The Perfect Gift
Scripture Ref: Genesis 3:14-15
II Sam. 7:8, 12-14
Isaiah 7:14
Romans 5:12
Galatians 4:4
Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:1-11
1. Introduction
a. Discuss the anticipation of receiving an anticipated gift. EXPOUND (i.e., kids at Christmas)
b. Discuss the preparation that goes into selecting and presenting the perfect gift for the special person you love.
2. The circumstances had to be just right.
a. Most of the time, there are special circumstances when we chose to give a gift—graduations, weddings, birthdays, etc.
b. Preparations for our “perfect gift” began over 2,000 years before the birth of Christ, all the way back to the “first” generation — Adam and Eve.
c. Read Genesis 3:14-15
(1) Despite significant disobedience on our part God put his plan into motion to redeem us.
(2) The phrase “between your offspring and hers” gives the first hint to the miraculous birth.
(a) Man would have the ability to overcome satan and be superior.
(b) Hebrew lineage was always driven through the father, not the mother.
(c) Because it refers to Eve’s offspring and not Adam’s there is a subtle implication that physical or sexual man will not be a part of this process.
3. The preparation had to be perfect.
a. When we shop for our gifts, we don’t just choose the first item that appeals to us. We look for the perfect gift for the occasion, the gift that will meet the needs of and satisfy the individual.
b. His lineage was of a man who loved God with all his being and of kings.
(1) Read II Sam. 7:8, 12-14
(2) Much like God calling David from humble beginnings to be a king, Christ came from humble beginnings. (Expound)
(3) David’s kingdom and its throne was to be permanent, a realm over which the Son of David would reign forever.
(4) The promise that David and his seed would be kings fulfilled the even more ancient Abrahamic Covenant blessing that the patriarchs would be the fathers of kings.
(5) David was aware of his election by God and of the theological significance of that election as part of the messianic line that would result in a divine Descendant and King.
c. He was to be born of a virgin.
(1) Read Isaiah 7:14
(2) A virgin birth was significant in that He would not be conceived in sin.
(a) Conception occurring as the result of the God-ordained plan of sex within marriage is not sin, rather sin is passed on by man as a heritage.
Romans 5:12— Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
(b) Adam was the head of the house. He set the standard. He did not have to succumb and eat the fruit Eve offered.
(3) A virgin birth was significant in that it would be a miraculous birth.
4. The timing had to be perfect.
a. We don’t give gifts after the occasion—that defeats the point of the celebration, of the attempt to make the occasion special.
b. Read Galatians 4:4
c. God had waited not only until was man ready for Christ, but also until the world was ready. He chose the time for the coming of Christ to make provision for people’s transition from bondage under Law to spiritual sonship
(1) This “time” was when the Roman civilization had brought peace and a road system that facilitated travel.
(2) This “time” was when the Grecian civilization had provided a language that was adopted as the common language of the empire.
(3) This “time” was when the Jews had proclaimed monotheism and the messianic hope in the synagogues of the Mediterranean world.
d. It was then that God sent His Son, the preexistent One, out of heaven and to earth on a mission, for the “Son” was not only Deity; He was also humanity.
5. The place had to be perfect.
a. We will often give gifts at a location that plays a prominent role in the significance of the gift or that sets the right mood for the gift.
b. Read Micah 5:2
c. Bethlehem, a small insignificant town 5 miles south of Jerusalem, was significant in the lineage and geography of Christ.
(1) It figures prominently in the story of Ruth, the great-grandmother of David.
(2) It was David’s home and the place where he was anointed king.
(3) Thus, it was appropriate that the “Son of David” be born in David’s hometown.
6. The gift must be recognized as perfect.
a. Read Matthew 2:1-11
b. The magi (or wise men) knew something significant was happening. Having seen His star in the east they were, unknowingly, led by God to the birthplace of the Messiah and they bowed down and worshipped Him.
c. Again unknowingly led by God, they presented Him with gifts worthy of a King—gold, incense, and myrrh. Were these gifts coincidence or did they have significance as to what they represented.
(1) Gold — Represented his deity and his purity (explain purification of gold). It was a symbol of wealth and power. He would someday have the wealth of His father’s kingdom and wield all power of that kingdom.
(2) Incense — Represented the fragrance of his life. In Mosaic law, the use or offering of incense was confined to the high priest, who burned it morning and evening. In Israel’s post-exilic ritual, the primary concept of incense was that burning it made atonement by propitiating the divine wrath. The offering of incense can be paralleled to the offering of prayer. Was this indicative of his becoming our High Priest?
(3) Myrrh — Represented His sacrifice and death.
(a) It was an aromatic gum highly prized from earliest times.
(b) It was used in incense and as a perfume for garments.
(c) When bodies were being prepared for burial it was customary for spices to be placed in the grave clothes as a form of embalming. They included mixtures of myrrh and aloes.
7. The perfect gift should evoke sincere or perfect thanks.
a. We respond to our perfect gift by giving our life in return for the life given for us. (Expound)
b. We seek to emulate that perfect gift daily.
8. Conclusion and Invitation
a. Summarize message.
b. You might ask why God did what He did for us, and in the way He did it. C. S. Lewis said it best when he said, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become the sons of God."
c. Extend invitation.
