12/22 Christmas 2024 Perfect Gift
Perfect Gift
December 22, 2024
• Do you know what gifts you’re getting that special person?
Mathew 2:1-12 - After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
1. Things we don’t know:
A. We are not certain that there were
B. We don’t know what
Daniel 4:8 - Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream.
C. We don’t know what the
Luke 2:9 - An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
2. Things we do know:
A. They were
Matthew 2:2 - and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
B. They traveled a
Matthew 2:1 - After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
C. They had difficult
3. Things they brought as gifts:
Matthew 2:11 - After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. NASU
A. Gold would be presented to a
Daniel 9:25 - “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’
• They are saying: We recognize His sovereign dominion or control.
Isaias 9:7 - Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
Matthew 2:2 - and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:6 - “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”
• We are to give Him the submission that is due to Him as a king.
B. Frankincense represents His
Exodus 30:34-38 - Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices — gum resin, onycha and galbanum — and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people.”
• It speaks of prayer and worship of the saints to God.
Matthew 2:11 - On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
C. Myrrh was used to
• They recognized that this little baby was born to die.
Mark 15:23-24 - Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
• Myrrh was used as a narcotic, to dull pain.
John 19:38-40 - Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.
What will you give Him this Christmas?