GIFTS FOR A KING

GIFTS FOR A KING

(ISAIAH 60:1-6; MATTHEW 2:1-12)

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Gifts

1. Very Special

a. Expression of love

b. Magi expression of who Christ was

c. Magi expression for what Christ would do.

B. Who Were the Wise Men

1. Place of Origin

a. East

2. Profession

a. Astrologers

b. Stargazers

3. Looking

a. Meaning in Life

b. World Messiah

4. Gentiles

C. Why are they mentioned in Matthews Account?

1. Present Christ as Savior of all people

a. Jewish Shepherds worshiping Christ

b. Gentile Wise Men worshiping Christ

D. Wise Men mission

1. Came in quickly

2. Left behind three gifts

a. Symbolic gifts

b. Future use

3. Insight gained

a. Nature of this baby

b. Character of this baby

E. T.S. Let us look at these gifts

1. To see what they symbolize...

II. GOLD, A SYMBOL OF KINGSHIP

A. Gift fit for a king

1. Most precious metal of that day

2. Appropriate gift for a king

3. Associated with Kingship

B. Jesus recognized as King

1. King of the world

2. King of all that was

3. King of all that would ever be

C. Jesus Worshiped

1. They bowed down and worshiped Him

2. Kings

3. Worship the King of Kings

D. Jesus is King

1. Came to be a king

a. One who would be in control of all there was

b. No one greater than Jesus

2. The King the People Wanted

a. They wanted a king who would overthrow the Romans

b. They wanted a king who would defeat their enemies

c. They wanted Messiah to establish His earthy kingship

d. They wanted force and fighting

3. Jesus' way

a. Christmas Hymn: "Christ rules the world"

b. "With peace and grace and truth."

c. He declared that love would overcome the world

d. He said love was the most powerful force in the world

e. He bases His kingdom on Love

4. Peoples View of His Way

a. Weak

b. Disbelieving

c. Killed Him

d. Love didn't conquer death!

5. Jesus Power Seen in the Resurrection

a. When He rose from the dead, Love was the most powerful

b. He was nailed to the cross, love prevailed

c. He was crucified, Love prevailed

d. Jesus King of love

e. His love would never be defeated

f. Other kings have come and gone, Herod, Ceasar

g. Christ goes on as the Unconquerable King

III. FRANKINCENSE, A SYMBOL OF A PRIEST

A. Priests Use of Frankincense

1. Used in Temple Sacrifices

2. Sweet Smelling

B. Jesus as our Priest

1. The word Priest means "Bridge Builder"

a. Jesus came to rebuild the broken bridge

b. Bridge between God and Man

c. Broken due to our rebellion

d. We felt we knew better than God how to run our lives

e. Rebellion - saying we don't need him

f. Rebellion - saying we don't need His way (Love)

g. Illustrate: Teenage rebellion

h. Substitued short term pleasures for longterm joy

i. substituted selfishness for service

j. Substituted love of things for love of people

k. Resulted in emptiness, boredom, restlessness, and misery

l. No way WE can fix the bridge, but Christ can

C. Bridge Rebuilding

1. Jesus' tool of forgiveness

2. Jesus death in love repairs the bridge back to God

a. Died for our sins

b. Everyone who believes in Jesus Death, burial, & resurection

c. We can step on to a solid bridge back to God

IV. MYRRH, A GIFT THAT SYMBOLIZED DEATH AND SACRIFICE

A. Main Use of Myrrh

1. Precious Spice

2. Embalming

B. Foreshadow of Christ's future

1. Illustration: Holman Hunt painting

a. Picture of Christ standing in door way of carpenter shop

b. He had been working, stretching

c. Shadow on the wall was the shadow of the cross

d. Mary sees the shadow, fear in her eyes

e. She knows it is His future.

C. Born to Die

1. Die on the cross

a. Deliverance

b. Healing

c. Salvation

d. Save His people

e. Died for US

D. Died in our place

1. Died for our Wrongs

a. We were wrong

b. We made the mistakes

c. We were Guilty

2. Declared Innocent

a. Christ declared guilty

b. We are right with God

c. We are justified through Christ

E. Salvation myth

1. No longer struggle after giving life to Christ

a. No more troubles

b. No more sickness

c. No more disappointments

d. No more heartbreaks

e. No more hard times

2. That is NOT the Gospel

a. Not why Jesus died on the cross

b. Not to cure us from our earthy problems

c. Cure us from our eternal damnation

d. Cure us from our eternal separation from God

F. Illustration: He stood in my stead

1. Missionary in Gaza Strip, Jane McRae

a. Christian literature could not be dist. unless requested

b. She rec. Bibles and Lit. carring home in a bag

c. Boys on the street grabbed bag and ran away with it

d. They thought there were valuables in it

e. She chased them

f. They stopped at a corner to empty the bag, see what they got

g. Bibles and Lit went all over the street

2. She was arrested, charged with dist. of Christian Lit.

a. Told to appear in court the next day

b. Young girl that went to missionary school knock on door

c. Father wanted to see Mrs. McRae right away

3. The Father: Capt. in the Arab army

a. He said, because she was a women, going to court a disgrace

b. Lose your usefulness and respect of everyone in the city

c. They wont forget it

d. He said, He would stand in your stead

4. Stood in her stead

a. She never did see them again

b. He was disgraced - appearing in behalf of a woman

c. Him and his family banished from the country

d. He stood in my stead

V. CONCLUSION

A. The Greatest gift - True Worship of Christ

1. When they came they bowed down and worshiped Him

2. They worshiped Him first, then offered the gifts

3. They gave themselves first

B. What Jesus wants of us

1. Give ourselves to Him totally

2. He is King of Kings

3. He is the great High Priest

4. He came to die for us