THE 3 GIFTS
Matthew 2:9-11
9) And the star they had seen in the East guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
10) When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
11) They entered the house and saw a child with his Mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Notice that this states that they arrived at a house, not a manger. For the wise men we have always associated with the manger scene didn’t actually come to see the newborn child until he was almost 2 years old.
Now, I know that bringing such gifts to a child seems rather bazaar, one would think that warm blankets or clothing would be better suited. But as we know this wasn’t just any child, this was The Savior, The Messiah, the child was Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. These traditional gifts that were usually given to royalty were chosen to acknowledge Jesus’s destiny as King of Kings who was both desired and destined to suffer for humanity.
In biblical time gold was a precious metal and incredibly valuable due to its rarity, beauty and resistance to tarnish. Frankincense and myrrh were rare and costly, often more valuable than gold due to their exotic origins and ceremonial/medicinal uses, making the Magi’s gifts exceptionally significant and likely funding Jesus’s family flight to Egypt. At the time it is estimated that frankincense would have cost around $500 a pound and myrrh would have cost around $4000 per pound. In today’s world that frankincense would cost around $20 a pound and the myrrh would be $40 a pound, however, most likely would be sold as essential oils and sold by the ounce and a bit cheaper. And the gold, well that is still a precious metal and carries a high price tag, as of this writing $4313 per ounce.
The gift of gold acknowledges Jesus as the King of Kings for it is a symbol of royalty and kingship.
Frankincense and myrrh are both gum resins that are expelled from trees in South Arabia and Ethiopia. Frankincense is a key ingredient in temple incenses used in religious ceremonies and was highly valued, symbolizing divinity and high priesthood. Myrrh, on the other hand, could be used as a component of anointing oil. It symbolizes sacrifice and suffering but also holiness and royalty. The myrrh presented by the Magi signified his eventual death. Jesus was offered myrrh when he was on the cross because it had medicinal properties. It was mixed with wine to help him bear his pain. Remember, the Magi, the wise men, were sent by King Herod to seek the newborn Messiah.
Matthew 2:13
After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Though they brought the richest of gifts the Magi themselves were not kings but more than likely learned men, possibly astrologers, or royal counselors whose visit was fulfilling prophecies such as those by the prophet Jeremiah, about a Messiah who would be honored by Gentiles from afar.
The story we have all heard of Jesus’s birth; a star in the East, being born in a manger surrounded by shepherds and their sheep, of a little drummer boy and three kings bringing gifts is just that a story. One that was so much easier to read to a child than what was actually written in the Bible. But in the end it is still about the miraculous birth of our Savior, born to us on this blessed day.
Luke 2:13-14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
9) And the star they had seen in the East guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
10) When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
11) They entered the house and saw a child with his Mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Notice that this states that they arrived at a house, not a manger. For the wise men we have always associated with the manger scene didn’t actually come to see the newborn child until he was almost 2 years old.
Now, I know that bringing such gifts to a child seems rather bazaar, one would think that warm blankets or clothing would be better suited. But as we know this wasn’t just any child, this was The Savior, The Messiah, the child was Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. These traditional gifts that were usually given to royalty were chosen to acknowledge Jesus’s destiny as King of Kings who was both desired and destined to suffer for humanity.
In biblical time gold was a precious metal and incredibly valuable due to its rarity, beauty and resistance to tarnish. Frankincense and myrrh were rare and costly, often more valuable than gold due to their exotic origins and ceremonial/medicinal uses, making the Magi’s gifts exceptionally significant and likely funding Jesus’s family flight to Egypt. At the time it is estimated that frankincense would have cost around $500 a pound and myrrh would have cost around $4000 per pound. In today’s world that frankincense would cost around $20 a pound and the myrrh would be $40 a pound, however, most likely would be sold as essential oils and sold by the ounce and a bit cheaper. And the gold, well that is still a precious metal and carries a high price tag, as of this writing $4313 per ounce.
The gift of gold acknowledges Jesus as the King of Kings for it is a symbol of royalty and kingship.
Frankincense and myrrh are both gum resins that are expelled from trees in South Arabia and Ethiopia. Frankincense is a key ingredient in temple incenses used in religious ceremonies and was highly valued, symbolizing divinity and high priesthood. Myrrh, on the other hand, could be used as a component of anointing oil. It symbolizes sacrifice and suffering but also holiness and royalty. The myrrh presented by the Magi signified his eventual death. Jesus was offered myrrh when he was on the cross because it had medicinal properties. It was mixed with wine to help him bear his pain. Remember, the Magi, the wise men, were sent by King Herod to seek the newborn Messiah.
Matthew 2:13
After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Though they brought the richest of gifts the Magi themselves were not kings but more than likely learned men, possibly astrologers, or royal counselors whose visit was fulfilling prophecies such as those by the prophet Jeremiah, about a Messiah who would be honored by Gentiles from afar.
The story we have all heard of Jesus’s birth; a star in the East, being born in a manger surrounded by shepherds and their sheep, of a little drummer boy and three kings bringing gifts is just that a story. One that was so much easier to read to a child than what was actually written in the Bible. But in the end it is still about the miraculous birth of our Savior, born to us on this blessed day.
Luke 2:13-14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
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