Sunday 12/31/23 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Gifts Fit For A King!”
Old Testament Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6
New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-12
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 2:1-12
So
once again, we have decided to make this Sunday, “Epiphany of the Lord” Sunday.
This is a special Sunday in the life of some Christian Churches and denominations
where we place some focus on the Wise Men or Magi that visited Jesus with gifts
of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We don’t need to have a separate Sunday to
celebrate the Wise Men or Magi, but it developed through the worshiping
tradition of the Christian Church.
In fact, many scholars believe that
the Wise Men might not have come to Jesus on the actual night of Jesus’ birth.
Since the birth accounts of Jesus Christ are only found in the gospels of Luke
and Matthew, we have different details about the birth of Christ, and the days
that followed the birth of Christ.
For example, after chapter 1 in the gospel of
Matthew giving us the genealogy from Abraham down to Jesus Christ, we have one
of the two birth narratives of Jesus Christ, as we heard this morning. We hear
of Jesus’ birth, and then, as our gospel reading says, once again, we have the three
Wise Men or Magi visiting the Christ Child bringing gifts of gold, frankincense,
and myrrh. After our Matthew 2:1-12 reading for this morning ends, we then have
Joseph and Mary taking Jesus to Egypt for safety. King Herod had ordered that
all male children two years old and younger in and around Bethlehem be put to
death. King Herod probably figured that this would be a good way to get rid of Jesus,
as he felt that Jesus was a threat to his power. As the gospel of Matthew
continues in chapter two, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus then return from Egypt. They
move back to Nazareth, which is modern day Israel. Jesus then grew up in Nazareth.
In chapter three of the gospel of Matthew, we then hear of John the Baptist,
and at the end of Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist baptizes his cousin Jesus.
Since we have very little else written
about Jesus’ life after his birth, other than Jesus being at the great temple in
Jerusalem, during the Passover at age twelve, we basically have his birth, then
his baptism at thirty-years old. This is why in some Christian Churches and Christian
denominations we go from Jesus being born, to Jesus being baptized. It’s a
little clunky sometimes I know, but this what we have been given in the scripture.
So once again in the gospel of Matthew
reading from 2:1-12 for this morning, we have Jesus’ birth, the three Wise Men
coming, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing to Egypt, and later coming back to live
once again in Nazareth.
The second and other birth narrative
of Jesus Christ, is in the gospel of Luke chapter 2. Like the gospel of
Matthew, in chapter 3 of the gospel of Luke, we hear of John the Baptist. We
hear of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, and another family lineage showing
that Jesus is the savior or the Messiah. Now the difference in the second birth
narrative of Jesus Christ in Luke 2 is that we have Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem
to take part in the census. Everyone had to be counted and registered according
Roman Emperor Ceaser Augustus. While in Bethlehem Mary goes into labor, and
there is no room at the inn, and Mary gives birth in the stable, or maybe what
was a cave of sorts. We then have shepherds from the fields coming to see
Jesus, which are not mentioned in our Matthew 2 narrative of the birth of
Christ for this morning. In the Luke account, Jesus is then circumcised at eight-days
old, which is the Jewish religious custom for boys. Jesus is then presented at
the temple. At the temple, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus meet Simeon and the
Prophetess Anna. After this, the gospel of Luke says that the family returned
to Nazareth, where they were from. Jesus was then raised in Nazareth, until he
was baptized at age thirty by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Again,
other than Jesus being at the great temple in Jerusalem at the age of twelve during
the Jewish Passover, we have Jesus’ birth, then his baptism. This is why many
churches celebrate the Wise Men coming, then go right to Jesus’ baptism.
The actual calendar date of Epiphany, or
the visit of the Wise Men is this Saturday January 6th. The date of
the Jesus’ Baptism or the “Baptism of the Lord” is next Sunday January 7th.
As a result of this, we decided to have “Epiphany of the Lord” Sunday today, as
it would be awkward to have the Wise Men and Jesus’ birth on the same Sunday.
In getting back to the two gospel accounts
of Luke and Matthew discussing the birth of Christ, in our Matthew 2:1-12 reading
for this morning, once again, it is the only account, once again, of the Wise Men
or Magi coming to visit Jesus. What the gospel says however, is very interesting.
In our gospel of Matthew 2:1-12 reading for this morning, it says in Matthew
2:11 of the three wise men’s arrival this, once again:
11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt. 2:11, NRSV).
You
will notice that the gospel says of the three Wise Men that they entered the
house. They did not come to the stable, or the manger. They entered the house. In
the King James Version the Bible, Matthew 2:11 says:
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh (Mt. 2:11, KJV).
So
again, in the gospel of Matthew Jesus is born, the wise men come, Joseph, Mary,
and Jesus flee to safety in Egypt, King Herod has all males two and younger in
and around Bethlehem killed, and then Joseph, Mary, and Jesus come home to
Nazareth where they had come from.
In
the second birth account in Luke’s gospel once again Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem to take part in
the census. Everyone had to be counted and registered according Roman Emperor
Ceaser Augustus. While in Bethlehem Mary goes into labor, and there is no room
at the inn, and Mary gives birth in the stable, or maybe what was a cave of
sorts. We then have shepherds from the fields coming to see Jesus. In the Luke account,
Jesus is then circumcised at eight-days, which is the Jewish religious custom for
boys. Jesus is then presented at the temple. At the temple, Mary, Joseph, and
Jesus meet Simeon and the Prophetess Anna. After this, the gospel of Luke says
that the family returned to Nazareth, where they were from. Jesus was then
raised in Nazareth.
I am repeating the birth narratives of
Jesus of Matthew a Luke, to show that they are different, and that the two sets
of information about Jesus’ birth have differences. As a result, some might
say, “Well see the birth of Christ is not something we know all the details
about!” Further, as I said in the gospel of Matthew reading for this morning,
it says in 2:11, once again:
11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt. 2:11, NRSV).
With
all this said, I believe that both the birth accounts of Jesus in Matthew and
Luke are true, but I believe that the gospel writers emphasized or wrote about different
details. If the Wise Men or Magi, came to the house though, then it probably was
not the night of Jesus birth. I believe personally, that Joseph and Mary took
Jesus to the great Temple in Jerusalem eight days after his birth, and then I
think they returned to Bethlehem for a while. During this time, I think that the
Wise Men came, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt, and then eventually they
came home and headed back to Nazareth.
Further
if the Wise Men or Magi came the house, and if King Herod ordered the killing
of all males in an around Jerusalem, as it says in our gospel of Matthew 2:1-12
reading for this morning, then could Jesus have been as old as two years old,
when the Wise Men came right? I guess so.
What
I personally think happened over the years is that the church, and the first
Christians married the two-birth narrative from the gospel of Luke and Matthew together,
and just put all the details happening at the same time of the night of the birth
of Jesus. Since most scholars believe that the Wise Men or Magi came later
though, many Christian Churches and Christian denominations celebration the “Epiphany
of the Lord” on a separate day from Christmas.
I
also guess it doesn’t really matter if all the shepherds, the wise man, and etc.,
all came at exactly the same time. What is important however, is that they
came. What is important is that I believe that our nativity scenes that many of
us have under our Christmas trees and in our houses are accurate, even if it didn’t
necessarily all happen at the same time. When the gospels of Matthew and Luke
were written there, I believe that the gospel writers we trying to get the
details of Jesus’ birth correct. When combined, both birth narratives in
Matthew and Luke seem to pull the whole story together.
The
coming of the Wise Men or Magi in the gospel of Matthew is also prophetic, as it
was discussed in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. This is why we have our
reading from Isaiah 60:1-6 for this morning. This reading says, once again in
Isaiah 60:6:
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord (Isa. 60:1-6, NRSV).
This prophetic idea of Wise Men or Magi
coming to bring gifts and to pay homage to the King of Kings, and the Lord of
Lords. Further, in our Isaiah 60:1-6 reading for this morning, once again, the
gifts listed in Isaiah 60:6 are gold and frankincense. These, as my sermon title
says, are “Gifts Fit For A King!” Certainly, there could have been more that
three camels to, and there could have been an entourage of servants, camels,
wagons, etc. In the gospel of Matthew 2:1-12 reading for this morning however,
we here about the three wise men giving the gifts and paying homage.
In our reading for this morning from
Ephesians 3:1-12, once again, the Apostle Paul says that he is a prisoner of
Jesus Christ. That is a servant of and for Jesus Christ, and our hope is in
Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Given this, what are the appropriate gifts to give a king? What do you give to not
only to a king, but to the King of Kings? What do you give to the savior of the
world? What do you give to God in the flesh? A car? An Xbox? A gift card?
According to our reading from Isaiah
60:1-6 for this morning, once again, you give gold and frankincense. Yet in our
birth account of Christ in our gospel of Matthew 2:1-12 reading, the Wise Men
bring an additional gift of Myrrh. So, of all the gifts that the Wise Men or Magi
could have given Jesus, they give him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The question
though, is why those gifts? Are these gifts, as my sermon title says, “Gifts Fit
For A King!” They are indeed, and let me explain why gold, frankincense, and myrrh
are “Gifts Fit For A King!”
Here
is some of the research I have done on why gold, frankincense, and myrrh are “Gifts
Fit For A King!”
The theories generally break down into two groups:
1.
All three gifts are ordinary offerings and gifts
given to a king. Myrrh being commonly used as an anointing oil, frankincense as
a perfume, and gold as a valuable.
2.
The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a
symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as
a symbol of death.
o This dates back
to Origen in Contra Celsum: "gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one
who was mortal; and incense, as to a God."
o These interpretations
are alluded to in the verses of the popular carol "We Three Kings" in which the magi describe their gifts.
The last verse includes a summary of the interpretation: "Glorious now
behold Him arise/King and God and sacrifice."
o Sometimes this is
described more generally as gold symbolizing virtue, frankincense
symbolizing prayer, and myrrh symbolizing suffering (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi).
So, whether the Wise Men or Magi came the night that Jesus was born or later, they most
certainly brough with them “Gifts Fit For a King!” Jesus was given the appropriate gifts
for the King of King, Lord of Lords, God in the flesh, and the savior of the world. May
we offer our hearts to Christ, which is the greatest gift we can give him. For today, on
this “Epiphany of the Lord” the Wise Men bring “Gifts Fit For A King!” Amen.
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