Matthew 2:1-12 - First Gift of Christmas: Your Best 12/25/16 BAC

What are you giving this year?

I read a story of a young man named Nathan thought it would be nice to go out on Christmas Eve and buy his wife a little gift for the next day.

Always short of money, he thought long and hard about what that present might be. Unable to decide, Nathan entered Debenhams and in the cosmetics section he asked the girl, 'How about some perfume?' 

o She showed him a bottle costing $150o 'Too expensive,' muttered Nathan.

The young lady returned with a smaller bottle for $100.  o 'Oh dear,' Nathan groused, 'still far too much.'

Growing rather annoyed at Nathan's response, the sales girl brought out a tiny $25 bottle and offered it to him.

o Nathan became really agitated, 'What I mean', he whined, 'is I'd like to see something really cheap.'

So the sales girl handed him a mirror and said, “Here you go, sir.”

We have been looking forward to today for a long time People sometimes talk about keeping the spirit of Christmas all year through

o Maybe that’s too much to ask But could you keep it for a couple days?

Song – The 12 days of Christmas I can’t think of anyone who would be interested in receiving gifts of maids-a-

milking or swans-a-swimming.o I might not raise a fuss over the 5 golden rings, but boy would the

neighbors be talking if they saw we had 9 ladies dancing at our house That song does not refer to the 12 days before Christmas, but the 12 days

following Christmas.o 12 days after Christmas is January 6, a day you may see marked on your

calendar as “Epiphany.” Epiphany – “An appearance or manifestation.”

o According to dictionary.com - “A sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

An example of an epiphany from the life of a smoker:“I used to smoke a lot. Everyone let me know that it was bad for my health however, I didn’t pay any notice. One day I saw my two years of age offspring trying for a used

cigarette within an ashtray. Seeing this, abruptly it dawned upon me how terrible smoking was and I stopped smoking.”

Epiphany is a revelation Epiphany – January 6 – commemorates Jesus’ revelation to the world The wise men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were not

Jewish – they represent ‘the rest of the world’ to whom Jesus is revealed.Page 1 of 3

Matthew 2:1-12 - First Gift of Christmas: Your Best 12/25/16 BAC

o So if you are not Jewish, it makes sense to celebrate Epiphany

The wise men brought some, perhaps, unusual gifts. Gold – a precious metal Frankincense – a perfume Myrrh – a spice

Leave it to a group of men to bring the most impractical gifts one could possibly imagine Metal? Perfume? Spice?

o Imagine walking up to the parents of a newborn and saying, “Here’s your angle iron, Aqua Velva, and garlic powder.

If you men had that in mind, you better stop at the gas station and get some gift cards to go along with it.

Let’s think about these gifts…

GoldMay have been in various forms

Maybe you think of gold flakes, or gold bars, or gold coinso Maybe they brought gold that had been hammered into serving dishes or

some other useful form Gold is the economic basis of the economy

o It represents wealth, power, and position When you give the gift of money, it represents these things Few of us have them in excess

That makes it a good gifto Giving the gift of money or a gift card is not a cop-outo It can be the result of laziness, yes, but the gift itself is still a good gift

The gift of gold is a gift worthy of a king, so it is an appropriate gift for these men to have brought before Jesus

FrankincenseFrankincense is a gum made from a tree that grows in the Himalayas in India and in northern Arabia, where these men likely came from

To get frankincense, you have to cut into the bark of one of these trees, peeling off a thin layer.

o A month or so later, that process is repeated, and the sap flows outo The sap is allowed to harden into a brittle, glittering resin.

This resin, or gum, is used to make fragrances, and was one of the most valuable commodities of the time

Even then, who would give perfume to a newborn?

It is an appropriate gift, because frankincense is often associated with holiness It is, or at least was, recognized as the finest burning resin in the world

o The word “Frankincense” means “Free-lighting” It is a principle ingredient in the anointing oil used for purification in the temple.

Page 2 of 3

Matthew 2:1-12 - First Gift of Christmas: Your Best 12/25/16 BAC

MyrrhMyrrh is a spice, and another critical ingredient in the anointing oil of the temple

But it was also used to prepare bodies for burialo John [19:39] informs us that Nicodemus brought Myrrh (and other spices)

to prepare Jesus’ body for burial following His crucifixion We most often associate myrrh with death

o How can this be an appropriate gift for a newborn?o Many commentators have suggested that this was an indication that, in

addition to Jesus’ life, His death would be significant as well

CONCLUSIONEach of these gifts was appropriate to bring before Jesus.

Indeed, that which is represented by these gifts is still appropriate for you and I to give Him.

o Will you give up your wealth, power, and position for Jesus?o Will you allow your life to be a fragrant offering before Him this morning?o Are there things in your life that carry the touch of death and

disappointment? Bring them before Jesus; allow Him to transform them into

something that will bear a sweet-smelling fragrance in your life and in the lives of those who surround you this Christmas morning and always.

This Christmas morning, you face the question, “What will I give to God this year?” You can’t not answer.

o That would be answering, “Nothing.” Matthew 2:11 shows these men bringing their gifts before Jesus

o They are called wise So too are you wise, when you lay your best before Him today, and

give Him the opportunity to take your best into something even better.

Page 3 of 3