Gifts Fit for a King

Hopefully you have secured your 2025 calendars and have been planning the weeks and months ahead. Important dates, special occasions, appointments and meetings are needed to be written down or logged.

Then there are some things that we might not know the date, but they can still be planned for.

‘Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house Not a creature was praying, not one in the house. Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed, Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head. And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter, I sprang to my feet to see what was The matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here. With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray I knew in a moment this must be The Day!

The light of His face made me cover my head It was Jesus! Returning just like He had said. And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His Hand Was written the name of every saved man. He spoke not a word as He searched for my name; When He said "It's not here" My head hung in shame!

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear; The coming of Jesus is drawing near. There's only one life and when comes the last call We'll find that the Bible was true after ALL!

That poem has always impressed me and brought a bit of conviction. We must be ready for Jesus’ return. And they way in which we can be ready is by loving Him, worshipping Him, and obeying Him.

Today we celebrate Epiphany. Webster defines this church season as the feast celebrating the manifestation of Christ’s divinity to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi.

This celebration comes on or around January 6 of every year. It is usually signified by the color green, representing growth. Our Lord’s adoration grew beyond the walls of the Jews, to those from different parts of the world.

Our Scripture this morning focuses on the account of Epiphany, which the wise men traveled from afar to worship the Christ child. We read in

Matthew 2:11 ESV

11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

These actions are significant to us as we consider the subject of worship. Let us notice that...

The magi reacted to Jesus’ birth by worshiping Him.

Consider what these sojourners did when they came upon Christ who was just days old at the time. They came into the house and fell down and worshiped him.

The Greek term is προσκυνέω and means “...to express in attitude or gesture one’s complete dependence on or submission to a high authority figure, (fall down and) worship, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully. (William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 882.)

The NRSV tells us that they “paid homage to Him,” which are actions fit for one to do to a monarch.

Why did these wise men from the east react to the baby in this way? They recognized that this was no ordinary child, but the One who’s kingdom endures forever, the One who would occupy David’s throne .

Remember Matthew 2:1-2

Matthew 2:1–2 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

The wise men from the east knew that this child was a king. They understood that He had an important place in God’s plan for the nation of Israel and for the world. So when they saw the child, they worshipped Him, just as we ought to do. Christ is worthy of our worship, just as He was worthy of theirs. He is Lord and king.

But we have more information than the Magi. We have been given the entirety of the New Testament which tells us much more about Jesus than what was told to the Magi. Colossians 1:19-20

Colossians 1:19–20 ESV

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And, Hebrews 1:1–3

Hebrews 1:1–3 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Worship must be a state of the heart before it can become action. It is born out of adoration and praise for the One that was given to you as your king.

Yet today, we are seeing many stepping away from the church and giving up on worshipping the Lord. Why is this?

In Jim Davis and Michael Graham’s book The Great Dechurching, they site several reasons that Dechurched Mainstream Evangelicals left the church. Among them are the following:

Moving to a new community;

Attending was inconvenient;

Divorce, remarriage or another family change,

COVID 19 got me out of the habit.

But then 26% identified with either not fitting in with the congregation or they did not experience much love from the congregation.

Among the group known as exvangelicals, the reasons were more relational, than logistical.

23% said they did not fit in with the congregation.

18% didn’t experience much love with the church.

14% no longer believed what the church held

13% disagreed with the politics of the church. (Davis and Graham, The Great Dechurching, 61, 75).

And so worship is not just individual, but it is communal. And we must be an encouragement to one another. Worship means laying aside your own preferences, even identity, and putting God first. And so we see this further as...

The magi brought special gifts to King Jesus.

There is great significance behind these gifts.

Gold has always been a very costly precious metal. It’s value is great in any culture and time.

Frankincense was thought to have been a glittering odorous gum obtained by making incisions in the bark of several trees.

Myrrh was a highly-valued spice and perfume found in Arabia and a few other places.

In other words, all of these gifts were expensive and given by the Magi to one who was born king, and not someone who would later become king. They were gifts that required great financial sacrifice.

In our worship of the Lord Jesus, do you ever think of sacrificing for Him? Does the homage that you pay Christ come out of renouncing sin, or is it what is left over from a week full of worshipping other things or spending it on yourself?

Sometimes we can feel that worship is an obligation. And although that makes sense to a degree, based upon who Jesus is, we are not to not to think we are doing any service to God by simply attending church.

Rather, think of your church attendance as if you are doing a service to yourself! You need Him infinitely more than He needs you!! Without the Lord’s fellowship, you would be left to go your own way and walk straight into hell. But because He is gracious, and has afforded a way that you can have fellowship with Him and forgiveness. 1 John 1:6-8

1 John 1:6–8 ESV

6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

John Piper, theologian and pastor, wrote:

“If you come to God dutifully offering him the reward of your fellowship instead of thirsting after the reward of his fellowship, then you exalt yourself above God as his benefactor and belittle him as a needy beneficiary- and that is evil.” (John Piper, Desiring God, 89).

The magi offered gifts to the King. These gifts were costly and valuable. In much the same way, you have gifts to offering him, as well. You offering him devotion, allegiance, sacrifice and obedience. It is not that He needs those things, for He is the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills as we read in...

Psalm 50:10 ESV

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.

But we need to offer Him these gifts giving evidence that we are the recipients of His grace.

Next, consider the background of these sojourners.

It was of great importance that Gentiles witness the birth of their Savior.

The Scriptures are quite plain concerning the value behind the Gentiles being made a part of God’s plan of salvation. This is what is implied when the Bible speaks of Jesus being the Savior of the world.

In the Old Testament, God’s primary focus of grace was the Jewish people, although there were some Gentiles that came to faith. For instance, consider the following:

Rahab the Harlot, who out of faith, hid the Israelite spies in the days of Joshua.

Or Ruth, who was from Moab, and said to her Hebrew mother in law in Ruth 1:16-17

Ruth 1:16–17 ESV

16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Or Bathsheba’s first husband, Uriah the Hittite who was a loyal soldier in the Israelite army.

Or the Shunammite woman, who obeyed the prophet Elisha and provided hospitality to him, at great cost to herself.

These are just a few examples of Gentiles who feared God in the Old Testament.

But then as Jesus came on the scene, there were others.

The Syrophenician woman of Matthew 15:22-28

Matthew 15:22–28 ESV

22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Or the Roman Centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant, whom he loved. In Matthew 8, we read that he simply asked Jesus to say the word and he understood that by Christ’s authority alone, his slave would be healed.

Matthew 8:10–11 ESV

10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,

Finally, in John 12:20, we read of some Greeks that had traveled to Palestine and wanted to see Jesus. Notice Christ’s response.

John 12:20–26 ESV

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

The point is this, under the Lordship of Christ, all of God’s people, the church, comes together and are united. This by no means indicates that all will be saved. Only those who believe.

Acts 13:48 is a wonderful commentary on what God did among the Gentiles in the book of Acts, and what He continues to do today, through the power of the gospel.

Acts 13:48 ESV

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

And this is why God calls some of you to be missionaries. And what He continues to do through those we support today.

This is also why racism in any sort, is detested by God and has no place in the church. The one who holds himself in higher esteem than his neighbor, denies that God works His grace in every kind of person.

Conclusion

In January of 1956, Jim Elliot and four other missionaries gave their lives in Ecuador in their effort to reach the Waodani (Auca) Indians. This fierce group was known to attack any outsiders, but the vision for reaching them with the gospel compelled these young men to take the risk.

Not long after they set up camp near the Waodani village they were attacked by warriors. Refusing to defend their lives with force, the missionaries were killed. The news flashed around the world, and the story of courage and sacrifice challenged many to take up the missionary cause. Even today Elliot’s words live on: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

In a very real sense, Jim Elliot and his missionary friends were living the spirit of Christmas. They were willing to give up the comforts of home and promising careers and to ultimately lay down their lives to take the gospel to those who had never heard. They could have fought back to defend themselves, but they chose not to.

This is what Jesus did for us in coming to Earth. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:9

2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Nothing of lasting significance and importance for God is ever accomplished without great sacrifice. Whether it is our time, our talent, our treasure, or even our lives, we must be willing to give up what is temporary for the sake of what is eternal. When we do, we are following the example and pattern of Christ and walking in His steps.