Matthew 2:7-11, "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed, and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 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."
Tomorrow is Christmas, our thoughts are turned toward the birth of Jesus. This story has been told for 2000 years and more, yet every time we read or hear it, there is always a freshness, and we often find something new that ministers to our hearts with each passing year. Today, I want to draw your attention to the Three Wise Men.
The time frame of their visit has always been a point of contention or confusion among Bible scholars, but nearly all of them agree on one thing: The wise men's visit to Jesus didn't happen on the same night Jesus was born. The time estimates have been anywhere from 40 days to 2 years after Jesus was born. The beautiful Nativity sets seen everywhere are great, but no such scene ever existed (The manger existed, but the Wise Men never visited it).
The birth of Jesus was a giant step forward in God's plan of salvation for lost humanity, and it marked the fulfillment of numerous prophetic scriptures throughout God's Word. But it wasn't the final step. It marked the beginning of the end for the powers of darkness and the end of the beginning for the lost souls of men who needed a Savior.
On that very morning, while he lay in that manger as an innocent baby (The only innocent baby ever born), Jesus took his first step toward the cross. It would take him 33 ½ years to complete the journey, but he never wavered in his commitment.
I thank God for sending his only Son to that manger. I can only worship Jesus, who never turned back but kept his eyes set on that final, eternally important goal of being the perfect sacrifice that would take away the world's sins. I thank God for the Love that held Jesus to that cross for me when nails could not have done it. I thank God that Jesus laid down his life willingly, for no demons of hell nor soldiers of the mighty Roman Army could have held him if Jesus had not surrendered voluntarily.
The death of Jesus on that cross and his resurrection were planned from eternity past, fulfilled in time past, and will stand for all eternity in the future. From the moment of man's creation in the Garden to the instant in time when time shall be no more, the moment that defines our existence is all wrapped up in a beautiful gift package known as the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus instituted the idea of giving gifts, and the gifts that he gives are almost beyond comprehension. Ephesians 4:8 says, "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."
God's gifts are eternal and supernatural, and each is more valuable than all the world's wealth. Yet they are gifts, given freely by the hand of the Lord to us all.
But let's look at the gifts a few kings brought to Jesus. These are among the best gifts that mankind could offer to God's only Son. These wise men, astronomers and scientists, rulers with great wealth, and students of prophecy had studied the heavens and were led by the Holy Spirit to find that "star" in the sky that signaled the birth of a new king in Israel.
But how did they even know that Jesus was born? Where would their knowledge have come from? It is quite possible that these wise men had copies of the Old Testament since Israel had been captive so many times in Babylon, Egypt, and other nations. These wise men could have been made much wiser through their knowledge of the Old Testament writings, and it is likely that they were looking for the coming of the Messiah and recognized the signs even though most of Israel did not.
The time came that the wise men reached the end of their long journey eastward and came to the very house where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were living. The wise men came, found Jesus, and then worshipped him.
We don't know how many wise men journeyed to worship Jesus. We base the idea on three of the three gifts offered, but there could have been two or twenty. We don't know for sure. When they came to the door of the house, they stopped, dismounted from their camel caravan, and bowed their faces before Jesus. In their minds, he was already the king, even though scripture says he was a small child.
I often wonder just what capacity for understanding Jesus had at this point. I know that Jesus was endowed with far more understanding and knowledge than we are, but I still wonder what was going through his mind as those wise men knelt before him and gave him their gifts. What were those gifts, and what significance did they hold in the life of Jesus that was to come?
The first gift was that of gold. Isn't it ironic that man's best and most expensive gift that he could find on earth to give to Jesus was gold, which is used to pave the streets where this Jesus had come from? There was a significance in this gold that I want you to see. Gold represented the great riches of the world, for nothing could surpass its value in the ancient world. It was used to depict the great Babylonian Empire in the time of Nebuchadnezzar as a "Head of Gold" because of his great power and wealth.
Not only was gold given to represent the power and wealth of Jesus as the King of Glory, but I believe it also represented the fact that all of the wealth and power of this world, the dominion and dwelling place of the devil, had now been transferred to the authority of Jesus Christ and would soon be redeemed with a price that far exceeded gold, diamonds, and rubies. This gold represented Jesus' royalty as the King of Heaven and Earth, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. It also symbolized the riches of God's great gift to man as a sacrifice for our sins.
The second gift was that of frankincense. This perfume resin was imported from Arabia and was one of the ingredients of the incense used at the Altar of Incense in the Old Testament Tabernacle. It was always used in the "Meat Offering" sacrifice, and its sweet odor was an emblem of God's divine name, Yahweh, and a symbol of the prayer that rose before the throne of God in Heaven.
In giving this frankincense, the wise men were possibly aware that Jesus would be a man of prayer. They also could have recognized that this "King" was to be offered as a meat sacrifice for man's sins. They knew of his divine nature and worshipped Jesus as Lord, King, and God.
The odor of the incense filled the room, and I know that Jesus recognized that odor as the same one that he had received from the Altar of Incense as the Children of Israel worshipped God in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. That incense would rise, causing God to know that his people were praying and worshipping him. Now, in human form, Jesus still sensed that same dedication of prayer and worship coming to him from the hearts of men who desired to know God and to worship the True God.
The third gift of the wise men was myrrh. Myrrh is first mentioned in the Old Testament as a principal ingredient of the holy anointing oil used in the Temple. It was used to anoint priests for service and kings for their office. It was also used in embalming a body in preparation for burial.
The implications of the myrrh as a gift then are clear. It was pointing to the day when Jesus would be crucified and then be prepared for burial. It also pointed to the day when he would be crowned as the eternal King of Glory and that the sting of death would be forever removed for those who accept him as Lord and Savior through his death, burial, and resurrection.
One thing about the myrrh that also strikes me is that it was made from the gum of the Acacia tree found in Africa and Arabia. Do you remember where Acacia wood was used in vast quantities? It was in the construction of the Tabernacle of Moses. Acacia wood, covered in gold, was used to make the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies walls. It was used in the Table of Showbread and the Ark of the Covenant.
In a fashion, the gift of myrrh represented the earthly side of Jesus' existence as a man, born of a woman, while the gold represented his heavenly origin.
The gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought to Jesus by the wise men carried a lot of symbolism, but there were more important gifts they brought that day. The most important gift that they brought nearly goes unnoticed by most people. What was that gift? It was the gift of their submission to his rule over them and their worship of Him as King of Kings. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were gifts of sacrifice; they cost the wise men something. But the gift of obedience and worship were much more valuable to God.
In 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel spoke to a backslidden King of Israel named Saul. Saul and the armies of Israel had disobeyed the Lord and taken the spoils of their enemies when God had said to destroy it all. Saul wanted to offer God his gifts, but God would not accept them. That's when Samuel said, "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
What gifts will you offer the King this Christmas? Will you offer him only those gifts that are temporary? God loves a cheerful giver but not just a giver of our finances; he wants our gift of commitment and worship. Jesus already has all of the wealth of Heaven, yet he accepts our offerings and blesses us for giving him a portion of our wealth through tithes and offerings. But what Jesus wants is your heart, your worship, and your praise of him.
Will you give God the gifts that count? Will you give him yourself in complete obedience? Will you give yourself willingly and wholeheartedly? That's the gift that Jesus wants more than anything this world offers.
Join the ranks of those who are called wise. Come and worship the Lord, bearing your gifts, your praise, and your worship, and lay them at the feet of Jesus.
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