Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY AUDIO The gift of the Magi Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA February 4, 2007 Main Scripture text: John 12:1-8 The perfume Mary poured on Jesus' feet was worth a year's wages. How many of us, if we could get hands on that much money in liquid form, would pour it on Jesus' feet? We agree with Judas on this one, don't we? People are starving! Children are without shoes and warm clothing! This is an extravagant, wasteful gesture! Surely, Jesus would agree with our assessment. But He doesn't. "You will always have the poor with you," he says, "but not Me." Matthew and Mark also quote Him as saying, "She has done a beautiful thing." This incident in the New Testament reminds of O. Henry's story, The Gift of the Magi. It tells of a couple named Della and Jim. They were poor, but much in love. Each had a special possession. Jim had a fine pocket watch. Della had long and beautiful hair. Christmas came and they had no money to buy each other gifts. So Della sells her hair to buy a watch chain for Jim. Meantime, Jim is selling his pocket watch to buy Della a set of beautiful tortoise shell combs for her. Reason tells us how foolish and fruitless their efforts were -- but down deep something else brings tears to our eyes. Each had given to the other all they had to give. That's the way real love is. It's unreasonable, illogical, extravagant. In recent weeks, I've talked about five aspects of God's love. It. . . 1) . . .is limitless; 2) . . .takes the initiative; 3) . . .is holy and redemptive; 4) . . .is unconditional; 5) . . .is unrelenting. Today, we add number 6: it is extravagant. Jesus gave the most extravagant expression of love the world has ever known. Paul writes about it in Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I heard a story once about a man who dreamed he was at the crucifixion of Jesus. A hooded executioner was driving spikes in Jesus' hands and feet -- and the sound of the hammer hitting those spikes was more than the man could stand. He ran to the executioner screaming, "Stop it!" He snatched the hood off the executioner's head -- and stood aghast. The executioner was him. Until we come the realization that it was our sin that killed Jesus we can't really understand or appreciate the extravagance of God's love. When we do come to understand that painful reality -- and experience the extravagance of God's love toward us -- we ought to respond as Mary did, by being extravagant in return. God gave us all He had. He gave us Himself. The Christian life is realized to its fullest extent only when we love God with the same extravagance with which He loves us. Jesus knew if we didn't have that kind of love for God, we wouldn't be able to love each other -- much less the poor. God is only source of that kind of extravagant love. A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here (27 min.). (Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.) An audio tape of the sermon summarized above is available free of charge (U.S. requests only). Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office. Please specify tape number 070204a: The Gift of the Magi. © 2007 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us