Gift Giving
Christmas 2024 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,
2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel.”
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”
9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure.
11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
This morning I want to launch into a series of messages for this Christmas season. We take a break from Prison letters and prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of or Lord Jesus Christ.
Christmas is a great time to invite someone to church.
My desire over the next 3 Sundays is to have some fun and celebrate the Birth of our Lord Jesus. To add some fun, we have some gifts that we have received from Convoy of Hope that we will give away every Sunday from now and leading up to Christmas Eve Service.
It is a great time to invite a friend to church. One of my friends recently shared with me that giving his life to Jesus is the best decision he has ever made. He said every Christmas song hits different.
Check out this stat that some of you might have seen on my facebook.
(Facebook pic)
So let’s work to have some fun and enjoy this Christmas season.
We launch this series from Matthew 2 and I want to talk about Gift Giving. I will start by saying this is not an area of strength for me. It is area of weakness that I want to grow in this morning.
Worst Gifts that I have given
One year for Christmas I remember picking out some shoes for my wife. These shoes were not the most practical shoes. I remember as she opened the package she lovingly liked them. I assured her that we could return them no problem.
I am not big on spending money for those white elephant gift exchanges so my solution is to go to the thrift store and find all the things on the shelves that have been there a long time and box up the randomness. It is always the greatest idea until you see the people open your gift. It really gets hard when people are stealing gifts for others that people brought but your little box of thrift store goodies never gets stolen.
Probably another one of my not so great ideas was I asked Ashlae to make a cake for Amy’s birthday one year. I made the cake to be decorated in her favorite team Kansas University. I am a Missouri University fan. I asked Ashlae to put on the bottom plate after all the cake was gone MU. So we had a celebration here at church and I was serving large pieces of cake to get to the bottom of the plate and get rid of all the blue. She was a great sport but looking back that was not the best way to celebrate my wife.
Let’s pull out some highlights this morning from this passage as we prepare our hearts for the Celebration of our Lord and Savior.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,
Circle King Herod
This is Herod the great, called king by the Roman senate.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: The King’s Birth (Matthew 1–2)
Herod was a cruel and crafty man who permitted no one, not even his own family, to interfere with his rule or prevent the satisfying of his evil desires. A ruthless murderer, he had his own wife and her two brothers slain because he suspected them of treason. He was married at least nine times in order to fulfill his lusts and strengthen his political ties.
It is no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title “King of the Jews.”
Wise Men or Magi
A group of scholars who studied the stars. Their title connects them with magic, but they were probably more like astrologers.
Wealthy scientist
One New Testament Scholar writes…
The ancient world, innocent of streetlights, never forgot the night sky. Many people, particularly in the countries to the east of Palestine, had developed the study of the stars and the planets to a fine art, giving each one very particular meanings. They believed, after all, that the whole world was of a piece; everything was interconnected, and when something important was happening on earth you could expect to see it reflected in the heavens. Alternatively, a remarkable event among the stars and planets must mean, they thought, a remarkable event on earth.
Tom Wright, Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-15 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 10.
2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Magi from the East who are Gentile’s are asking the question where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
They ask this question to Herod the King
Matthew’s Gospel is saying Jesus is the true king of the Jews and Old Herod is a false king, an imposter, or a fake.
3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel.”
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”
He is deeply disturbed because someone is threatening his kingship
Micah 5:2.
Herod thinks he can deceive these Gentile foreigners into telling him where this King of the Jews is now so he ask them more questions.
He then sends them and says go look for the child and when you find Him report back to me so that I can go and worship Him.
9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure.
And there it was-the star they had seen in the east!
King Herod is asking detailed questions about where the King of the Jews was born and as the Magi leave the presence of Herod it says and there it was the star they had seen in the east!
We can trust the Lord. The Lord had a plan. Jesus came to be God in the flesh. Immanuel and then to die on the cross for us.
God protected him. God had a plan with his Son we must trust God with his plan for us as well.
11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
I love this. The first gift the wise men give to Jesus is worship. As I have been thinking about my gift giving abilities, I have asked myself several times what would I have brought to Jesus?
I seek to improve my gift giving abilities so one thing I can bring to Jesus is worship. This is not just worship on Sunday but worship every day. Worship in the storm, worship before the storm and worship after the storm.
What can I bring Jesus this Christmas season? Worship
They bring gifts and fulfill passages
10 May the kings of Tarshish and the coasts and islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
and Isaiah 60.
The gifts they bring are gifts fit for a King
15 May he live long! May gold from Sheba be given to him. May prayer be offered for him continually, and may he be blessed all day long.
6 Caravans of camels will cover your land — young camels of Midian and Ephah— all of them will come from Sheba. They will carry gold and frankincense and proclaim the praises of the Lord.
Myrrh is also fit for a king according to Psalm 45:8.
The gifts they give declare that Jesus is the King of the Jews!
I think there is so much to be learned from these Magi in their gift giving.
It helps us create questions in our hearts for Jesus himself.
What gifts do we bring to Jesus? Yes they had Jesus physically with them but Jesus is not dead he is alive and the grave is empty.
What are the gifts that we might bring to Jesus? Worship, items that declare he is Lord (my mind goes to my finances when I worship him with my finances I am declaring He is Lord over them) My time (how I spend my time), perhaps my gifts and abilities (what I do with my gifts and abilities)
This study helps to shape my ability to improve on gift giving
The wisemen’s gifts are not about the wisemen. The wisemen’s gifts are all about Jesus. Their focus is on him.
The wisemen give gifts that declare who he is
I like take this and apply it to my life. In gift giving, I would seek to give gifts that declare what the person is. For my wife, might I think of gifts that tell her how much she means to me. Make it about her and not about me.
Gifts for your friend my state the friend that they are or value they hold as a friend.
The wisemen also gave gifts that sustained Jesus Joseph and Mary in Egypt
They gave gifts that they needed
It is so hard to give gifts at times because in reality if we want something we find a way to get it.
So we turn gift giving into the ultimate treasure hunt to find something that people already have. The wisemen gave gifts that people could use or need.
I conclude this gift giving portion this morning thinking about the Greatest Gifts Jesus has given us.
Forgiveness of Sins.
In dealing with a sin problem, there is only one solution and it is Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. It was His blood that was shed for us that covers our sin
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit comes to be our comfort and guide and our deposit that guarantees our inheritance. The Holy Spirit empowering us daily is an amazing gift that we have been given
Hope
Hope of life eternal in New Jerusalem! Hope in daily leaving of the Kingdom of Heaven coming to Earth. Hope for those who have gone on before us. Hope that Jesus will be with us in and through storms of this life.
### **1. Understand the Nature of Poverty**
- Poverty is not just about a lack of material resources; it involves broken relationships with God, self, others, and the rest of creation. Effective help addresses these relational aspects of poverty.
### **2. Use the Correct Approach: Relief, Rehabilitation, or Development**
- **Relief**: Provide immediate aid only in situations of crisis or disaster, where the recipient cannot help themselves.
- **Rehabilitation**: Help people restore their lives and regain control after a crisis. This involves working alongside them to rebuild what was lost.
- **Development**: Engage in long-term efforts to improve a community’s ability to thrive, focusing on building capacity and addressing systemic issues.
### **3. Avoid Harmful Practices**
- Don’t do for others what they can do for themselves; this can lead to dependency and disempowerment.
- Avoid paternalism, where the helper assumes they know best. Instead, listen to the community’s needs and involve them in solutions.
- Be cautious of one-way giving except in emergencies, as it often undermines dignity and initiative.
### **4. Foster Relationships Over Projects**
- Focus on people and relationships rather than programs or projects. Transformation happens through mutual, respectful relationships where both parties learn and grow.
### **5. Adopt Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD)**
- Instead of focusing on what a community lacks, identify and build upon the strengths and resources already present in the community. This fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment.
### **6. Work in Partnership**
- Collaborate with local leaders, churches, and organizations. Those closest to the situation often have the best understanding of the needs and solutions.
### **7. Emphasize Long-Term Transformation**
- Seek holistic development that impacts every area of life—spiritual, relational, economic, and physical. Avoid quick fixes that fail to address underlying issues.
### **8. Measure Success by Kingdom Values**
- Success should not be measured by the amount of aid given but by the restoration of dignity, relationships, and self-sufficiency in the people being helped.
### **9. Prepare Yourself**
- Helpers should examine their own motives and assumptions. Are you seeking to glorify God, or are you driven by a savior complex? Be humble and ready to learn from those you serve.
### **10. Pray and Depend on God**
- Recognize that true transformation comes from God. Bathe your efforts in prayer, seeking His wisdom, guidance, and power.
By following these practices, helpers can ensure their efforts lead to empowerment, dignity, and sustainable change while avoiding harm to both themselves and those they aim to assist.
