Dr. Rick Mandl - December 18, 2020
What Christmas Is All About
Devotional Manuscript: What Christmas Is All About
Message By Dr. Rick Mandl, December 18, 2020, Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA
Hey church family. Today I want to talk to you a little bit about worship, but before I do, I want to extend an invitation for you to join us this Sunday for our Night of Worship and the Word in our church parking lot at 4:30PM. It will be a great event for the whole family and I hope to see you there. And speaking of worship, I’ve got a question for you. So put on your thinking caps. My question is . . .
Do you know where in scripture is the first time that we’re told that Jesus was worshiped? Think about that for a moment Or think about that for 15 seconds. . . Alright. . . Pens down everyone. Did you come up with an answer? Whether or not you phrased it in the form of a question, the correct answer is . . . Matthew chapter 2 and verse 11, where these words are spoken in regard to the wisemen. . . . “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, frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11 is the first time in Scripture we are told that Jesus was worshiped.
Also don’t miss the fact that Matthew made sure to note that the wise men worshiped, “the child.” That’s significant because the title “child” at that time would have stood in stark contrast with someone who was a king or someone who was considered great. In the ancient world, where status was always important - children were at the bottom of the ladder. The word for “child” in both Greek and Latin literally means, “not speaking.” Children were supposed to be seen and not heard, much less worshiped. That just makes the wise men’s worship of this child all the more amazing.
The gifts they brought to the Jesus-child illustrate demonstrate their faith and give us insight into who He was. They presented Him with gold – which was the gift that was fit for a king. When they gave him this gift they were recognizing His royalty. They were unashamedly proclaiming, “You are not just a child in a mother’s lap. You are a King sitting on a throne.” The wise men also gave Jesus frankincense. That may not mean a lot to you and me but if you had gone to the Temple and attended a worship service you would have found the priest burning frankincense. It was representative of the prayers of God’s people ascending upward into the nostrils of the God who created the universe. It was a symbol of worship and we are told clearly that frankincense was to be used in the worship of God alone.
Besides giving this child their WEALTH in the form of gold, they were giving Him their WORSHIP in the form of frankincense. They were in effect saying, “You are not only a king…you are a god!” And then last but not least, they gave Jesus the most puzzling gift of all. They gave Him myrrh. They were supposed to be celebrating this child’s birth, but they gave Him a gift that is reserved for death. Myrrh was used for burial. What they were saying was, “You are not just a king and not just a god. You are the Savior!” And while they did not understand it all, they knew this child didn’t just come to be born and to live; but He came to die…and to die for us. As Christians this ought to be what we remember at Christmas, because this in fact is what Christmas is all about.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
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