A Gift Fit for a King
By Don Vess

Matt 2:1-12 NLT
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time, some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,
2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose[b], and we have come to worship him.”

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too!”

9 After this interview, the wise men went their way. The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

As I mentioned last week, the wise men, or Magi, didn’t arrive as the song “We Three Kings” suggests. There was likely a caravan of over a hundred astrologers or dream interpreters who were probably spiritual advisors or “

” from the Mesopotamian region of Seleucia, or modern-day

Reveal Answer

. They were most likely descendants of those who had been taught by Daniel and knew of the prophecies of the coming Messiah. They may have been able to determine the date of His birth along with the interpretation of His star rising in the east (verse 2).

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they began asking, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to

Him.”

King Herod was not

about the prospect of a new king being born in the area he ruled, so he called for a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. He asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
They replied, “In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophets wrote:
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Herod then called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time the star first appeared. He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. When you find him, come back and tell me so I can go and worship him too.”

After meeting with Herod, the wise men went on their way. The

they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It took them right to the place where Baby Jesus was.

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw Jesus with His mother, Mary. They bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of:
•

: Extremely valuable and representative of the deity of Christ. It wasn’t just a small chest but chests (plural)—an extreme amount of wealth. God gave us the greatest and most precious gift He had to offer: His one and only Son, born of His seed, not of man.
•

Reveal Answer

: Also extremely rare and valuable, it represents His perfect life of holiness, excellence, and devotion.
•

Reveal Answer

: A very precious spice used for embalming, symbolizing the suffering love that would lead to His death on the cross.

The gifts were sufficient to finance Joseph, Mary, and Jesus’ exodus to Egypt when Herod attempted to find Jesus and kill Him out of jealousy and fear for his throne. There was obviously more than enough to provide for them for several years, even after they returned to Israel.

What About You and Me? What Have We to Offer the King of Kings?

If we give Him His

, we must give up

Reveal Answer

we own, all we are, and all we ever hope to be.

Jesus said it this way:
Matthew 6:33 NLT: “

the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

All our King ever desires or needs is

with His

Reveal Answer

. The only gift we can offer that is fit for the King of Kings is our heart, our worship, our obedience, and our undying devotion.

Hebrews 13:15-16 ESV: “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

When the wise men from the east brought their gifts to honor the Messiah, the most meaningful gift they offered wasn’t what was loaded on the backs of their camels but what was emanating from their hearts. They traveled so far to worship Him and to acknowledge that the long-awaited Messiah had finally come to earth. They are called “wise men” because they recognized and sought Him out.

I have always heard that Christmas is all about giving. We carefully shop for that special gift for our loved ones. But have you considered what

to give to the One who loves you so much and gave you the greatest and most precious gift He had to offer?

There is only one gift that is fit for our King, and that is your heart of love and devotion, which is more precious to Him than anything we can offer.