Words of Affirmation:
Gift Giving
Text: Matthew 2:11
Subject: Giving to God
Context: At this time of year...seeing as how it is Christmas I figured this would be the perfect time to talk about the gifts that were given to Jesus so we are going to read the scripture tonight and look at this in detail. We don’t have a baby Jesus to go to but we have an altar to go to and give these gifts. I will explain each gift and the meaning behind it and what our gifts today are.
Matt 2:1-11
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6 "’But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’"
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
I. Gold
A. Gold is mentioned in the bible as a precious commodity, it is something that is considered treasure
B. One who has lots of Gold is considered wealthy
C.
Gen 13:2
Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
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Ezek 28:4
y your wisdom and understanding
you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
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D. This was their wealth, their increase
E. The bible speaks of increase
F. Exodus 23:19, Bring the first fruits of your soil, of your property. Wealth!
G. When the kings brought the Gold, they were bringing the first Tithe to Jesus
H. They were saying I am giving you my treasure
I. When you rec’v your pay check, allowance, that is the “first fruit” of your increase
J. Some people believe that because your parents tithe you don’t have to (for teens)...that is not biblical. The first fruits of YOUR INCREASE. Not the first fruits of your PARENTS increase. Plus you get into a habit that will change you the rest of your life
K. They were setting a standard of GIVING of their increase
II. Frankincense
A. Frankincense is also a gum resin similar to myrrh from the tree Boswellia Thurifera found in the Middle East and Somalia. The younger the tree the more valuable and the better the sap. When the bark is cut, the sap is left to harden on the tree for about 3 months. When it is ready, it is scraped off into containers. Frankincense was used in incense for religious and government ceremonies. Although its use as incense was more popular, frankincense was also used in perfume. And the charred frankincense is still used today in kohl, a black eyeliner Middle Easterners wear under their eyes. Churches all over Europe still use incense during certain ceremonies.
B. The meaning behind the incense is NOT the smell but the smoke
C. When Gods people would pray in the old testament they would burn incense because it was thought that the prayers would reach the hand of God
D. Listen to some scripture
Ps 141:2
May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
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Luke 1:10
0 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
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Rev 5:1-9
hen I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song:
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E. Your prayers need to be a daily thing, when you are praying you are giving that gift of prayer to God
F. Jesus then . Rev 8:3-4
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.
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G. Our prayers go right to the THRONE ROOM OF GOD!
H. The Angel took our very prayers to the throne of God.
I. That is a gift to God! He has everything! A gift for him is one that he can respond to.
J. Here are my prayers Jesus all wrapped up. He will then take the gift and answer it, or place it aside until it NEEDS to be answered.
K. When the wise men brought the incense to Jesus they were saying....”Lord, here are the prayers of your people”.
III. Myrrh
A. It is a fragrant offering to Jesus!
B. I am bringing you my gift of Consecration
C. That was Myrrh, it was used to anoint
D.
Ex 30:22-29
Then the LORD said to Moses, 23 "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 24500 shekels of cassia — all according to the sanctuary shekel — and a hin of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. 26 Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
E. The oil was used for anointing...it was an act of Consecration
F. They were bringing, Holiness, they were bringing righteousness
G. What I am saying is that when you come to the altar to give to God, you better bring righteousness. You better be consecrated
H. This is a fragrance, the fragrance of Holiness
I. Romans 12:1 says to Offer your bodies as living sacrifices...sacrifice means death, so that means that you must die.....
J. Did you know that Myrrh was used to embalm and remove the smell of death?...so in other words, God, I am coming to you smelling like Myrrh because I am removing the smell of death and sin in my life and coming to you set apart and consecrated!
K. The greatest part of Myrrh and this scripture is this....YOU SHALL CONSECRATE THEM SO THEY WILL BE MOST HOLY, AND WHATEVER TOUCHES THEM WILL BE HOLY.
L. Illustration: My mom is Puerto Rican and she used to make these fried pork chops called CHULETAS. No matter how hard I tried, I would always leave the house smelling like chuletas and everyone else knew what my mom was cooking just by my smell...Have you ever been in a place and walked out smelling the very place you were? That is the essence of Myrrh!
M. If you walk to this altar, die to yourself and say, God I am bringing you myrrh, then you have no choice but to smell like it. Others around you will have no choice but to say. “Do you smell righteousness? Do you smell Holiness? Do you smell the very presence of God? That is what it means by whatever touches them will be holy. Others around you will have no choice but to change because they will leave your presence smelling like they have been in Holiness.
N. The bottom line is that YOU ARE MYRRH, When the kings brought the Myrrh to Jesus they were BRINGING THEMSELVES AND HIS PEOPLE!.
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In the Antarctic summer of 1908-9, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three companions attempted to travel to the South Pole from their winter quarters. They set off with four ponies to help carry the load. Weeks later, their ponies dead, rations all but exhausted, they turned back toward their base, their goal not accomplished.
1. Altogether, they trekked 127 days. On the return journey, as Shackleton records in The Heart of the Antarctic, the time was spent talking about food -- elaborate feasts, gourmet delights, sumptuous menus. As they staggered along, suffering from dysentery, not knowing whether they would survive, every waking hour was occupied with thoughts of eating. Jesus, who also knew the ravages of food deprivation, said,
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS." We can understand Shackleton’s obsession with food, which offers a glimpse of the passion Jesus intends for our quest for righteousness.
