We read in Matthew 2:11 how, “They [the magi] entered the house and saw the 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.” This was tradition – that when paying homage to someone you would bring them the finest things of the land you lived in and this is exactly what we see the magi doing. They brought the finest things of Persia (in the east) to pay Jesus homage.
These gifts were three things:
- They were presents. Shortly after the magi returned to the east God instructed Joseph to flee to Egypt because Herod was seeking to kill the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:13). These presents served the immediate purpose of providing for Jesus and his family as they lived as refugees in Egypt. But these gifts weren’t just presents, secondly…
- They were proclamations concerning who Jesus was and what he had come to do. Let me explain. First they gave Jesus some gold – a gift fit for a king. This gift proclaimed that the baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, was none other than the King of kings and the Lord of all lords (Revelation 19:16). Second, they gave Jesus some frankincense – a gift fit for a priest. You see, in the Old Testament the priests would offer up frankincense to God (Deuteronomy 30:34-38) as a pleasing aroma. So whereas the gold proclaimed Jesus as King of kings, the frankincense proclaimed Jesus as God’s High Priest (Hebrews 6:20) who would offer up his life as a pleasing aroma (2 Corinthians 2:15) to God. Third they gave Jesus some myrrh – a gift fit for one who was to die. You see, myrrh was used in the embalming process when someone died. And this was a fitting gift to give to Jesus, since he was born to die (John 12:27-28). So the myrrh proclaimed Jesus’ forthcoming substitutionary death on the cross. So we see that secondly, the gifts were proclamations. Now thirdly we see that…
- They were promptings. a) The gift of gold prompts the response of submission. As King, Jesus deserves our willing, submissive, obedience. Submission and obedience is the only proper response to the King. Jesus demonstrated submission and obedience to God the Father, setting an example for us to follow. Philippians 2:8 tells us that Jesus submitted himself to God the Father, “…becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” Now we’re expected to submit to and obey the Son the same way the Son submitted to and obeyed the Father. This is why 1 Peter 1:14 says, “So you must live as God’s obedient children…” When we remember Christ’s submissive obedience, it ought to inspire our own. b) The gift of frankincense prompts the response of surrender. It took total surrender for our High Priest to offer his life up to God the Father as a pleasing aroma. Jesus prayed in Matthew 26:39, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” This should be our prayer in every situation – that God’s will be done, not our own. “…Surrender…” (2 Co 10:6, LB) is always the goal. c) The gift of myrrh prompts the response of sacrifice. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice when he died in our place, for our sins. Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” And this is precisely what Jesus did for us. He now expects us to do the same for him. This was Paul’s sentiment in Romans 12:1 when he wrote, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”