Matthew 2:11 "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."

In Psalm 72, we find a wonderful verse tucked away which describes some of the gifts that the redeemed of the Lord ought to be presenting to Him. ... But before we get there, I'd like to set the stage...

Though Psalm 72 is not considered by all a to be a Messianic Psalm (don't ask me why), this royal Psalm finds its ultimate fulfillment in the everlasting, universal reign of the Lord Jesus Christ: the One greater than Solomon –– the King of kings and the Lord of lords Whose reign has been from everlasting to everlasting and Whose dominion will be from sea to sea, all the way to the ends of the earth; a Kingdom in which every knee in heaven and under earth will bow to Him and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God His Father, and all His enemies will lick the dust (~ see Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:9-11; Psalm 2).

Eternal redemption was purchased and secured through the shedding of Christ's precious blood:

Hebrews 9:11  But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

And eternal redemption is received by grace through faith in Christ's precious blood:

Romans 3:21  But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood through faith to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Before I go on to talk about our giving gifts to Jesus, you need to examine your own soul. Have you received God's free gift of eternal redemption, eternal life? That's the first and vital thing because apart from believing on Christ, Jesus Himself tells us that our default state is this: "condemned already" (John 3:18). In Romans 6:23, the apostle Paul tells us "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." If you have more questions about this, please read through the first several chapters of Romans and/or leave a comment below and/or message me. (You may also find it helpful to check out the linked posts on salvation at the end of this post.)

Only after that's settled can you begin to consider your own giving. Your eternal soul is at stake. There will be a day of judgment when Christ comes again, and Jesus warns us: we will either be raised to everlasting punishment or eternal life (Matthew 25:46 - BTW:  the Greek word there for "everlasting" is the same as the word "eternal." In other words, for those of you who have read Rob Bell and believe him –– you are sadly mistaken and deceived into thinking there is no eternity in hell. My friends, if you die apart from Christ, you will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, where your worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched (Matthew 25:30, Mark 9:48 ~ and yes, those are quotations from the Gospels –– they are the words spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the one who is coming again to judge the living and the dead). Today is the day of salvation; harden not your hearts. May God give you ears to hear Him and come to Christ and flee the wrath to come!

Apart from having Christ's perfect righteousness credited to us through faith, God considers all our best attempts at trying to justify ourselves in the eyes of God to be as "filthy rags." And, in fact, the thrice holy God looks upon us in our fallen state and considers each and every one of us as "an unclean thing" (see Psalm 64:6; Romans 3:9-20). In other words, no matter how good you may look on the outside, no matter how many good deeds you may have performed, no matter whether you've been relatively successful at keeping your own nose clean, no matter if you've been baptized, no matter how many church services you've attended, no matter if you're a church member, no matter how much you've given to the poor, etc., etc.  –– none of that matters in the eyes of God in terms of your standing before Him. After those verses I quoted above from Romans 3, the apostle Paul writes this in verse 27: "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."

And in the verses following, Paul explains the way of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is for all peoples, for both the Jews and the Gentiles. We've all been born into Adam, we are all credited/imputed with his sin (original sin), and we all are in need of salvation. In other words, no matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter your nationality, no matter your family upbringing –– your own works can never justify you, they can never give you a right standing before God. A holy God cannot look upon sin or abide even a speck of sin in His presence. All of our best works can never atone for our sin. Malachi 3:2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?" Only through the shedding of Christ's blood is there forgiveness of sins. Each one of us needs to come to Christ to have the slate wiped clean through the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from the guilt of all our sin (past, present, and future), and to have the pure and perfect righteousness of Christ imputed/credited to us, so we might be able to stand before God blameless and unashamed in the day of judgment. Romans 5:18  Therefore, as through one man’s [Adam] offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s [Christ's] righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s [Adam's] disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s [Christ's] obedience many will be made righteous.

Now, back to Psalm 72...

The Psalmist is looking forward to Christ's Kingdom and Christ's eternal redemption of the poor and needy...

After this, the Psalmist describes the fitting and appropriate response of all those Christians who have known their utter destitution: their poverty, their neediness, and their helplessness. As the Holy Spirit works to make us acutely aware of the extent of our own poverty, neediness, and helplessness, it is only then that we begin to value as we ought the richness, the sufficiency, and the help that comes through the Lord Jesus Christ, or more accurately, to treasure the Lord Jesus Christ as we ought! ... being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross... For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ~ Philippians 2:6-8; II Cor. 5:21; Romans 5:6. There was no other who could deliver lost and fallen sinners from the power of sin, the flesh, Satan, and death –– but the God-man, Christ Jesus.

Near the end of his life, John Newton said, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things; That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour." Like Newton, when we begin to know (really know) that our salvation is all of grace and none of us, as we begin to appreciate that our salvation is all due to the sovereign free grace of God, and own that we are indeed are great sinners and that Christ is a great Savior, that we are wholly unworthy and undeserving, when we realize that we have been truly blessed and privileged to be granted to receive such a great salvation and to know such a great Savior –– as that great sense of the love of God begins to constrain us, as it did the apostle Paul (II Cor. 5:14), how can we not be compelled by that love of God to pour out offerings to our Savior, such as the Psalmist describes...

And he, the poor man thus delivered, shall live, shall be preserved alive, and, in token of his gratitude and willing subjection to such a sovereign, he shall give to him, as tribute, of the gold of Sheba, one of the regions mentioned in v. 10 and famous for its gold; and he, meaning still the grateful tributary, shall pray for him continually, i. e. for the progress and extension of Messiah's kingdom; all the day (long) shall he bless him, i.e. praise him, as well for what he is in himself, as for the gifts which he bestows.

From Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary:

• Silent Night - Not! ~ "Prayer also will be made for Him continually" ... day and night
• an advent of a different sort for the "glorious progress of the work of God"

Other related posts:

More on salvation:

• Advent #2 WHY HAS JESUS COME? to give his life as a ransom for many
• Advent #3 WHY HAS JESUS COME? not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance
• "My situation was so dangerous, so hopeless, that nothing less than the incarnation..." (Payson)
• Surely none is righteous, no, not one ~ The Pharisee's Warning (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:9-10)
• Why preach the Gospel? # 1: Bad men need Good News!
• Why preach the Gospel? # 2: Dead men need Life!
• Dealing with sin & guilt: Are you wearing the Garment only God can provide?
• First Week of Advent: The Most Scandalous Bailout Ever
• Second Sunday of Advent: FAQ about Santa Claus and the Gospel of Christ
• "Either we accept the atonement of Christ or we repeat it."

More on giving:

• from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet...
• Are you robbing God? Where is God telling you to "Rise and go!" for the joy of others?
• adopting God's purpose for the nations is for your joy & His glory
• every brand snatched is a brand dispatched ~ Reflections on 9/11, Redemption & God's Mission
• Christ was sent & poured out so we might be sent & poured out
• a story of God and mammon: "the Lord's Calf" from Martyn Lloyd-Jones
• Things To Look for in a Church, 10: Not Scrooges but Poured-out People

Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo credits:

Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Gift-1.jpg by Brynn / CC BY-SA 3.0
Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_Anointing.jpg / {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}

Mark 3:13-15
And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.
And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be WITH HIM
and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons...

Cookie baking, choir practices
Bellies stuffed, but hearts are restless

Trimmed the tree, hung the greens
But have you glimpsed the Savior's sheen?

Aromas swirling, rising, lifting, fireplace crackling
Have you heard the voice of the newborn King?

Christmas parties, ladies' teas
Have you felt the Spirit's breeze?

Advent programs, pageants, nativity scenes
Your calendars bloated, your souls are lean

Lists were made, the presents all bought
But was The Unspeakable Gift sought?

Gift exchanges, shopping madness
Is that heaven's joy and gladness?

Hear your Bridegroom's sweet plea and lamentation:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten

"Open to Me, take My yoke, find My rest,
Lay your weary head upon My breast.

"Precious blood for thee I freely shed
To bring My bride to My Marriage Bed

"Deliver you from the power of darkness
Carry you safely across the great gulf fixed

"To lavish upon you ev'ry spiritual pleasure
O! sister, made alive, seated with Me together

"In the heavenlies:  Satisfaction! Full Delight!
Behold your Bridegroom! Love's Pure Light!

"My fair one! Rise up! Open to me!
Flame of Jehovah burns ardently!

"Awake, My love, forfeit not the consummation:
For I have desired thee before world's foundation!"

I Peter 1:14-21
As obedient children,
do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
but as he who called you is holy,
you also be holy in all your conduct,
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Deuteronomy 10:15-16
Yet the LORD set his heart in love
on your fathers
and chose their offspring after them,
you above all peoples,
as you are this day.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart,
and be no longer stubborn.

His bride's rightful response:

Isaiah 63:15-19
Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and beautiful habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
are held back from me.
For you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O LORD, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Your holy people held possession for a little while;
our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
like those who are not called by your name.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the LORD.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
he would be utterly despised.

   And so, from the stress placed on fellowship in Scripture and communion, we gather that there must be something in that for the Lord Jesus Christ. Because look how keen the Bridegroom is for fellowship. He comes courting, doesn't He? And He's so ardent in His courting. Courting that lukewarm Church at Laodicea. We're amazed at that, aren't we? The way that He still desired strongly to come in and to sup and to have communion. There's so much that was unattractive about that Church –– not seeing its own need at all:  awful, awful self-sufficiency and complacency. Yet the Bridegroom comes knocking [*knocking on podium*], and His voice is heard and calls, and He desires to come in, to sup and to dine!

   And we've got that of course, in the Song. We have Solomon as a type of Christ, saying to the Shulamite, a type of believer – the Church, "Let Me see thy countenance," He says. "Let Me hear thy voice!" Now, that's ardent courtship isn't it? Warm love. Passion. That's what it is.

   And, the Lord Jesus Christ in the days of His flesh chose His disciples for His fellowship, His communion, for His friendship, that they would be WITH HIM. That's why He chose them. Something very basic. Mark 3 and verse 14:  "So that they would be WITH HIM.
 
   And our Lord seems to relish that companionship. We find it very difficult to believe. We know what the disciples were, they were slow and unbelieving, at times not catching on to what He was speaking about, misunderstanding Him, and all of that. And then we find it difficult to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ should ardently want their company, don't we? And we find the same with ourselves, don't we? We have a glimpse – we know what we are, in part, anyway, and we have difficulty taking on board that the Lord Jesus Christ  should ardently desire to be with us. But He did desire the company of those disciples: "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place," He said. "Come on and rest awhile. I want to be with you. I want to speak to you." And it was a sorrow to Him to contemplate losing that fellowship:  "Will ye also go away?"

   So, if we come back to the central thesis in these addresses, that it is in the Lord's own interest to pour out of His Spirit, how is the Lord Jesus Christ going to get the company He wants, the companionship, the fellowship of His bride, if He does not pour out the Holy Spirit so that there is the matchmaking?

Psalm 85:4-6 (KJV)
Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

~ from "Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying" by Philipp Nicolai, 1599, tr. by Catherine Winkworth, 1858, 1863, emphasis mine

are all leading to the "sixth sola":

God in Christ: The Price and the Prize of the Gospel from Desiring God on Vimeo.

See the full resource at http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/god-in-christ-the-price-and-the-prize-of-the-gospel

I cannot consider myself to have been a believer, (in the full sense of the word,) till a considerable time afterwards.