Returning to the Magi’s Story
In December 2021 I wrote a Christmas post called Who were the Magi? Today, I’ll talk about the special gifts the Magi brought. Each gift is symbolic of Christ’s unique identity.
A Myth Busted
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 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 2:10-11 RSV)
Sorry everyone, but the Magi didn’t arrive with the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. It does make for a a sparkling Christmas nativity play, but it’s not true. Why? Because Mary and her son Jesus are now living in a house and the Magi worship a small child, not a baby. Jesus is now a toddler. It took them a long time to get there.
The Magi came offering three gifts; gold, frankincense and myrrh. The gold immediately came in handy. Within a very short time, Joseph and his family would be fleeing to Egypt to avoid the murderous anger of King Herod. The gold helped pay living expenses while staying in a foreign land. At that time, Egypt had a number of healthy Jewish communities. The largest was in Alexandria.
But what’s the symbolism of these three gifts?
Gold Frankincense and Myrrh
Gold -This precious metal never tarnishes or corrodes. Royalty throughout history have enjoyed gold.
Gold symbolizes Jesus’ kingship.
Frankincense – This is very expensive fragrance which comes from trees growing in Arabia and India. God gave Moses a recipe for the holy incense, which the priests burned morning and evening in the temple. Frankincense was one of the ingredients.
The gift of frankincense symbolizes Christ’s deity.
Myrrh – Myrrh is a costly spice used to embalm dead bodies. Nicodemus brought this spice to the tomb after Jesus died on the cross. Interestingly God’s holy anointing oil, used to anoint new kings and high priests, also contains myrrh. It came from rare thorn bushes which grow in Ethiopia and Arabia.
Myrrh symbolizes Jesus’ death.
My Spiritual Point
Interestingly, the Magi may have originally heard prophesies about the Jewish Messiah centuries earlier when Daniel lived in Babylon. Regardless of whether I’m right or not, Jesus’ Heavenly Father invited the Magi to come worship His son and used a star to guide them.
My image came from Pixabay.com
Resources:
My insight about the Magi’s gifts didn’t originate with me. I found an article titled What did the Gifts of the Magi Signify and Represent? on Christianity.com
Editor’s second note: Magi is plural, I checked. The singular form is Magus.
