A Manger Moment
What did you get Jesus for Christmas?
Gift giving is an incredible tradition. We labor, sweat, cry, punch (hopefully not but Black Friday you never know), save and sometimes overspend on gifts at Christmas. I once knew this lady who always had a few extra presents tucked away incase someone unexpected came over for Christmas. What a remarkable idea and heart of giving. Let’s turn our attention to the gifts brought to Christ by the wise men.
Myrrh had two purposes in the Scriptures. The first was that it was used as a spice in anointing oil. According to Shari Abbott, "It was mixed into the oil that was used to anoint prophets for the divinely appointed work of revealing God and communicating His will and words to His people" (Shari Abbott, "What Is the Significance of the Wise Men's Gifts? And, Were These Men Kings (or Magi)?," Reasons for Hope, December 22, 2019, https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/significance-of-the-three-kings-gifts/).
The second use for myrrh was as an embalming fluid. This might appear odd, but the ancient church understood the symbolism of myrrh to be pointing toward the day Jesus died for the sins of the world (Robert Hampshire, "What Is the Significance of the Three Wise Men and Their Gifts?," Christianity.com, December 1, 2020, https:// www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/significance-of-the-three-wise-men-and-their- gifts.html).
Frankincense is a resin from India and Arabia and is known for its use in incense and perfumes, as well as for its healing properties. In Exodus 30:34 it was used in the sanctuary of the Lord, and the book of Leviticus mentions its use several times (2:1, 16; 6:15; 24:7). Shari Abbott writes, "Because of the use in the Temple, frankincense is considered to be emblematic of Jesus' office as a Priest of God (Exodus 30:34-37). It is also symbolic of the priest's work in offering the prayers of the people to the Lord" (Luke 1:10; Revelation 8:3-5)" (Abbott,
"Significance of the Wise Men's Gifts").
Frankincense is still used in many churches today as incense on Sundays and during holy feast days. Incense of any kind may be used in liturgical churches— most notably, the Eastern Orthodox churches, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches.
The last of the gifts is gold. Gold in biblical times meant wealth, but it also had royal connotations. Robert Hampshire observes that "the gold points to Jesus' royalty, the frankincense to his divinity, and the myrrh to his humanity." The gifts of the wise men tell who Jesus is "in a tangible way" (Hampshire, "What Is the Significance of the Three Wise Men and Their Gifts?").
During this Christmas season what are you offering the Lord? He truly isn’t interested in the things we are all caught up with. In the words of the boys Friday night at Los Patroness (they are closed till Jan 2) “all Mom really wants is for her boys to spend time with her”. How true. God doesn’t want stuff, He wants time with you. Uncover the beauty of spending time with the Lord. That time is never wasted.
Gift giving is an incredible tradition. We labor, sweat, cry, punch (hopefully not but Black Friday you never know), save and sometimes overspend on gifts at Christmas. I once knew this lady who always had a few extra presents tucked away incase someone unexpected came over for Christmas. What a remarkable idea and heart of giving. Let’s turn our attention to the gifts brought to Christ by the wise men.
Myrrh had two purposes in the Scriptures. The first was that it was used as a spice in anointing oil. According to Shari Abbott, "It was mixed into the oil that was used to anoint prophets for the divinely appointed work of revealing God and communicating His will and words to His people" (Shari Abbott, "What Is the Significance of the Wise Men's Gifts? And, Were These Men Kings (or Magi)?," Reasons for Hope, December 22, 2019, https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/significance-of-the-three-kings-gifts/).
The second use for myrrh was as an embalming fluid. This might appear odd, but the ancient church understood the symbolism of myrrh to be pointing toward the day Jesus died for the sins of the world (Robert Hampshire, "What Is the Significance of the Three Wise Men and Their Gifts?," Christianity.com, December 1, 2020, https:// www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/significance-of-the-three-wise-men-and-their- gifts.html).
Frankincense is a resin from India and Arabia and is known for its use in incense and perfumes, as well as for its healing properties. In Exodus 30:34 it was used in the sanctuary of the Lord, and the book of Leviticus mentions its use several times (2:1, 16; 6:15; 24:7). Shari Abbott writes, "Because of the use in the Temple, frankincense is considered to be emblematic of Jesus' office as a Priest of God (Exodus 30:34-37). It is also symbolic of the priest's work in offering the prayers of the people to the Lord" (Luke 1:10; Revelation 8:3-5)" (Abbott,
"Significance of the Wise Men's Gifts").
Frankincense is still used in many churches today as incense on Sundays and during holy feast days. Incense of any kind may be used in liturgical churches— most notably, the Eastern Orthodox churches, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches.
The last of the gifts is gold. Gold in biblical times meant wealth, but it also had royal connotations. Robert Hampshire observes that "the gold points to Jesus' royalty, the frankincense to his divinity, and the myrrh to his humanity." The gifts of the wise men tell who Jesus is "in a tangible way" (Hampshire, "What Is the Significance of the Three Wise Men and Their Gifts?").
During this Christmas season what are you offering the Lord? He truly isn’t interested in the things we are all caught up with. In the words of the boys Friday night at Los Patroness (they are closed till Jan 2) “all Mom really wants is for her boys to spend time with her”. How true. God doesn’t want stuff, He wants time with you. Uncover the beauty of spending time with the Lord. That time is never wasted.
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