The Perfect Gifts for Baby Jesus
I recently received an invitation to a baby shower. Included was a gift registry, highlighting gifts needed to care, feed, and clothe, a newborn. With that in mind, I’m reading this morning about the magi arriving to meet baby Jesus. What a contrast in my baby gift compared to the magi’s! Amazingly, the perfect gifts for baby Jesus included gold, frankincense, and myrrh, exposing Jesus’ identity to a watching world.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 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
Jesus, the King of the Jews
Granted, from the beginning, the wise men knew there was something extraordinary about the baby Jesus, for they called him, King of the Jews.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2
The Message Behind the Gift
I am a practical gift-giver. Instead of going for “cuteness”, I gravitate to what is necessary. Likewise, the magi’s gifts are soaked in meaning and project Jesus’ future. Their gifts are called treasures. These foreign dignitaries present Jesus with gold for his royalty, frankincense for his divinity, and myrrh for Jesus’ humanity.
Read more about the meaning of the gifts here: https://www.gotquestions.org/gold-frankincense-myrrh.html
The Perfect Gifts for Baby Jesus
My senses come alive as I think about the three gifts presented by the magi. The first is gold. Gold is shiny, heavy, and weighty in value.
Jesus Christ is king.
Frankincense smells like lime peel or crushed pine needles and is used in temple worship.
Jesus Christ is high priest.
Myrrh reduces pain, kills bacteria, and smells gloomy. It is used to anoint or embalm dead bodies. Myrrh symbolizes Jesus’ prophetic death and suffering.
Jesus Christ is human.
Jesus’ Identity Revealed in the Gifts
The magi not only saw a newborn baby lying in a manger, but also a king, high priest, and human being. Therefore, the prophetic gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, give us an exciting preview of coming events in the life of Jesus.
Dear Jesus, thank you symbolism in these three gifts. Amen.
Questions to Consider:
- Which gift has most significance for you? Why?
- The magi worshiped Jesus when they presented their gifts. What gifts do you bring to Jesus as an act of worship?
