical incarnation of God’s love for humanity. The Bible is a book about Jesus, and the title ″Wise Men″ conveys a message to the reader. Wise individuals see their need for a Savior and actively strive to discover him in their lives. Some people, such as Herod the Great, are foolish enough to reject Jesus and even seek to destroy him.

Even when Jesus Christ was only a kid, the three Kings recognized him as the Messiah, and they went hundreds of miles to honor him.The only thing Matthew tells about these people is that they arrived from ″the east.″ Scholars have theorized that they may have originated in Persia, Arabia, or perhaps India, although there is no evidence to support this.They steadfastly pursued a star that eventually brought them to Jesus.It’s possible that they encountered Jesus while he was already in a house and was a kid rather than a baby, meaning that they had come a year or more after his birth.

Three Gifts From Three Kings

Symbolizing Christ’s identity and purpose, the gifts of the Three Kings are made of gold for a king, incense for God, and myrrh, which was used to anoint the dead.However, the Gospel of John records that Nicodemus brought 75 pounds of aloe and myrrh to anoint Jesus’ corpse after the crucifixion, which is ironic given the circumstances.God showed his appreciation for the wise men by sending them a dream instructing them to take a different path home and not to report back to King Herod.Some Bible historians believe that Joseph and Mary sold the wise men’s presents in order to pay for their journey to Egypt in order to avoid Herod’s wrath.

Strengths

The Three Kings were considered to be among the most wise men of their time. When they learned that the Messiah was about to be born, they organized an expedition to track him down. They followed a star that led them to Bethlehem. Despite the fact that they were in a foreign land with a different culture and religion, they accepted Jesus as their Savior.

Life Lessons

When we search for God with true resolve, we shall eventually come across him.He is not concealing himself from us, but rather desires to establish a personal connection with everyone of us.These wise men treated Jesus with the reverence and adoration that only God deserves, kneeling before him and offering him gifts.Not only is Jesus the Son of the Living God, as many people now claim, but he is also a brilliant teacher and a wonderful person to be admired.

Following their encounter with Jesus, the Three Kings did not return the way they had come.When we come to know Jesus Christ, we are irrevocably transformed and are unable to return to our previous lives in the same way.

Names of the Three Kings

Matthew does not tell anything about the ancestry of these guests.Gaspar, or Casper, Melchior, and Balthasar are among of the names that have been given to them by mythology over the years.The name Balthasar has a Persian ring to it.When Daniel prophesied about the Messiah or ″Anointed One,″ it is likely that these men were familiar with Daniel’s prophesy concerning the Messiah or ″Anointed One.″ Daniel 9:24-27 (New International Version).

The name ″Magi″ refers to a religious caste in Persian culture, but at the time of the writing of this Gospel, the term was used more broadly to apply to astrologers, seers, and fortunetellers.They are not referred to as kings in Matthew; that title was added afterwards, in stories.Nonbiblical sources began referring to them as kings about 200 AD, probably in response to a promise in Psalm 72:11, which states, ″May all kings knee down to him, and all nations serve him.″ (NIV) Because they were following a star, it is possible that they were royal astronomers and advisors to kings.

Key Verses

Matthew 2:1-2 (KJV) Following Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, Judea, during the reign of King Herod, Magi from the East traveled to Jerusalem and inquired, ″Who is this child?″ ″Where has the one who was born king of the Jews vanished to? We came to him because we spotted his star in the east and wanted to adore him.″ (NIV)

All about the 3 gift Christmas rule and Why We Do It

Gifts flowing out from under the Christmas tree in all directions, according to the store catalogs, magazines, and Instagram feeds, isn’t a real holiday, according to these sources.The three-gift Christmas rule, on the other hand, may be new to you.This concept has been popular among internet bloggers for nearly 10 years now, according to Wikipedia.Your children will only receive three gifts, which will be chosen from three different categories.

How The 3 Gift Christmas Rule Works:

As a parent, one of the most difficult challenges is ensuring that my children have a joyful Christmas.According to me, this is providing people the things they want in the hopes that these gifts would bring them happiness.In this day and age, with the skyrocketing prices of things year after year, as well as the vast marketing campaigns that bombard our youngsters at every step, it is a constant battle to keep the family’s finances from going bankrupt on Christmas presents.Learning how to budget is essential in life, as it is in most financial situations.

Once you’ve established a Christmas budget and adhered to it, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that two objectives have been fulfilled.You’ll have made carefully considered decisions that will result in happy children as well as a happy bank account.The following are some methods, recommendations, and tricks to keep in mind while creating a Christmas budget for your children.

1.) Equality Approach: When It’s Important that Everything is Equal

For many families, it makes sense to give each child a present of similar value, regardless of how old they are.This fosters a sense of equality with regard to the present.The amount you spend will be determined by the number of children you have and your financial circumstances, but with a little forethought and intelligent buying, you can make even a few dollars per child go a long way.Here are the fundamentals: Determining how much money you want to spend on all of your children is essential.

Divide the total amount by the number of children you’re purchasing for.For example, if you have $100 to spend on gifts and you have three children, each child will receive $33 in gift money.It’s really that simple, but you have to stick with it.To make this work, follow these guidelines: Don’t go over budget for anyone.

In the event that you go a little over on each one, your budget will be completely decimated!

2.) Have the Kids Do the Shopping: Teaching Thoughtfulness to Older Kids

This is the variation on the equality technique that I like.However, you continue to make a budget, and you allocate an equal amount to each child.The only difference is that you make the children purchase for each other instead of for you.As a result, you establish a budget for each child.

After that, you give each child that sum of money to spend on their younger siblings.The way it works is as follows: Consider the following scenario: you have three children and your budget is $50 per child.You set a $50 spending limit for each child, and they must use that money to buy gifts for each of their siblings while staying within their budget.My favorite part is when the kids pick the right present for one of their siblings and work together to raise the funds to purchase the gift.

They constantly go above and above my expectations in terms of generosity and thoughtfulness.This technique has the added benefit of educating students about budgeting, charitable giving, and collaborating to have a larger effect!Deal-breaker tip: The youngsters will not receive gifts of equal value at the end of the day.However, they will have gained the ability to give and think about others, and your budget will remain unaffected.However, if you place a high value on perfect equality of presents, this technique will almost certainly fail you.

3.) Sliding Scale Spending: Age Matters

Older children’s gift ideas are becoming more expensive and more sophisticated in order to appeal to a younger, more technologically aware generation. Consider the fact that you may wind up spending more money on a single technological present for an older child than you will on a bag full of enjoyable items for a smaller sibling in this situation. Setting a monetary value based on this will still allow you to budget and keep your overall spending under control, however. The devil, as they say, is in the details (I LOVE MATH): Decide on a total budget in dollars for the entire year. This is going to be BUDGET
Make a note of the years that each child has lived. Add the two of their ages together. We’ll call this the year, and we’ll divide the BUDGET by the number of months in the year. The outcome is the amount of the BUDGET for the entire year.
Add together all of the children’s individual ages and divide them by the BUDGET per YEAR amount to arrive at their authorized present budget.

This is easier to understand with an example: Someone has set aside a total of $400 for Christmas gifts for all of their children in their budget. Their budget is 400 dollars, and their children are ages 15, 12, 8, and 5. Their YEAR is 40, and 400 divided by 40 is a result of 10. The amount of their BUDGET per YEAR is ten thousand dollars. The 15-year-old receives $150 in gifts
the 12-year-old receives $120 in gifts
the 8-year-old receives $80 in gifts
and the 5-year-old receives gifts worth $50
the total amount spent is $400, which is exactly on budget.

4.) The 3/4 Gift Christmas Rule

The bride’s tradition of wearing ″something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue″ seems to have inspired this concept from its inception, in my opinion. This type of themed gifting is ideal for families that wish to give thoughtful presents in a straightforward manner, regardless of where they come from. I used to just give three gifts every year, but in recent years I’ve raised that number to four gifts plus a gift on Christmas Eve. Here’s how to make it happen: Create a chart with the names of each child on the left column and row headings for each category in the right column. Something they want
something they require
something they wear
something they read
and so on.

Fill in the blanks on your chart as you make your purchases.That’s all there is to it.Each youngster receives four presents, one from each category, for a total of four.Despite the fact that this technique does not precisely limit the amount of money that you spend, it almost always results in significant savings over the long term.

To be honest, unless you’re paying far more than necessary in each area for each child, this strategy is rather reasonable.This strategy also has the added benefit of killing two birds with one stone!You can use it to buy your child a much-needed winter coat or a festive Christmas outfit.This one is a win-win for everyone.

Your child receives a present, they receive a much-needed piece of clothes, and you not only stayed within your Christmas budget, but you also contributed to your family’s clothing budget for the rest of the year as well.The simplest strategy of the bunch is presented here.Simply restricting the number of gifts I give to three or four encourages me to concentrate on selecting high-quality items that express my affection without exceeding my financial means.We make it work by restricting the number of gifts given to each youngster to three.One child may receive all of the art supplies, another may receive Lego sets, and the infant may receive pajamas, a snowsuit, and a ball.

Choosing the ideal three presents for each child is a difficult and enjoyable process that is also cost-effective.

5.) BONUS Christmas Eve Gift Pack

The Christmas Eve Gift option can be used in conjunction with any of the other options. This is a gift that each child will receive on the 24th of December. In addition, it provides an additional gift opportunity, gets the present exchange and excitement started a day early, and it’s enjoyable to think outside the box on this one. Each member of the family receives a package including the following items: pajamas, a movie, a book, and family time snacks (such as popcorn, hot chocolate packets, apple cider, and special holiday sweets or cookies).

This present creates the perfect atmosphere for a Christmas Eve spent with family.Everyone slips into their pajamas and cuddles up with a book or a movie in their hands.And they don’t all have to be brand new either.Perhaps you could borrow the book and DVD from the library or purchase them pre-owned from a used book store in your area.

The pajamas could be matching or they could be ridiculous.Whether you make the snacks together or just snuggle up and enjoy them around the tree, the possibilities are endless!The purpose of this gift is to give something that will bring everyone inward and allow them to spend quality time together as a family.Everyone will benefit from this gift, which will help them to focus on what really matters.

I’ve had a lot of fun making the holidays about the things we do together and the memories my children will have that they will carry with them into adulthood rather than the material gifts they receive.We enjoy doing activities together, such as trimming the Christmas tree, decorating the house, baking, having a cooking exchange party, participating in Operation Christmas Child, and baking cinnamon buns for Santa on Christmas Eve.If you’re looking for some holiday-themed activities to do with your family, take a look at this list I found online for some ideas.Find one of these techniques that works for you and put it into action.Alternatively, you may combine them together for a more customized solution.

With a little bit of planning and preparation, you may emerge from the Christmas season with a sense of success and encouragement.This year, use the three-gift Christmas rule to make your holiday season a little easier.

Thrifty Thursday – The Five Gift Rule

Some years, your children expect to receive everything they desire for Christmas.Other years, they don’t appear to be really interested in anything.Both of these situations are difficult to navigate.And, regardless of which one it is, we all seem to end up in the water at some point.

When it came to Christmas, the kids were confronted with an unorganized mountain of gifts from us and our extended family.All of this resulted in overwrought children and irritated parents, as well as a shambles, outrageous waste, and a mountain of credit card debt.The Four-Gift Solution is a simple concept.Restriction: Gifts should be limited to four items, each of which must meet a specific gift parameter.

These are the parameters: NEED: This is a ″big item″ – something that your child is extremely interested in having.NEED: This enables us to provide our children with what they require that may be related to their learning or a new life stage (such as entering school or kinder) without it being unexpected or a major event in their lives.For example, a new lunchbox, sunglasses, or something for their room are all appropriate gifts for children.WEARING: This is when we can take into consideration each child’s individual sense of style as well as any sensory issues they may have.It may take a bit more work these days to obtain a nice, high-quality children’s outfit, but the effort is well worth it!

And if you take the time to select something that is distinctively theirs (rather than something that everyone else has), you can be sure they will wear it until it falls off.READ: This is one of my personal favorites.This provides us with an opportunity to select titles and books that are appropriate for their interests and reading ability.We have the freedom to think outside the box and not have to worry about ensuring that kids are receiving typical reading materials.What about a classic piece of literature, something inspirational, a cookbook, or something truly entertaining?Four-Gift Rule Advantages: What You Should Know Want, require, put on, etc.

Our family has experienced less chaos, more clarity in expectations, and less disappointment as a result of reading.
Even with fewer presents, both children are happier now that they are not being overstimulated by toys all around them — they are able to concentrate, participate, learn, and truly enjoy themselves.
We have also been able to teach thankfulness as a result of the Four Gift Rule.
It happens so often that youngsters become engrossed in the gifts, and even if they understand the actual spirit of Christmas, it is still all about Santa for them – it is all about the presents beneath the Christmas tree.
It teaches kids to be grateful for the few gifts that they receive rather than anticipating a slew of them – and, perhaps, this will result in their becoming better people.
Furthermore, you may contribute the same amount of gifts as the children receive — giving away simply four items is MUCH simpler.

The first four presents in the 5 Gift Rule are all the same: something they desire, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
The fifth gift is a surprise.
But what about the fifth?

The 5th place finisher is the true victor.It’s something they require or desire, but they aren’t aware of it.It’s the X-Factor present that completely blows them away – it completely shocks them and fills a hole so wonderfully that you cry with happiness.This is the gift that allows us to truly listen to our children, to witness their lives, and to gain an understanding of their passions.To make them really happy, we look beyond purchasing them the latest and greatest trending item of clothing or accessory.We provide them something they will genuinely love and put to use in their lives.

And this is the gift that we have given to you.Because you have to listen – and listening to your children means truly connecting with them, which is a gift that cannot be measured in terms of dollars and cents.Furthermore, it is in the process of coming up with this present, wrapping it, experiencing the suspense, and then seeing their expressions when they open it that you will re-discover the actual meaning of Christmas.With the 5 Gift Rule, shopping becomes simple because 4 of the gifts are no-brainers, and the 5th is where you get to experience the magical feeling of doing something amazing for someone – and it will be amazing because you were able to put 90% of your effort into it instead of spreading it across a bunch of things no one wants or needs.naturalhomebrands5giftrulethriftythursdaychristmasjoy Previous Previous post:

What the Gifts of the Magi Tell Us about Jesus

The journey of the Magi to adore Jesus is commemorated on the feast of the Epiphany.It symbolizes the arrival of Jesus to all people — Gentiles and Jews alike – in one body.The Magi, who had traveled from afar to adore the Christ Child, had seen a star and decided to come.It was they who gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh – each of which reveals something about Jesus’ true nature to us.

What the Bible Tells Us about the Magi

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ″Where is the newborn king of the Jews?″ According to the biblical story, We ca