"Appropriate Gifts" - Sat. January 6, 2024

"Appropriate Gifts" - Sat. January 6, 2024

Jan 06, 2024

Preacher: Pastor Craig Larson

Category: Worship Services

Notes:

Why these gifts? I can understand gold for a new family just starting out, but what does one do with myrrh and frankincense? I was one of those “kings” during the Sunday school Christmas play that carried that bejeweled box that was supposed to have one of those precious gifts. I dutifully took my turn, presented my gift to the doll wrapped in a blanket in the manger, and stepped away. I was never told what “Gift” I gave, but I always hoped it was gold because I had no idea what the other stuff was. I have learned since that all three gifts have links to temple and worship. Frankincense was burned as a purifying agent worshiping a deity. Gold is self-explanatory. Myrrh was used in anointing priests and worshipers. It was also used as a perfume or even as a medicinal tonic. For Matthew, it was myrrh’s use in preparing bodies for burial that was significant, foreshadowing the baby’s fate on a cross. Each gift was worthy of a king. It is important to note that even from the beginning, it was the foreigner, the Gentile, who acknowledged him as king. So, we have the confidence to come to the manger and to give our lives as the best gift we can bring our Lord and our Savior, the one born in Bethlehem. 

Dig Deeper:

Think of what ongoing gift you are bringing to your Savior.

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