Gifts of the Wise Men

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.      Matthew 2:11

The Magi were coming to visit a newborn King in Bethlehem.  Obviously their gift-giving was not oriented towards Jesus' age group otherwise He might have received some small toys or perhaps a stuffed animal and some candy canes (it was Christmas after all!).  The chosen gifts of the Magi are precious and choice treasures that many trading caravans carried with them in this part of the world.  They are treasures fit for a king but they also speak prophetically to the future destiny of Jesus Christ.   Let's look at each of them closely:

Gold:  Gold is the desire of man's heart.  People become utterly smitten by gold and sometimes so overwhelmed with lust for it they become more like animals than men.  Christopher Columbus sought to bring the light of Christ to the peoples of the New World.  But shortly after he arrived, the natives showed him where they were picking up all the gold they wore as jewelry.  Never has a mission changed so quickly, never has a mission had so many willing volunteers!  Gold equals wealth, gold equals power, gold equals value and importance, gold equals stability.  Gold should rightfully be placed at the feet of Jesus.  His love, His grace, His mercy, His wisdom are the riches of this universe.  As our Lord, all desires and power we have should be under His authority and submitted to His Lordship.  Jesus is our sovereign Lord.

Frankincense:  My wife and I enjoy the smell and aroma of Frankincense and frequently use it in our home.  It is not like the incense of India which comes in cones and sticks, but is a dried and hardened sap from a tree that grows throughout the Mediterranean.  It is harvested by slashing the bark of the tree which in turn bleeds its sap until the wounds close up.  This dries and then is harvested as incense.  Because of its nature, frankincense does not burn on its own but must be consumed by being sprinkled over burning coals such as was done in the Tabernacle of the Wilderness.  The Frankincense points to Christ as the sacrifice for our sin.  He shed His precious blood for us and was consumed as an offering to the Father on the altar of a Roman cross.

Myrrh:  Like Frankincense, Myrrh is a resin from a bush called Commiphora.  It is used as an incense but also is used for perfume and even has medicinal uses.  When burial spices were bought and prepared for Jesus by the women to be brought to the tomb after the Sabbath (Lk. 23:56), it would have included Myrrh.  Even though the body is dead, such preparation was done, to slow and counteract the effects of death.  Burial preparation is both futile and instinctual at the same time.  Death is our enemy throughout life and humans continue the fight even when they lost.  Just as Jesus is our Lord and Savior, He is also our resurrection and life (Jn. 11:25).  Jesus had counteracted death itself through His own resurrection and therefore is for us the medicine and cure for the curse of death that befell humanity after the fall of Adam and Eve.

As we reflect on the gift of the incarnation this Christmas, may we, as the wise men did so long ago, offer our worship and praise to Jesus, the Lord, Savior, and Giver of our life.

Wishing you a joyous Christmas,

Pastor Chris