Baby Shower for Jesus

Matthew 2:11

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Upon hearing the news of a couple having their first child it seems like friends and relatives quickly get to work. Quickly get to work in preparing for a baby shower. Baby showers are quite special. They’re nice social events quite often for the womenfolk of the family and friends, but they’re really practical because they’re a way in which that young couple can get some of those important things that they need for their newborn child.

And the gifts that those friends and relatives bring are really gifts motivated by two things. Yes, they’re motivated for a practical purpose, they want to make sure that they have the baby stroller, and the crib, and the walker, and the clothing, and the diapers, and all those sorts of things. But they also want to show them their love. They want to show this young couple that they sincerely care about them.

Have you ever thought of the wiseman coming as kind of like a baby shower for Jesus? We hear in God’s Word

After they went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)

We often do think of women as the ones that especially organize and participate in baby showers, but in God’s Word before us we see these men, these wise men, coming and bringing gifts to Jesus. And they do so really for those two reasons. There’s a practical purpose behind their gifts. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh, these were very valuable things that could easily be traded for the things that the family would need. Especially as God would soon send them on a great journey to Egypt. You see God was making sure that this young family was taking care for even as they journey on that far.

But also these were gifts of love. Remember what it said, the wisemen came to worship Jesus. They showed their worship not just by what they said, but by what they did. By the gifts that they gave to him. So too God gives us opportunities to bring our offerings to him even today. He desires that we do so. We do so for practical reasons, to ensure that his work continues on in our community and throughout the world, but also especially to show our love for him. To show our love for the one who came into the world to save sinners like you and me. The one through whom we know we have eternal life: our God and our king.

May God help us ever bring our gifts to him. Practical gifts, but also gifts of love and praise for all he has done for us. Let us pray.

Dear Lord God, forgive us for our failures to bring our gifts of thanks and praise to you. Knowing Jesus as our eternal Savior, move us to show our love with our gifts and offerings. We ask that you’d also use them to your glory and the furthering of your kingdom. Amen.