GIFTS FOR JESUS

 MATTHEW 2:1-12

 We are fast approaching Christmas, the day which we have sat aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the savior of the world. This is a joyous time where we celebrate by decorating our homes, streets and cities with Christmas trees and wreaths. We celebrate by fellowshipping with one another, eating delicious foods and the giving of gifts. During the Christmas holidays some give to persons that they have never met, while others focus all of their attention on only their nearest and dearest friends and relatives. During this time some give very expensive gifts, while most simply give the best gift that they can afford to give. It is the birthday of Jesus, our savior and we celebrate in a great flurry of giving. But I have one question to ask.

 What gift will you give to Jesus on this his birthday?  We remind ourselves often that Jesus is the reason for the season. But we go merrily about giving gifts to one another without ever considering what gift we will this year give to the one whose birthday we are celebrating. It is as if you come to my birthday party; give gifts to all the other guest but not to me, sing happy birthday to me and then leave. Would I feel as if you had celebrated my birthday? No. I would feel that you celebrated one another and left me out. So the title of today’s messages is GIFTS FOR JESUS.

 Now I can’t tell you what gift to give Jesus. Gift giving is an individual thing. One person might give one type of gift to friend A, while another person might give a completely different gift to friend A. The gift you give might be based on how well you know the person, likes and dislikes of the person, how much money you have to spend, etc. However sometimes the gift that is given may depend on the gift one hopes to receive in return.

          Some would never consider giving a gift to someone they knew would not reciprocate. But Christmas is not about giving to receive in return. In fact giving in general should not be associated with what one hopes to receive in return. A person who gives only in hopes of receiving in like fashion might ask why should I give to someone who will give nothing back to me even though he may be able to do so? You see most of us feel okay about giving to someone who is less fortunate than we are. But being asked to give to someone who can give a good gift but is too stingy and selfish to do so, we often have problems with that. However, one thing that I am learning more and more about God is that He never ask us to do what He himself has not done or is not willing to do. God would not ask us to give, knowing that our giving would not be reciprocated, if He himself had not already done in like fashion.

John 3:16 says “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.”

 Romans 8:32 - Imagine Jesus in the garden praying, “Father if there can be any other way, please let this happen some other way”. He wanted God’s will to be done, His plan of salvation to be activated, but He also wanted it to be accomplished through some other means if possible. Now Jesus did not just pray this once, but three times. Imagine God hearing this prayer. How his heart must have ached. But verse 32 says that God spared not his own son. Even as he heard Jesus cry out on the cross, God did not reach out to spare Him. He gave his own son. Now was he offering a gift to those whom he knew would give him a gift in return? No. In fact he was making provisions to offer a gift to people who did not deserve a gift and to many who would never elect to take the gift. Romans 5:8 says, “But God clearly proves His love for us by the fact that while we were yet sinners, (against God and enemies of God), He spared not His own son, but rather sent Jesus to die for us”. What do we offer God in return? Many offer Him nothing. But He still gave the gift. God gave us the gift of his son.

Keep in mind also that God’s will was not forced on Jesus. Jesus gave himself to be offered as a sacrifice for man’s sin.

 John 10:17-18- Jesus had the authority over his own life. He could lay his life down or choose not to. God had said it was his choice. In Matthew 26:53, as Jesus was being arrested he told his disciples that there were 12 legions (72000 angels) standing on guard waiting to come to his assistance if he called for them. God gave Jesus to the world, but Jesus was in complete agreement. Galatians 1:4 says “He gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God”. It is the birthday of this our savior. What gift do you bring to offer to him?

God gives the world the gift of salvation.

 Romans 5:15-21 - Adam did one thing wrong and condemnation passed onto the whole of mankind. But through the death of Jesus, God has justified all of man’s offenses and offers man the free gift of salvation. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by the free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of  Christ’s salvation) through your faith. And this salvation is not of yourselves- not of your own doing, it came not of your own striving, but it is the gift of  God”. God not only sent Jesus, but allowed him to die, that the world might be saved.

 Example: Let’s say that Tânesha became a doctor and there was an out break of malaria in Africa, Europe and Asia. Tánesha because she had always lived in America and had been inoculated against Malaria was

immuned to the disease. Being the compassionate person that she is, she decided to volunteer her medical services in Africa. After working in Africa for 3 years, a researcher discovered that Tanesha had a rare antibody that no one else in the world had. A serum to cure one from malaria could be made from her tissue but the serum could not be reproduced. In other words each dose of serum would require that tissue be removed from Tanesha. It was also found that the antibody was strongest in the tissues of her most vital organs.  Tanesha writes home.  Mom and dad I have been offered the greatest opportunity that a doctor can ask for, the opportunity to be instrumental in saving the lives  of millions of people.  She then explains the situation and says, to save the lives of millions of others I must give my own life in exchange. 1 would immediately begin to think, I sent mychild to he/p those who were sick, not to die for them. God could have sent Jesus to help us on this earth, that life might be better for man. But that would not have cured the disease of sin. Man would have forever been infected. He had to die so that man could have a cure for sin. The death of Jesus was God’s gift to the world. His death made possible the gift of salvation.

 Acts 2:38 - To those who have accepted God’s free gift of salvation, He gives the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes available to man the power of God.  Acts 1:8 says “Christians will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon them.” The Spirit of God makes available to man the love of God.  Romans 5:5 says “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.

Romans 6:23 - Eternal life is a gift from God. Eternal life is more than just being saved. Saved causes me to focus on my state in this present world today. Eternal life takes me out of this realm and beyond my today and into my tomorrow. When I open the gift called eternal life I see heaven, I see a new glorified body, I see deliverance from the troubles and afflictions of this world that even the saved must endure. Eternal life is a free gift that God promises to those who accept his free gift of salvation.

Now just in case none of the gifts I have already mentioned appeal to you, look at

James 1:17- Anything that you have that you did not work for and you consider to be good is a gift from God. Your health, your ability to comprehend, your parents, your talents, the air you breathe, living in America instead of a war torn impoverished country, your life itself, all of these are gifts and they all come from God. So whether you believe Jesus, and salvation and the Holy Spirit to be a gift to you or not, you must admit that God has given you an abundance of gifts. What have you given Him in return?

It is the birthday of Jesus that we are celebrating what gift do you bring? Even if you are a person who generally gives only to those who give to you in return, what gift do you bring to him who has given you so much? 

Matthew 2:1-6 - The wise men went to find the child which was to be the King of the Jews. In verse 6, this child was to one day be the ruler of Israel. These wise men did not understand the plan of salvation that God would institute through this child Jesus. They did not know and recognize that his life and death would have such a great impact on human history. But though they understood little about what God was doing, they still came bearing gifts. For this child was to be King of the Jews and no one would come before a king bearing no gift. We know and understand God’s plan of salvation. What was accomplished on our behalf through the birth and death of Christ becomes more clear to us with each day that we live. Will we come to celebrate the birthday of Jesus bearing no gifts in our hands?

Matthew 2:11- The wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. Frankincense was an aromatic gum resin imported from India, Arabia or Africa. It was very expensive and was used in sacred anointing oils and in sacrificial offerings. Myrrh was also an imported oil used in purification rites and embalming of the dead. It too was expensive. It has been said that the wise men brought gold to symbolized the royalty of Jesus; frankincense as a token of his divinity and to anoint him as priest of Israel; and myrrh as a token of the suffering he would endure in his quest to deliver mankind. We do not know what was in the mind of these men, but we do know that they brought as gifts, the most precious of minerals and oils of that day. They brought gifts worthy of a king. But before giving any gifts, they honored him by worshipping him. They gave of themselves.

If we use the wise men as examples, we can first give ourselves as a gift to Jesus. How? By 

First - obedience and commitment to living for him.

Romans 12:1-2 - Jesus died a physical death as a sacrifice for us but we are being asked here to live a physical life of sacrifice to him. 

Galatians 2:20 - Paul is saying here, “I died with Christ, but I am still alive, but it is really not me, but it is Christ who is living in me and through me.” In other words Paul had given his life completely over to Jesus, and thus he saw it as no longer his own. Because Jesus died for us, it is only reasonable to ask us to live for him. What can we give him this Christmas? We can give Him ourselves, a life of total commitment and obedience to him. 

Second we can give ourselves to him in fellowship through worship, praise and prayer. Jesus wants relationship with man. He does not just want you to be present at his birthday party. He wants to interact with you, to fellowship with you. He wants to know you and have you know him in a close relationship. Will you sacrifice some of your time during this Christmas season and give Jesus a gift of your time. 

Third - We can give ourselves to Jesus in service to Him. 

Matthew. 9:35-38 - As we go through this Christmas season some of us will encounter many who do not know and understand that Christmas is not just a national holiday, but rather is the celebration of our savior coming into this world. We who know and understand the importance of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus can give ourselves to him in service by telling the good news of the gospel. We can be the laborers that Jesus prayed for in verse 38. The greatest gift that we can give to Jesus in celebration of his birthday is ourselves; in commitment and obedience to him, in fellowship with him and in service to him.

         Again using the wise men as our examples we can give Jesus a gift of our personal belongings. There are many, especially children, who are less advantaged than we are. It is a hard thing for a parent to have little or nothing to give to their children on Christmas. Yes there are some parents who waste their resources on drugs and alcohol. However, there are many who are struggling each day just to make ends meet. They work full time jobs just as I do and your parents do, but make barely enough to provide the necessities. Christmas is the season for giving; for sharing that with which God has so greatly blessed you with those who have little. You can give gifts to Jesus by giving to others in his name. The label on your gift can say to you from Jesus.

There are many ways to give to Jesus. You must choose your own way. But remember, one would not dare to come before a king bearing no gift.  Will you come to celebrate the savior’s birthday and bring no gift?  This Christmas, bring a gift to Jesus.