What Gift will You Bring?
Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
THE GIFTS THE WISE MEN OFFERED
Lessons from the Wise Men’s gifts
It might have been a discouragement to these wise men to find him whom they sought thus neglected at home. Are we come so far to honour the King of the Jews? Yet the Wise Men persist in their resolution. Note, we must continue our attendance upon Christ, though we are alone in it; whatever others do, we must serve the Lord; if they will not go to heaven with us, yet we must not go to hell with them. [Matthew Henry]
They saw the young child with Mary his mother. She was the only attendant in this King’s attendants—the attendant of him who became poor that we, out of his poverty, might be made rich.
They fell down. The usual Oriental method of showing either reverence or worship.
And worshipped him. It is safe to think that the manner in which they had been led to Jesus caused them to worship him as divine. Their long journey and their exuberant joy at its success indicate that they sought more than the great king of a foreign nation. The God, who led them by a star, would hardly deny them full knowledge as to the object of their quest. Had their worship been mere reverence, Mary would, no doubt, have been included in it. We should note their faith. They had known Christ but one day; he had performed no miracles; he had none other to do him homage; he was but a helpless Babe, yet they fell down and worshiped him. Their faith is told for a memorial of them. They worshiped him not as one who must win his honours; but as one already invested with them. When we come to Christ, let us come to worship, not to patronize, not to employ him for sectarian uses. [Fourfold Gospel]
Those who look for Jesus will see him: those who truly see him will worship him: those who worship him will consecrate their substance to him. The gold and spices were presented, not to Mary, but "unto him." [Spurgeon].
1. A WORSHIPPING HEART – “THEY BOWED DOWN”
they bowed down {they presented themselves to Him}
they fell down on their knees or faces to the ground, agreeably to the custom of their country,
and worshipped him as a king; giving him the same civil honour and respect,
Ps 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
2. A GENEROUS SPIRIT – “THEIR TREASURES”
Then they opened their treasures {they presented their resource to Him}
Mt 6:21 where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Lu 12:19 (BBE) I will say to my soul, Soul, you have a great amount of goods in store, enough for a number of years; be at rest, take food and wine and be happy.
3. A THOUGHTFUL MIND – “GOLD, INCENSE, MYRRH”
they presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
{they presented their gifts to Him}
Some think there was significance in their gifts; they offered him
Gold, as a king, paying him tribute, (to Caesar, the things that are Caesar’s);
Frankincense, as God, for they honoured God with the smoke of incense; and
Myrrh, as a Man that should die, for myrrh was used in embalming dead bodies. [Matthew Henry].
What Gift will You Bring?
A WORSHIPPING HEART
A GENEROUS SPIRIT
A THOUGHTFUL MIND
