Gold, frankincense and myrrh

I have been doing a slow study through the book of Matthew since about a month ago. I got interested in this book again after rereading the Sermon on the Mount on an airplane ride home. For some reason it hit me and impacted me severely during those couple of hours in ways it never has before. So I decided I wanted to study it in further depth, but figured I would most benefit from studying the entire book. Little did I know what a treasure I was in for. I am only in chapter two, and have been spending several days on small passages. A dear friend gave me a commentary on the book of Matthew by James Mongtgomery Boice (it has been sitting on my shelf for almost a year!) and it has been pivotal in my study.

Last week as I was going through chapter 2, verses 1-12, Boice spent a good deal of time discussing the three gifts that the wise men brought. Now this may be old news to some people, but for me, a careful study of the intricate meaning behind these gifts took my breath away! Firstly, gold has always been a significant and expected gift for a king. It was a sign of their rule, and many great leaders were buried with their golden treasures. Right away, this connection points to Christ's Kingship even as a tiny baby. Secondly, the incense was especially meaningful, as it was used in the temple worship service to make the offering fragrant. This too attaches particular meaning to the Babe, as it points to Christ as our Great High Priest. Christ is Who makes our worship acceptable, a "sweet smelling aroma" floating up to the Father in Heaven. There is nothing in our worship that makes it pleasing other than its direct flow from the righteous work of Christ on our behalf. Finally, the myrrh. Typically a new baby would never have received this gift. It would have been considered offensive and rude, as myrrh was used as an embalming agent for burials. But in relationship to Christ, it was a most significant gift, as it points to His death on the cross for sinners.

William Barclay notes, "Gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for one that was to die - these were the gifts of the wise men and even at the cradle of Christ, they foretold that He was to be the true King, the perfect High Priest, and in the end, the Supreme Saviour of them."

Boice then sums up this passage by admonishing the reader to offer Him our gifts: "myrrh, a symbol of the spiritual death of your sin, dying to self and living for Christ; incense, a symbol of your worship, which is to offer your life to Christ as a your sacrifice; and gold, a symbol of you acknowledgement of the right of Christ to rule in your life"!