Gifts for the King

Matthew 2:1-2, 9-12 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem (2) and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." (9) After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. (10) When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. (11) On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. (12) And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

This week as we remember the Christmas story, I wanted to focus on the wise men, who visited the young child and offered gifts to the "king of the Jews." While it is true the wise men did not appear until Jesus was approximately 2 years old, there is nevertheless great meaning and symbolism in the gifts they offered.

Gold

The first gift they offered was gold. In modern American, there is little need to explain the value of gold. However, what you may not rememeber is that Gold has a sacred use in the Old Testament. God had commanded that the temple was to be lined in Gold.

1 Kings 6:19-22 "He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. (20) The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. (21) Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. (22) So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary."

Frankincense

The second gift, frankincense, was one of the fragrant spices used to make the sacred incense of the Old Testament Temple. It was forbidden for the Israelites to duplicate this incense for their own use, for it was sacred and belonged to the Lord. Furthermore, this incense was to be placed at the front of the tent of the Meeting, which was the place that God met with man. What a beautiful picture of the Mediator who would be the Door to the Father.

Exodus 30:34-37 "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices--gum resin, onycha and galbanum--and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, (35) and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. (36) Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. (37) Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD."

Frankincense was also used to make the sacred anointing oil that was used to anoint both the priests and the tools used in the altar. To be annointed with this oil was an indication that the anoited object was set apart for God's service. This too is a picture of Jesus' special anointing as the Messiah.

(Exodus 30:23-25 ""Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, (24) 500 shekels of cassia--all according to the sanctuary shekel--and a hin of olive oil. (25) Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil."

Myrrh

The final gift was myrrh, which was also used to make perfume, but was always used as part of the burial preparation spices of the Jews. Jesus himself, would later be wrapped in myrrh as part of His burial. John 19:39-40 "He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. (40) Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs."

These three gifts symbolically tell the message of this little child. The gold speaks of His Deity and His Royal Nature. The Frankincense speaks of His dual role as both High Priest and Messiah. It also speaks of the Tent of Meeting, the place where God met with man. Myrrh speaks of the reason for His birth; He was born to die.

The wise men were perhaps unknowingly, the first persons to recognize the true signifigance of Jesus birth. They left a timeless testimony in their gifts for the little child. What gift will you have for the King this Christmas?