The Three Gifts

Bible Book: Matthew 2 : 1-12

Subject: Magi, Gifts of; Birth of Christ; Worship; Christmas

Introduction

Dr. J. R. [James Russell] Miller (1840-1912) shares the following in his devotional classic titled, Come Ye Apart, “Those who follow the light will surely be led at last to the Christ. There is always joy, too, in the heart when one has found the Saviour. The first act is to adore and worship Him. These men saw only the little Babe lying in the young mother’s arms. There was no crown on His head. No glory gleaming from His face. His surroundings were most unkindly, without pomp or pageant. The Child did nothing in their presence to show His royalty—spoke no word, wrought no kingly act of power. Yet the Magi believed and worshipped Him.”[1]

We read in Matthew 2:1-12, “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, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, / Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; / For out of you shall come a Ruler / Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen 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 exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.”

We will focus on three aspects of the three gifts.

I. Please note the situation of the gifts.

The birth of Jesus Christ is the situation of the giving of the three gifts. Who gave the gifts? According to tradition the names of the magi were Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Likely, there are three wise men mentioned because there were three gifts.

Dr. Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) wrote a book titled, The Story of the Other Wise Man, where he tells about a fictional character named Artaban.

Dr. Richard P. Bucher explains, “Some Christians have thought that Isaiah 60:1-7 is a prophecy of the wise men since it speaks of kings coming to ‘the brightness of your rising’ (60:3) and gifts of ‘gold and frankincense’ (60:6). Others have viewed Psalm 72:10 as referring to the magi. However, since the New Testament doesn't identify these explicitly as prophecies of the magi, we cannot be certain about it.”[2]

We read about the situation before they gave the gifts in Matthew 2:1-11a, “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, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, / Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; / For out of you shall come a Ruler / Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen 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 exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.”

We read about the situation while they gave the gifts in Matthew 2:11b, “And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

We read about the situation after they gave the gifts in Matthew 2:12, “Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.”

The wise men arrived as soon as they could. The wise men gave what they should. As Dr. Vance Havner (1901 - 1986) quipped, “Get out of the ‘woulds’ [Of course, Dr. Havner refers to W-O-U-L-D-S not W-O-O-D-S.]! We can do whatever God wants us to do as He works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.”[3] The wise men got out of the “woulds”. Could speaks of ability. Would speaks of intentionality. Should speaks of responsibility. They came expressly to worship. The gifts represent intentionality in their worship. The wise men worshipped Jesus. The wise men worshipped in the right way. Some erroneously think they can worship God any way they choose. The wise men departed a different way.

II. Please note the size of the gifts.

From Matthew 2:11b we read, “And when they had opened their treasures. . .”

Dr. William Barclay (1907-1978) cites Seneca (ca. 4 BC – 65 AD), the Roman philosopher, [who] tells us that in Parthia it was the custom that no one could ever approach the king without a gift. And gold, the king of metals, is the fit gift for a king of men."[4]

These gifts were costly according to Dr. J. R. Miller, who writes, “They were not content merely to worship the King showing Him homage in word and posture; but they also laid their gifts at His feet. It is not enough for us to sing our songs of praise to Christ, to look up adoringly into His face, to bow before Him in reverent worship, and to speak our heart’s homage in words. We should bring our gifts, too, to lay at His feet. There is great deal of sentiment in the consecration of many people: when there is call for gifts of sacrifice, or for real service, it instantly vanishes. People sing missionary hymns heartily, and when the collection-box comes to them they have no gifts to offer. Those men not only brought presents, but they brought those that were costly. We should bring our best, our gold and frankincense and myrrh, the alabaster box of our heart’s deepest love, and the best of our life and service.”[5]

III. Please note the significance of the gifts.

These gifts to Jesus Christ have a scriptural and spiritual significance. Allow me to share the following about each one. For example, gold represents His universal authority. He is King of kings and Lord of lords! John writes in Revelation 19:16, “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

At the house of Cornelius we read in Acts 10:34-43, “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

We read in Daniel 2:38, “And wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold.” The head of gold in this image symbolized the king. In Psalm 21:3 we read, “For You meet him with the blessings of goodness; / You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.”

Furthermore, frankincense represents His unique personality, symbolizing the fragrance of His perfection. Jesus is the God-man. We read in Leviticus 2:15, “And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering.” The meal offering was flour mingled with oil, signifying the sinless person of Jesus, with flour His humanity, and oil His divinity. From 1 Timothy 2:5 we read, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” Jesus is a great High Priest.

From Hebrews 4:14-16 we read, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

From Leviticus 5:11 we read, “But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.” This reminds us that no frankincense could be put on the sin offering. In Exodus 30:37 we read, “But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord.”

Finally, myrrh represents His unparalleled generosity, symbolizing His purpose to die for our sin. From 1 Timothy 2:6a we read about Jesus Christ “who gave Himself a ransom for all.” In Romans 5:6-11 we read, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

We read in John 19:39, ‘And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.’ From this verse we see that myrrh was used to anoint dead bodies for burial.

To put it another way, gold speaks of His royalty, frankincense speaks of His righteousness, and myrrh speaks of His redemption.

Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs (1907-1995) exhorts, "Retrace in your mind the long, dusty, hot miles of the Magi as with them you follow 'His star.' Exult with them as the star leads you to the house where the Kingly Babe lies in a cradle. Kneel with them in worship as before Him you lay the gold of your dedication, the frankincense of your prayers, and the myrrh of your life placed upon His altar, suffering and dying unto self that you may ever live with and for Him."[6]

Dr. Herbert W. Lockyer, Sr. (1886-1984) shares in a message titled “The Gifts of the Wise” based on our text, “He expects from you this Christmas the Gold of obedience, the Frankincense of worship, the Myrrh of sacrifice. And you would not willingly disappoint Him, would you?”[7]

Conclusion

In Jeremiah 29:13 the Lord says to believers, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe comments on the wise men, “Their experience is a good lesson in finding the will of God:

(1) they followed the light God gave them;

(2) they confirmed their steps by the Word of God; and

(3) they obeyed God without question and He led them each step of the way.

Note that they went home by "another way" (v. 12). Anyone who comes to Christ will go home another way and be a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17).”[8]

Rev. John M. Moore shares the following outline on Matthew 2:2-11 in a message titled "The Path of the Wise Men": THEIR INTEREST WAS INTENSIFIED; THEIR JOURNEY WAS JUSTIFIED; and THEIR ROUTE WAS RECTIFIED.

Dr. J. R. Miller writes, “Think how much more we know about the Christ than they did. We see Him in all the glory of His life and death and resurrection and ascension; we see Him ‘standing on the right hand of God,’ ‘King of kings,’ wearing many crowns. It is not hard for us to see the regal marks in Him. Shall we be behind the Magi in our adoration?”[9]

Dr. Billy Graham shares in his book titled, Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, “Charles T. Studd [1860-1931] was a famous sportsman in England, captain of the Cambridge Xl cricket team. A century ago he gave away his vast wealth to needy causes and led the ‘Cambridge Seven’ to China. His slogan was, ‘If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.’"[10]

Paul the Apostle said in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” Dr. Isaac Watts (1674-1748) expresses for us, “Love so amazing, so divine, / Demands my soul, my life, my all.”[11]

[1]J. R. Miller, Come Ye Apart, “Offering Gifts”, Matthew 2:11, (London, Edinburgh, New York, Toronto and Paris : Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd., 1890), February 3 Reading

[2]Available from: http://www.orlutheran.com/html/magifaq.html Accessed: 12/25/11

[3]Vance Havner, All the Days (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1976), p. 123

[4]William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew: 1-10, (Louisville, KY: Westminster, John Knox Press, 2001), p. 37

[5]J. R. Miller, Come Ye Apart, “Offering Gifts”, Matthew 2:11, (London, Edinburgh, New York, Toronto and Paris : Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd., 1890), February 3 Reading

[6]Herschel Harold Hobbs, from a sermon titled "The Surprises of God" based on (Matthew 2:1-6) preached on the “Baptist Hour” Transcripts of "Baptist Hour" broadcasts may be found in the Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission publications THE BEAM and BEAM INTERNATIONAL.

[7]Herbert Lockyer, “The Gifts of the Wise” (Matthew 2:1-11)

[8]Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor® an imprint of Cook Communications, 1992), p. 18

[9]J. R. Miller, Come Ye Apart, “Offering Gifts”, Matthew 2:11, (London, Edinburgh, New York, Toronto and Paris : Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd., 1890), February 3 Reading

[10]Billy Graham, Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, (New York: Avon Books, 1985), pp. 94-95

[11]Isaac Watts, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (1707) Available from: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/h/e/whenisur.htm Accessed: 12/27/11

By Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, pastor First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort 30775 Jay Drive Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527

Author of Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice Available on Amazon.com and WORDsearchbible.com

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Biblical-Preaching-Giving-Bible/dp/1594577684