The Wise-men's Gifts In Romans 6
Notes
Transcript
Turn in your Bibles to Romans 6. While you are turning there, I want you to think about the song “We Three Kings”. While the Bible never calls these men Kings, they have traditionally been viewed as such. They were not kings, but rather Magi. John MacArthur called them the “king makers”. They were very important men who put kings on their thrones in ancient Babylon and Persia. We also do not know how many of them there were. The number 3 is assumed because of the number of gifts that were given.
In Matthew 2 we read about these wisemen going to see Jesus.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
You may be wondering what any of this has to do with Roman’s 6. Well, I hope that becomes clear very soon. Lets read Romans 6.
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The goal of the message is not to be cute with the Christmas story while continuing to preach the same series. Rather, it is to show that the gifts of the Wise Men pointed to the redemptive work of Christ and who he is to His saints.
Gift 1: Myrrh
Myrrh was a spice that was associated with burial. It was one of the spice that was placed on the body of Jesus at his burial.
We read of this in John
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
In the song We Three Kings, the verse about the gift of myrrh reads:
Myrrh is mine: Its bitter perfume
Breaths a life of gathering gloom.
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
What, you may ask, does this have to do with Romans 6?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
We often say that Jesus died so that we could live.
While this is true, before we can live we must die.
We must die to self (v. 6)
We must die to sin (v. 6)
The old man must die that the new can live (v. 11)
We must die to the law (v. 14)
Gift 2: Gold
Gold speaks of Christ’s being the King of kings. While we was the suffering servant who would die for the sins of the world, he is now on the right hand of the father and reigns as King of kings. The wise men recognized this in their gift.
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
The verse about Gold in the song “We Three Kings” says:
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
A common man does not own slaves or employ servants. Jesus purchased us with his blood.
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
As such, we are to serve Him.
We are to serve righteousness (v. 18)
We are to serve holiness (v. 19)
We are to serve God (v. 22)
Gift 3: Frankincense
Frankincense speaks of the Priesthood of Christ. It was used in the sacrificial worship of the tabernacle and temple. Here is a small sampling of the verse that speak of Frankincense being used in the tabernacle/temple by the priests.
Exodus 30:34 (KJV)
34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
Leviticus 2:2 (KJV)
2 And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:
Leviticus 24:7 (KJV)
7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
The song “We Three Kings” says this of frankincense:
Frankincense to offer have I.
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising all men raising,
Worship Him, God on high.
The writer of Hebrews says this about Jesus being our High Priest:
Hebrews 3:1 (KJV)
1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Hebrews 4:14 (KJV)
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Hebrews 6:20 (KJV)
20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
While this is less direct, the entire theme Romans 6 is sanctification and being holy.
We are to die to sin (v. 2).
We no longer submit ourselves to sin (v. 16)
We are to live for God (v. 10)
This is sanctification. We are becoming less like the world and more like Christ. We are literally becoming Christians, or little Christs.
Conclusion:
The real gift of Christmas was not the gifts that the wisemen brought, but rather the gift that God gave in His son. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).
As another song words it:
One king held the Frankincense
One king held the Myrrh
One king held the purest gold and one king held the hope of the world
Each year at Christmas, we should be reminded not only of Christ’s coming to this world as a baby, but the reason for which he came. He did not just come to save men from Hell, but to deliver them from their sins. That is not a future deliverance, but a present deliverance. Just as the Hebrews wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, we too must spend time wandering here on earth after our exodus from the Egypt of sin. We do not instantly appear in the Promised Land. We can be like those who rebelled against God, or we can be like those who faithfully served Him. That is the reminder of the wise men's gifts. It is a reminder of what Christ is doing in each of his children.