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Is To Men As They Are
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The Gifts Of The Wise Men
Matthew 2:11 states, “ And when they were come into the house, they
saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they
had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and
myrrh.”
King Herod had one thing in mind—that being to destroy the
Christ child. That is why he drew the wise men into the situation. A star had appeared to
them and guided them to Christ, so Herod sought to interrogate them about when the star
had appeared unto them.
He wanted to know when it first appeared, probably, so he could
calculate the age of Jesus. Herod after interviewing the wise men was so
frustrated and angry that he ordered all babies two years old in Bethlehem
and the coast thereof to be slain (Matt.2:16).
What I want you to see is the significance of the three gifts the
wise men brought to the Lord Jesus some time after his birth. The three
gifts consisted of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts were so
fitting for the Lord Jesus, they convey three things to us about Him.
I. Gift One Presents Jesus As Potentate. In some countries, no one
could approach a king without a gift–here it is gold.
A. A fitting gift. Gold is very appropriate for a king.
B. A foretelling gift–it tells us in advance that Jesus will rule
and
reign.
C. A foreordained gift. God had before designed that Jesus’ family
have this gold to help defray the cost of the journey into Egypt and back. God is
the One who can always meet needs (Phil. 4:19). Since we can never meet Jesus on
equal footing with Him, we should always bow in submission before our Lord and acknowledge
He is King of Kings–Lord of Lords.
II. Gift Two Presents Jesus As Priest.
If you study out the word “frankincense,” you will discover that it would
be a priestly gift. It was used in the worship at the temple and when
sacrifices were offered up to God. The frankincense was a gummy substance which came
from trees. It released a sweet smelling odor. The Book of Hebrews tells us
that His priesthood is:
A. Permanent (unchanging)
B. Powerful ( it has the desired effects)
C. Procures (entrance into the presence of God)
III. Gift Three Presents Jesus As Propitiator.
Myrrh was a substance used to embalm dead bodies. It reminds us that
Jesus came into the world to die for sinners (1 Tim.1:15). He came to “propitiate”
or “satisfy” the holy demands of a just and righteous God in regard to sin (1
Jn. 4:10). The death of Jesus was so important:
A. Inclusive (for every man)(Heb.2:9),
B. Important ("must needs have suffered")(Acts 17:3),
C. Indicative-- of God’s love ("loved ....that He
gave")(Jn. 3:16).
Conclusion:
What are you going to give Jesus this Christmas? What you give is important to Him and beneficial to your own life.
Mini-Sermon From Dr. Tom Walker
