I was reading about some of the more odd Christmas presents ever given:
One was a relative who gave a 12 year old boy an empty shot glass. My question-
Was he going to fill it each subsequent year? There was a father giving a son a flashlight and tire gauge; one was a relative giving a boy a dim light bulb; another was a father-in-law who gave a government publication he received free at workâit was on the history of nuclear materials handling.
When the Magi came and brought gifts to the child Jesus, they didn’t bring three gifts, they brought a three-fold prophetic gift to the Son of God. These three categories of gifts given by more than three Magi – astrologers, would depict the life of this baby.
The first grouping was of “gold” – start with a high value. Remember, that gold is that which, when melted at a high degree, keeps its substance, while changing its form. It is a perfect application of the deity of Jesus Christ at His birth. He was the gold of the Holy of Holies – that Presence of God Himself. Philippians 2: 6, 7 says that Jesus, who existing in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men.
The second grouping was of “frankincense”, which was a substance used in perfume, anointing oil (Exodus 30: 34), and the showbread (Leviticus 24: 7) of the Holy Place (place of prayer and service). The tree is punctured with a chisel-like tool and a milky white sap leeches out of the hole forming “tears”. The white sap is not collected and is thought to cleanse the wood of impurities. Thereafter, a yellow, spotty resin is excreted. Jesus is the pure one who atones for our sin and cleanses us. Our service, though meaningful, is spotty and less than perfect in this life. This gift was a prophesy of the pure life and service of our Lord, who communed with The Father and was the Sweet Savor Offering.
The third grouping was of “myrrh”, used in burial anointing. It is a dried gum resin of the Commiphora trees. It has a purposeful wound, just like labor, though painful, has life coming forth. The Greek word for myrrh is “Myrrha” – muron = perfume. It is the Aramaic word “murr” meaning bitter and is used in embalming. It is the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ that was a fragrance to the Presence of heaven and demanded a purposeful wound that would heal our souls.
What three-fold gift do we give Jesus? We dedicate our tri-beings: spirit, soul, and body to Him. Our spirit is where He seeks to reside; Our soul (mind, emotions, and will) is where He wants His word to hide; and our bodies are the altar on which our wills have died. Let’s give Jesus what He died for: new life coming forth from the wound – that holy aroma glorifying God.