I wish to begin this morning with a prophecy of the Messiah found in Isaiah 60:1-3, and verse 6: “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising . . . The multitude of camels shall cover your land, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.”
Isaiah described here a darkness that covered the earth; the darkness of sin, leading to death (Romans 6:23); but he also prophesied of the hope of freedom from sin, through a Messiah or deliverer. Isaiah foresaw the day that the nations would come to worship the one true God; when herds of camels would cover the land; whenever people from Sheba would come bringing gold and incense; for Israel was not permitted to keep the Messiah to herself. Isaiah foresaw the day when eastern wise men, Persian astrologers or Magi, would come to Israel seeking the Christ who was born in Bethlehem. He saw the day when those who once worshipped the stars would be led by a star to bow down and worship the Light of the World.
I want to take some time this morning and focus on the Magi, or wise men, and the gifts they presented to the newborn Savior. In viewing the gifts, and considering their symbolism, we can learn more about the great plan of our Lord to save His people from their sins. We will begin by reading Matthew 2:9-12.
The Wise Men Arrived (Matthew 2:9-12)
9 When they [the wise men] heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Before we go any further I need to share the context, or the location where this beautiful scene unfolded. If you have a typical nativity set or manger scene, then you will probably notice the wise men present at the stable where the baby Jesus was born. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Joseph journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for a census around the time that Mary was expected to give birth. Bethlehem was so crowded that there was no room at the inn; therefore, Christ was born in a stable and laid in a manger, or feeding trough (Luke 2:1-7). Luke does not record the Magi being present at the stable and manger; we only read about how the shepherds were there (Luke 2:15-16).
When we look at the visit of the Magi, found in Matthew chapter 2, we read how when King Herod plotted to have Jesus killed, that “he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under” (v. 16). Jesus is thought to have been somewhere around the age of two, at the time that the Magi arrived. We also read in verse 11, that the Magi “had come into the house,” not a stable. Apparently Jesus’ parents had stayed there with Him until He grew a little older before they were ready to head home to Nazareth. We learn, however, that they had an unexpected detour to Egypt (vv. 13-15) before eventually returning home (vv. 19-23). I have shared all these details to help us see how the Magi likely came to Jesus at a house in Bethlehem when He was around “two years old.” This was the context.
We have here the story of a King with humble beginnings. He was born in Bethlehem, a place the Scripture describes as a “lowly village” (Matthew 2:6). He was born in a stable, which some were actually caves that were hewn out of solid rock; therefore, Jesus was possibly born in a dark and dusty cave; and the place was likely full of livestock, along with many unpleasant animal smells. Jesus, the very Son of God, was born into a very messy scene; and some of us complain when life throws us a curve ball. Jesus is the King of Kings (Revelation 19:16), and kings supposedly have great wealth, yet when the Magi arrived on the scene they found their King living with His parents in a house; possibly a rented house. We read here, however, that “they fell down and worshipped Him” (v. 11).
I am sure that Mary was as surprised by the Magi’s response as she was with the shepherds who had informed her nearly two years prior that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah (Luke 2:8-11, 16-17). The Scripture tells us that Mary responded to the shepherds by keeping what they said, and pondering the words in her heart (Luke 2:19). I am sure that Mary was even more surprised by the gifts the Magi presented to her son; gifts that were very expensive and would have went a long way in helping raise a new child. If you feel as though you are in a meager place in life, then be encouraged that the Lord can do big things in small places, and that He loves to bring us surprises through the small things in life.
They Presented Him with Treasures
Let’s get started with understanding the gifts. When we hear the song “The First Noel,” the wise men presented Jesus with gold, myrrh and frankincense. These were not singular, or individual, items. It wasn’t one small handful of gold coins, one stick of incense, or one bottle of myrrh. We read here that they “opened their treasures” (v. 11) plural. The New Living Translation says, “Then they opened their treasure chests.” They gave Him “chests” of treasure! This was a great hoard, or at least us much as they could haul in on camels; and who knows how many camels they brought with them! You see, this was a treasure fit for a king!
Before we look in detail at “The Gifts of the Magi,” I thought you would be interested in knowing that there is a Christmas song that says it all. Listen as I share some lyrics from the song, “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” Concerning the gold, line two says, “Born a babe on Bethlehem’s plain; gold we bring to crown Him again; King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.” Concerning the frankincense, line three says, “Frankincense to offer have I; incense owns a Deity nigh; prayer and praising, all men raising, worship Him, God on high.” And last of all, concerning the myrrh, line four says, “Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume, breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone cold tomb.” Now, keep in mind as we go along that gold honors Jesus as King; frankincense worships Jesus as God; and myrrh mourns Jesus’ death on the cross.
There Is Symbolism in Their Gifts
The first item I wish to address is the 1.) Gold, for it represents Jesus’ kingship and His kingdom. Jesus was prophesied as the coming King in Isaiah 9:6-7, for we read this: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.” Jesus was described by the prophet Isaiah as a “Prince” having a “kingdom.”
This kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, revealing that Jesus is Lord of heaven (the kingdom of heaven); therefore, possessing divinity and having all power. He has the power to grant life and take it away (Matthew 25:31-34, 41), and the power to lay down His own life (1 John 3:16) so that we might live by believing in Him (John 3:16). Jesus, who was God made flesh (John 1:1, 14), was holy, thereby becoming the perfect and innocent Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29) by dying on the cross to pay the price for sin. Jesus was King of Kings (Revelation 19:16) having all power and authority, and yet He humbled Himself on our behalf (John 13:3-5), and He died in order that we might live! Remember, “The Gold represents Jesus’ Kingship.”
Now let’s look at the 2.) Frankincense. This was a type of incense. “Frankincense was an odorous resin imported from Arabia, yet also grown in Palestine. It was one of the ingredients in the perfume of the sanctuary, and was used as an accompaniment to the meat-offering. When burnt it emitted a fragrant odor, and hence the incense became a symbol of the divine name and an emblem of prayer” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary). The Magi’s incense told of Jesus’ divinity, for burning incense was regarded as an act of worship to Almighty God. Therefore, this little child, sitting in the lap of His mother, was worshipped as Lord of Lord’s (Revelations 19:16).
The incense also tells of His sacrifice, since incense was used in the temple sacrifices. Ephesians 5:2 says, “Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Isaiah 53:5-7 contains a prophecy of Jesus, and we read this: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed . . . He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth” (vv. 5, 7). Jesus became the sacrificial lamb to be slain and sacrificed on our behalf, and for our sin. This occurred as He died on the cross. Jesus’ willingness to lay down His own life arose unto God as sweet smelling incense. Remember, “The Frankincense represents Jesus’ sacrifice of His own life.”
Now let’s look at the 3.) Myrrh. “This was the gum or viscid white liquid which flows from a tree resembling the acacia, found in Africa and Arabia.” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary). Myrrh was sometimes offered to prisoners being executed on the cross, and in Mark 15:23 it was offered to Jesus, though He did not partake of it. Therefore, myrrh can symbolize the crucifixion that Jesus would endure on our behalf.
Myrrh was also used for embalming (Smith’s Bible Dictionary). In Mark 15:43 we read that Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus’ body, and in verse 46 we read, “Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.” In the next chapter, Mark 16:1 states, “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.” Among these spices was myrrh. The myrrh tells of Jesus’ suffering, His death, and His burial.
It’s important for us to realize that Jesus didn’t just die and remain buried, along with all the great prophets before Him. Jesus was more than some ordinary prophet. He was, and is, and always will be prophet, priest, and King! If He had just remained in the ground, that would not have proven anything except defeat. The Scripture delivers the good news that Jesus rose from the grave (Mark 16:6)! The Bible tells us “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23); but Jesus was victorious over death and sin when He arose! And we will be too, if we will just believe in Him and confess Him as Lord (Romans 10:9-10). Remember, “The myrrh represents Jesus’ death and burial.” But, we are also reminded of how Jesus overcame death and the grave through His resurrection!
They Had an Encounter with Jesus
Now that we have viewed the gifts of the Magi, I want to point out what an encounter with the Savior will do on a personal level. First of all, we learned earlier that the Magi stood in the presence of Jesus, and we read how they “fell down and worshipped Him” (v. 11). Whenever we come to realize our sinfulness and His sinlessness, then we too will fall before Him in worship.
As in the presentation of the Gold, we will come to realize Jesus as a holy and righteous King, and we will cry out as Isaiah, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).
As in the presentation of the Frankincense, we will recognize Jesus’ great sacrifice which was made when He laid down His life on the cross; and we then must reciprocate by offering our lives as a sacrifice unto Christ. Romans 12:1 tells us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
As in the presentation of the Myrrh, we will come to realize that just as Jesus was prepared for burial and placed in the tomb, that our sins were buried with Him. We must crucify our flesh, by making sure that our sinful desires remain buried. Romans 6:2-4 declares, “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Matthew 2:12 tells us what an encounter with the Savior will do for us. We read that “they departed for their own country another way.” They left a different way than how they came; and we too should leave a different way; forever changed by our experience!
Time of Reflection
A great treasure has been presented to us. The King of heaven, God’s one and only Son gave His life for us (John 3:16) – The Gold; this King became the sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin (Romans 6:23) as He died on the cross – The Frankincense; and He was buried in a tomb taking all our sins with Him, and He overcame the tomb when He rose from the grave, granting us victory over sin (1 Corinthians 15:54-56) – The Myrrh.
This great treasure leads to salvation from our sins, and to eternal life in God’s kingdom. Matthew 13:44 says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Salvation and eternal life in God’s kingdom is a valuable treasure, but you don’t have to buy it. It’s a free gift. Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A gift is not earned, for it is freely given and freely received. You just have to reach out and take it.
As the Magi presented a great treasure to Jesus, we have discovered a great treasure in God’s Word that is promised to all who believe in Him as Lord and Savior. It is a free gift; and therefore, I want to encourage you to reach out and receive the most awesome Christmas present you could ever be given – the treasure of salvation and eternal life in God’s kingdom. You can depart from this place today in another direction, forever changed. Romans 10:9 tells us how to receive this treasure: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
