Many traditional Nativity scenes and paintings show all the characters in the story arriving at the stable to worship and adore Jesus at the same time. The Biblical story does not support this view, for it’s clear from Matt 2:1-11 that the wise men or magi arrived some time after the birth of Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem.
This morning at the Cherry Tree Court carol service, Stephen spoke about these wise men and the gifts they brought. Gold is still a popular gift today, for it still represents wealth and expense; in Biblical times, it was associated with greatness, for often kings were the only ones who could afford this gift. Its presence shows us that this baby was not just a baby, but was God Himself, King of all Kings, worthy of the most precious metal found on earth. Thomas reached the conclusion after the resurrection that Jesus was ‘my Lord and my God’, but these wise men recognised Jesus’ deity and worth even at His birth.
Frankincense is the aromatic resin obtained from certain trees and was burnt in the temple by the priest as an offering to God. In Rev 5:8, we see golden bowls of incense representing the prayers of God’s people. Frankincense, therefore, pointed to Jesus’s role as our high priest, offering prayers for His people and ultimately offering Himself as a sacrifice for sin (see Hebrews 7-10).
Myrrh is another form of resin used as incense and as a perfume, particularly associated with death and suffering (it was used in embalming since its strong aroma masked the stench of death.) Suffering is an inevitable part of life in a sin-stained world, but this gift foreshadowed the suffering of Jesus when He died for our sins.
The gifts brought at Jesus’s birth carried both symbolic value and spiritual significance, pointing to Jesus as King, Lord, Priest and Sacrifice for sin. They foreshadow our custom of giving gifts at Christmas-time, but Christmas is more about the greatest gift that God has given the world than about any gifts we may give (see 2 Cor 9:15). The question we must answer is ‘have you accepted this gift?’ God’s gift is Himself, given in the form of Jesus, who was God incarnate. We are wise when we accept this gift.