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Matthew 2:11 - Christmas Present for Jesus.

Matthew 2:11 (NKJV) And when they had come 
into the house, they saw the young Child with 
Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. 
And when they had opened their treasures, they 
presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 
 

Matthew 2:11 (NIV) 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.  

Matthew 2:11 (NLT) 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.  

INTRODUCTION

The wise men brought gifts and worshiped 
Jesus for who he was. This is the essence of true 
worship - honoring Christ for who he is and being 
willing to give him what is valuable to you. Worship 
God because he is the perfect, just, and 
almighty Creator of the universe, worthy of the best 
you have to give. [Life Application SB] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Christmas is almost here. Many of us are 
spending time shopping for gifts for loved ones. Some 
are baking, some are volunteering, and some are 
decorating. That's what I'm doing this week. As my 
husband and I set up our white porcelain nativity 
set, my hand rests on one of the wise men. He's 
traveled a long way and is tired, but he's kneeling 
before the infant King, a look of deep reverence on 
his face. He's holding an urn, stretching his 
arms toward Jesus. The other wise men seem 
expectant, eager as children to present Him with their 
treasures. In his bed of straw, Jesus is napping. I 
sigh as I rearrange a few of the animals and push 
the wise men closer. This is peace. 
   Soon we'll begin our family traditions. 
Baking day is important. As all of us crowd the 
kitchen, scooping flour and adding extracts, laughter 
draws us closer. Then we'll handstamp our wrapping 
paper and tags, stealing an opportunity to slow 
down and be creative. We'll attend the Christmas 
Eve candlelight service and share a German apple 
puff pancake on Christmas morning. 
   But this year, I want to give Jesus 
something. Something precious and irreplaceable, 
something worth more than gold, frankincense, and 
myrrh. Something beyond tithing and even 
volunteering. I'm anticipating how much this gift will 
please Him. Because I plan to give Him everything 
this season. All my hopes, dreams, talents, and 
trust. All my love. All of me. Every single bit. 
Just like He did for me. Heidi Gaul 
   Faith Step: You can give everything to 
Jesus. What have you held back? Give Him every bit 
of you. That's exactly what He wants! [Mornings 
With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and 
Zondervan] 

COMMENTARY

   Why do we celebrate Jesus' birth with 
gifts? We do it because He is the greatest gift 
that has ever been given to mankind. When the 
wise men heard of Jesus birth, they went to 
worship Him with gifts, and it is our privilege to 
do the same. 
   I urge you not to lose sight today and 
tomorrow of what the holiday is truly about as you 
celebrate this blessed season. Don't get so busy 
cooking, preparing, shopping, and giving gifts to 
others that you forget the reason for the season. 
   Thank God for the gift of Jesus and take 
time to thank Him for all He has done and 
continues to do in your life. As you give gifts to 
others, keep in mind that you are celebrating the 
greatest gift of all - Jesus! 
   Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus. 
We celebrate today as a way of saying Thank 
You" for giving us the greatest gift ever given. 
[My Time with God by Joyce Meyer] 

   Suppose you could give a gift to Christ, 
what would it be? How could you possibly select a 
gift for the One who not only has everything, but 
who made everything? 
   The Wise Men did. They can be an example 
to us. In addition to the gold, frankincense, 
and myrrh, they gave the Savior some gifts we 
can give him today: their hope, their time, and 
their worship. 
   The wandering wise men gave Jesus their 
hope. When everyone else saw a night sky, this 
small band of men saw the light. The sight of the 
star sparked a desire in their hearts that send 
them packing. They went, seeking Jesus. 
   When night comes to your world, what do 
you see? The darkness or the stars? Hopelessness 
or hopefulness? Sometimes, just as he did so 
long ago, God uses the darkness to reveal his 
stars - The light shines in the darkness 
(John 1:5). Give God your hope for Christmas. 
   While youre giving, give God your 
time. The wise men did. Before they gave God their 
presents, they gave their presence. Its likely that 
these men traveled as long as two years before 
locating the prince of heaven. Before that one 
incredible moment when they knelt before Jesus, the 
wise men spent many moments, months, perhaps 
years searching, in anticipation of that meeting. 
Just as the wise men devoted themselves to 
seeking the Savior, so can you: You will seek him 
and find him when you seek him with all your 
heart (Duet. 4:29). 
   And when they did find him, the wise men 
gave Jesus another gift: their worship. Men of 
wealth, influence, and intellect: what did they do 
when they saw Jesus?  they fell down and 
worshiped him (Matt. 2:11) 
   Worship. Its a gift that extends to 
the giver as well. Through worship, we come to 
see God more clearly. God invites us, through 
worship, to see his face so he can change ours. In 
worship, we simply stand before God with a prepared 
and willing heart and let God do his work. And 
he does. He wipes away the tears. He mops away 
the perspiration. He softens our furrowed brows. 
He touches our cheeks. He changes our faces as 
we worship. The wise men sought the child of 
God, just as God seeks his children. The 
Father is actively seeking such people to worship 
him (John 4:23). 
   The gifts of hope, time, and worship. 
Three gifts the wise still give. From One 
Incredible Moment: Celebrating the Majesty of the 
Manger [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at 
maxlucado.com] 

CLOSING PEARL

   The wise men, these followers of the 
stars, met the Lord Jesus Christ who created the 
stars. They were occultists, yet God reached into 
their dark world with a star to bring them to 
their Creator. 
   Matthews Gospel tells us, 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 (2:11). 
   Everyone worships at Christmas. There are 
no exceptions to this. Christians worship. 
Atheists worship. Skeptics worship. Republicans 
worship. Democrats worship. Independents worship. 
Everyone worships at Christmas, but not everyone 
worships God at Christmas. Some worship material 
things, which they never seem to have enough of. 
Others worship their bodies. Others worship their 
families. But everyone worships something or someone. 
   The wise men worshipped Jesus. And what 
does it mean to worship? Our modern word worship 
comes from the old English word worthship. We 
worship the One who is worthy. A god of our own 
making isnt worthy of our worship, but the true 
God is worthy of our praise. 
   Two words often are used in the 
Scriptures to define worship. One word means to bow 
down and do homage, which speaks of reverence and 
respect. The other means to kiss toward, which speaks 
of intimacy and friendship. So when we put 
these two words together, we get an idea of what 
worship actually is. To worship is to bow down and 
have reverence, and it is also to have tender 
intimacy. 
   Jesus was born, He died, and He rose from 
the dead so that you and I could come into a 
relationship with Him and become Gods adopted 
children. Simply put, we should worship the Lord 
because He deserves it - every day of the year. [By 
Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

SONG OF APPEAL

Just As I Am
Sep 18, 2017
Ps Fred Evans
  This iconic song was sung at every Billy 
Graham Crusade to invite people to receive Christ. 
 
  It was written by Charlotte Elliott in 
1834 expresses the struggle people have in coming 
to Christ It was written after she 
confessed to the Swiss evangelist Henri A. Cesar Malan 
that she did not know how to come to Christ.  
  He answered, "Come to him just as you 
are." Thinking back on that experience twelve 
years later, in 1834, she wrote Just as I Am" 
as a statement of her faith. 
  Many millions of people have found great 
comfort in this hymn and hundreds of thousands have 
surrendered their life to Jesus Christ during the 
singing of this hymn during the appeal at Billy 
Graham crusades around the world. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuNFAB4mTn8

Just As I Am by Elliott, Charlotte / 
Bradbury, William B. / Travis Cottrell 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXFxUaKWquI

Just as I Am, Without One Plea by FWUMC 
Virtual Choir (Premiered at Ash Wednesday Service 
2021) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWADmRPfOvQ

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC

Luke 9:23 - FOLLOWING JESUS.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210410-0922.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study 
Guides: 
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The 
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE