The story of Christmas is unlike any other story ever told.

It is as powerful as angels in a starry sky, and as weak as a baby lying in a manger.

It is as earthly as the sounds and smells of barnyard animals, and as heavenly as a virgin birth.

It is a fact of history; it is a miracle born in the ages of eternity.

It is far off in a land most of us have never seen, yet close enough to stir the deepest longings of our hearts right here right now.

There is nothing like the Christmas story, because this story reaches deep inside our hearts. That's because of this truth...

You can see this longing on display in the most iconic scenes of Christmas:
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'
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 2:1-2, 11).

Today Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of people. The sights and sounds and singing still stir our hearts.

It stirred the hearts of these ancient Magi—wise men as they're called. So much so that they loaded their caravans and camels and crossed deserts and seas to lay their gifts at the feet of the newborn King. They were a thousand miles away, but to them the quest was worth it.

It was worth it because they knew what this day meant; they knew who this baby was. In fact, the Magi gave him these specific gifts because each one was a powerful symbol of who Jesus was. And together the Gifts of the Magi tell the tale of the original and fullest meaning of Christmas.

 

I want to show you that the best thing any of us can ever do in our lives is to once for all fully embrace Christmas in its original and fullest meaning.

That original and fullest meaning is that the King is born, and that King is God himself. Christmas is the day when God became human without ceasing to be God.

He came into the world in this way because he loved you so much and he also knew there was a breakdown getting in that way of that love.

The breakdown is moral... we've broken God's laws.

The breakdown is universal... we're all fallen members of a fallen race, infected by sin, and desperately needing forgiveness.

So the invitation is personal... we're all invited to join those wise men and bow at the feet of Jesus, and receive him for ourselves.

That invitation is here right now, just waiting for your reply.

Because Christmas is God's way of reversing the breakdown. Christmas is God's way of restoring the bond of love between his heart and your heart.

And that means Christmas is God's way of inviting you to come back home to him.

Be saved. Come home. Be born again. Receive Jesus as your Savior. However you phrase it, it's all the same.

Every one of us needs a come to Jesus moment. You do. I do. Because once you've received him and trusted in him as your Savior—that's when the promise of Christmas is fulfilled...

So I'm giving you a heads up. At the end of my talk today, I want to offer you your very own come to Jesus moment. And I'm not just going to offer it to you, I'd like to talk you through it.

Don't worry, it won't be weird. I won't single you out.

But I'm here to tell you God loves you so much that he wants this Christmas to be your first Christmas as a child of God, with the breakdown repaired, and his love flowing freely into you for all your days.

Today, you're on the precipice of your very own come to Jesus moment.

You can find your crown worth wearing, your miracle with seeing, and your love worth finding.

The Wise Men were officially called the Magi. We get the word magic from their name.

They were the advisors to the King in the ancient land of Persia. Under their laws, the Magi actually selected the kings of Persia; so that made them king-makers.

When they arrived in Bethlehem, the wise men presented Jesus three gifts. They're called The Gifts of the Magi. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The 3 gifts held powerful symbolic meaning.

Last time, we reflected on the gift of gold — a testament to Jesus as King of kings, restoring our broken dominion.

Today, I'd like to meditate with you about the meaning of the second gift, frankincense.

What did the frankincense mean?

Frankincense was a kind of incense. It was made from the dried sap of pine trees. When you burn frankincense, it smells as if you just brought a fresh-cut Christmas tree into your home. It's so good.

Frankincense was used by the priests of ancient Israel. It was part of their worship. They had what they called an altar of incense, and every morning and evening they burned frankincense. It was a perpetual offering to God.

Supremely it was used on their holiest day of all, the day of atonement. On that day, the High Priest carried burning frankincense into the sacred space before the ark of the covenant. He brought himself literally, and his people symbolically, into the holy presence of God.

When the Magi gave frankincense to Jesus, they were making a powerful declaration:

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession" (Hebrews 4:14).

In fact, the whole story of the Bible with all its priests and offerings and sacrifices and holy days was intentionally crafted to help us understand Jesus.

All of that was promise after promise from God that one day the ultimate priest would come, the High Priest to end all High Priests. And he did come on that day that Mary brought forth Jesus. And the wise men knew it.

So that makes me want to ask, what exactly is a priest? What does it mean to say Jesus is our Great High Priest?