Matthew 2:9-11 “When
they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in
the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child
was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great
joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with
Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened
their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and
myrrh.”
Continuing Pastor Obie’s
Sunday Sermon message, he points out that the Wise Men presented Jesus Christ
gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The gift of gold was considered worthy
of a king. Gold speaks of His birth. He is born a King. The gift of gold was a
king’s gift and Christ is our King.
A quick survey reveals
it was used primarily in biblical times for making incense and as an
ingredient in sacrifices. Song of Solomon reveals it was also an ingredient in
perfume. Since frankincense was primarily used in the Bible in worship,
frankincense speaks of the worship of God. Frankincense speaks of the fragrance
of His life. Frankincense was a worthy gift for Christ since He was the
anointed One who deserves our worship. Myrrh was used for a variety of
purposes in biblical times as a perfume, an anesthetic, for burial embalming,
as an ingredient in anointing oil, and to deodorize clothes. John 19:39 records
that myrrh was used in Jesus’ burial. Myrrh was a prophetic gift because Jesus
would die for the sins of the world. Myrrh speaks of His death. But, the
Magi offered a fourth gift when they fell
down and worshiped Him. The Wise Men offered their hearts in worship of
Jesus and the greatest gift that you can give is your heart also. God cares
about your whole heart connected to Him. The Christian lives out their
heartfelt faith in prayer and worship, studying God’s Holy Word, learning
together at church with fellow Believers, in giving and in ministry.
John 3:16-17 “For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did
not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved.”
But, the greatest gift given
of all time and eternity was by God. The greatest gift you can ever receive is
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Yet, with any gift given, it must be accepted,
unwrapped and received. We receive the Gift of God in Jesus Christ by faith. Ephesians
2:8 explains, “For by grace
you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God.” But, this gift of redemption from sin unto salvation from
hell and reconciliation to eternal life in heaven has a time limit. The Gift of
God must be received in this life. Seeking is free, but following the Lord will
cost us greatly because we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and become
disciples of Jesus.
During the Christmas season,
people are open to the gospel and an encounter with the Lord, so invite others
to meet God incarnate, God with us, their Savior Jesus Christ. The three gifts
of the Wise Men were a King’s coronation. Hearts give honor. And there are
three types reactions to the Gift of God in Jesus Christ. (1) resent and
resentment due to fear of loss power and position that reject authority. (2)
Indifference that sees the gift of God, but care about it or do anything about
it, letting it sit. (3) Accept and receive rejoice in God’s gift by giving
their whole heart. So, what are you going to do with the gift of God? Don’t
leave it under the tree. Receive Jesus as Savior and Lord and rejoice.
In Christ, Brian
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