“What Gifts Do We Bring?” Pastor Ross Kershaw

Isaiah 60:1-7  NRSVUE
  Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
  For darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
  Nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
  Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together; they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried in their nurses’ arms.
  Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you; the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
  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.
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​   What an amazing Christmas Season!  From each Sunday of the celebration to the Cantata to Christmas Eve – God was so present!  Christmas is a season of getting gifts.  There were many under the tree on Christmas morning.  There were gifts shared with family, even before Christmas. People spent time trying to find the perfect gift for each other. Smiles and joy were very present.  A gift given and received is a gift in itself.
   But there was a much more important gift given at Christmas – the gift of God himself come to live among us – Emmanuel.  Isaiah 60:1 says that ‘the glory of the Lord has come!’  Of the many gifts we received, the gifts of God at Christmas are the best.  The Sundays of Advent reminded us of the gifts of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Christmas Eve reminded us of the Baby born in a stable, who would be our Savior and Redeemer. In that Child came forgiveness, life, light - Emmanuel!  “Your light has come.” We have been given so much! I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 9:15 where Paul says, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
  Epiphany Sunday comes 12 days after Christmas on January 6th. As a part of the celebration, we remember the coming of magi to see the one “born to be King of the Jews. It is also then the Gentiles first come to know the incarnation of God as Jesus is revealed for who he is, the King. We are in that long line of those who know the incarnation of God.
  Let’s remind ourselves of the story of the Magi.  In Matthew 2:1-12 the story is told. Magi in the East witnessed a new star in the sky, meaning that a new king has been born.  The impact of the supernatural continues – a star that leads them to Bethlehem. The supernatural has been at work throughout the story of Jesus’ birth.  First it was an angel who came to Mary telling her of the favor of God upon her life.  Then, in a dream, Joseph is reassured that he can take Mary as his wife, and that he is to name the child Jesus.  The shepherds are blessed with not one angel, but a multitude of angels. Finally, the Star rises in the East and leads the magi to the place where Jesus was born.  The visit Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, and give him gifts of Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Dreams continue as the magi are warned not to go back to Herod, and they depart by another way.
  All this was prophesied long before it happened. Psalm 72:10 speaks about “May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.”  And, more specifically Isaiah 60:7 tells us, “They shall bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.”  They came from countries in the East and South of Bethlehem. The implication is that they came a long way.  Gifts given.  Gifts were appropriate to give when you were meeting someone of higher status, kings especially. The magi brought precious gifts. 
   But I want us to focus a moment on Isaiah 60:1 – more specifically the  connecting word “for” in that verse.  It ties gifts from God to our response – “Rise, Shine” for “your light has come.” Isaiah is telling the people that the gift of light will be given, and the people must “rise and shine” because of that gift.  They needed to do something in response to the gift of God. 
   What gifts do we bring?  We are called to shine with all the glory of our amazing Lord Jesus Christ! How will we shine for Him?  What can we give our Lord and Savior? How will we prioritize our time and talents to give of our best to God? To what lengths will we go? Let’s go back to the magi.  They were observant, watching the heavens for signs and wonders.  Where do we watch for the movement of God in our midst?  Are we attentive to how God is working in our world today?  The magi were also willing to follow.  It must have taken some commitment to follow a star, not knowing where it would lead.  How did they even know to follow a star? But, follow they did – all the way to where it stopped.  Theirs was a joyful following. They were also tenacious in their trek.  Going to the obvious center of power, they were led to Jerusalem.  And who was in charge?  King Herod.  They inquired and were directed.  The star reappeared and finished leading them.  They were wise in their quest.  They listened when they were warned.  And they were humble.  Upon finding the child they bowed in respect and honor, giving their gifts.
   Again, what gifts do we bring?  Here are some suggestions, goals for today and beyond. To introduce them, I am going to dash through some scripture:

1. Follow whole heartedly: Mark 8:34 “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”  God is asking for our commitment to follow His Son, Jesus Christ.  Follow with joy! Follow with perseverance. Follow by choice.
2. We can read and meditate on God’s Word: Psalm 119:16 “I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”  Where else do we discover the fullness of God but in God’s Word.  A gift we can give Jesus is to immerse ourselves in the story of God’s plan for the world.
3. What a gift it would be for us to be obedient to God. John 14:15 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” & Matthew 22:37-40 “He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” – It will be a most precious gift for us to be obedient to His command to love.

1. By Serving we give a gift to Jesus. In Matthew 25:40,  as a part of the story pof the separating the sheep and the goats, Jesus says, “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’” – serving the least, the last, and the lost is a calling.  To the building up of each other, Jesus invites us to serve.
2. Sharing the Good News is probably the best gift we can give to Jesus. Mark 16:15 “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.”  The shepherds went immediately and shared what they had seen and heard.  1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect.” – Telling of the gifts we have discovered is a gift to our Lord.
3. Rejoicing, praying, giving thanks: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – always acknowledging our God and Savior.

   There are many ways we can give gifts to Jesus: time, talent, energy, giving of our substance.  These are but a few.  Our best clues as to what we should give lie in the gifts that Jesus has given us.  What are we good at?  What brings us joy? 
Rise! Shine! May our lives forever be gifts to Jesus – May our lives always give glory to God!  Amen!