The ball has dropped, grocery stores have sold their annual quota of black-eyed peas and cabbage, we don’t have another excuse to set off small explosives in the driveway until July, and the kids are heading back to school. It would seem that Christmas is behind us … or, is it?

As precious as the Christmas story is, the tale doesn’t end at the manger. All of the events leading up to that glorious night in Bethlehem are just Part 1 of an epic adventure! While Mary was laboring in a barn and angels burst into song with shepherds out in the fields, a group of foreign stargazers were en route from distant lands in the East to witness firsthand the answer to a prophecy concerning a royal infant.

These magi, or wise men, brought birthday presents for the child-king that seem a little odd, by our modern accounts, but they were symbolic and foretelling of Jesus’ life yet to unfold. Gold has spiritual significance throughout the Bible, such as its use in and around the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25 & Hebrews 9) and the streets of gold in Heaven (Revelation 21:21). Frankincense was an aromatic spice used in the Lord’s temple and is symbolic of Jesus’ priestly role as the one and only way to the Father. Lastly, myrrh was practical back then as an antiseptic for medicinal purposes, but it is generally recognized for its use in burials. What a peculiar gift!

You and I would probably agree that a life insurance policy or prepaid burial plot would make a strange (not to mention morbid) baby shower gift, but the treasures that these magi brought to Jesus were prophetic of his future, including the part where he gave his life for us. I wish we knew the whole story about how the magi were told to follow the star, but what we do know is that they saw God at work and acted on it in obedience. We would be wise to live our lives in similar fashion.

2 Corinthians 8:12 tells us: “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have” (NIV). In other words, we may not all be able to bring treasure chests’ worth of gifts as our offering. We simply don’t have those kinds of resources at our disposal. However, if we are willing to give what we can (like the magi), then God accepts our generosity as an act of worship.