OFFERING - MATTHEW 2:1-11
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
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. KJV
In the Apostle Matthew’s account of this event in the family of Jesus we notice some usual occurrences. Generally speaking when a child is born it is still customary here in America to bring gifts for the baby. Similar to having a baby shower for the family of the new born. However, to fall down and worship the child is quite unusual. Likewise, generally speaking when people bring gifts for the new baby or very young child they usually customize the gift toward the needs of the family. Some items will be for the baby while other items will be for the provision of the child. Receiving money at a baby shower may help the baby but it also may help buy general supplies for the whole family. What we find unusual with Jesus is that the wise men brought presents for a King, not for the common family of Joseph and Mary. Yes, although Joseph and Mary could make use of the gold, frankincense and myrrh that was not a common household item for the family. In verse 2 we find the reason for the extravagant gifts was because they were coming to worship the King of the Jews. Verse 6 refers to Jesus as, "a Governor, that shall rule His people Israel". These two witnesses explain to us why such a journey was made by the wise men and it also reveals why such elaborate gifts were bestowed upon the family of Jesus. When honoring a King no common gift will due, so the wise men would follow proper protocol when selecting their gifts. Your gift speaks to the receiver about your heart and inside the heart of the wise men “a King is born” whom was due honor and worship. Their gift showed their honor while falling down showed their worship. It is still customary for kings to be honored and admired (worshipped) by people all over the world. However, another unusual occurrence was that this King did not come from natural lineage. Generally, speaking kings are born as heir apparents or selected by the people or assumed through military might or conferred by the dominant political party but Jesus was none of these. The Lord Jesus came from a humble beginning upon the earth with no obvious indicators that He would be the Great King of the Jews. We can look back now from the scriptures and see that He was of the lineage of King David but there were many other descendants of the lineage of King David that were also living at that same time. This is why verse 4 is so important because in that verse He is referred to as "Christ". The Christ, the Messiah (the Anointed One) was spiritually known as the Savior of the Jews which is far better than the title King of Jews. The reason for this is because the Jews had many natural kings to come and go but there is only one divine Savior who would permanently pay for their sins. This reference to the "Chosen One" of God is the primary reason we classify this event as an "offering". We know that offerings are received for God's ministers but this one was unusual because this offering was received approximately 30 years before Jesus started His public ministry. We all know that Jesus is our King of kings and Lord of lords but what are those titles compared to being God. It is only the pure mercies of God that would choose to become our Savior at the expense of death for Jesus, the Son of God. Thankfully those who were sensitive to the promptings (inward instructions) of the Holy Spirit obeyed their heart to honor the Lord before He completed His ministry. It is awesome to think that the sole purpose for Jesus’ perfect sinless life was to die for sins of His enemies. It is mind boggling to consider that Jesus died for those who did not even love Him or His Heavenly Father. Although it does not seem reasonable to many upon the earth today we can thank God that it made perfect sense to the Mind of God. The wise men came to honor and worship a king, but today we purpose to honor and worship our Savior. Jesus did so much more than just pay for our sins because He also introduced us to His Heavenly Father. It is through the precious Blood of Jesus that we have gained access to our Loving Heavenly Father and His Precious Holy Spirit. Therefore when thinking of the King of kings and Lord of lords always remember that He is our very own personal Savior. Today Jesus is still operating as the High Priest of our Confession (Hebrews 3:1 NKJV) which means He is still operating in the full-time ministry. Therefore, He is still receiving "offerings" from all those who desire to support His cause. We may not give the same gifts that the wise men gave but we can surely give of our substance to the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ. Gold represented us as the precious fruit of the earth, as we physically would be presented to Christ because we are in need of Salvation. Although gold comes from the earth when purified by fire it comes out shining brightly to be used for the Master's Hand. The frankincense as incense represents the praises of God's people because Jesus received us unto Himself. The myrrh represents the sweet smelling aroma of God's Spirit that would permeate our reborn spirit because the price for sin was paid. This is similar to how when you give an offering to God, the financial amount could never match the spiritual significance of helping to set someone spiritually free from the bondage of sin. It is this practice of giving material "offerings" unto the ever-living ministry of Jesus that helps set the captives free. Once liberated those same captives can experience a lifestyle of worshipping God with all of their spirit, soul and body to keep them in peace and joy with their Heavenly Father in Jesus Name. Amen!
In His Love, Eric & Angela Foster