When looking at shepherds and Magi, what we see is that they were willing to sacrifice, to pay the price to see the King.

The shepherd’s sacrifice was their willingness to leave their sheep to fend for themselves while they went off to find the Lamb of God. Their sheep were their livelihood, and to leave them at night was a risk, because it was at night that wolves and other predators would come, attack, and kill the sheep. But by faith they entrusted their flocks to the Good Shepherd.

The Magi also sacrificed and paid the price. They left behind families and their source of livelihood to follow as star. They took a journey of faith and took a journey over a long distance that held great peril. On top of all that they brought Jesus gifts of great worth, gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Christmas is all about sacrifice, because Christmas is all about surrendering all that we have to come to the Lord Jesus Christ, who surrendered all to come to us. Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth left behind His glory and power to become a baby, born to a poor family, and into a nation that was under the subjection to the Roman Empire.

Eventually Jesus gave the greatest sacrifice of them all as He surrendered His life upon the cross, taking the punishment for our sins and dying so that all who would believe, all who come to Him by faith, surrendering their lives willingly, will never die but have eternal life with Him in heaven.

Christmas means giving. Not just brightly wrapped gifts to people we love, but giving ourselves willingly over to the One who willing gave Himself to us, Jesus Christ.

This Christmas let’s make this sacrifice and willingly give all of who we are to Jesus Christ who willingly gave Himself for us.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)