In Matthew 2:11, the Magi brings Jesus three famous gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Did you know these gifts have special significance in the Old Testament and reflect the One they came to worship?
Gold represents royalty in Psalm 72:15, and the gift of gold affirmed Jesus as the King of Kings. Frankincense is related to the worship of God in Exodus 30:34, and the gift of frankincense acknowledges that Jesus is God. In Exodus 30:22-25, myrrh was used to anoint people for special purposes. The first time Jesus received myrrh was as a gift at His birth. The last times Jesus would be given myrrh were on the cross and during His burial. This gift points to the special purpose of Jesus’ life: He would die on the cross to save us from our sins and then be raised to life, victorious over death.
The verse in Matthew 2 mentions that when the Magi saw Jesus, “they fell down and worshipped Him.” We worship Jesus as our King because He has “all authority on heaven and earth” (Matthew 28:18-20). We worship Jesus as our God because “through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). And we worship Jesus as our Savior because “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Ask God to use this Advent season to bring you closer to Jesus through worship, just like the star brought the Magi to worship Him.
Prayer: Father, thank You for leading me to You. Just like You brought the Magi close to Jesus, please bring me closer to Jesus than I have been before. Jesus, I worship You as my King, my God, and my Savior! Holy Spirit, help me guide other people who are far from you to draw near and worship Jesus.
Matthew 2:10-11
When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Psalm 72:15
Long live the king!
May the gold of Sheba be given to him.
May the people always pray for him
and bless him all day long.
Exodus 30:34
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shells, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts.
Exodus 30:22-25
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Collect choice spices—121/2 pounds of pure myrrh, 61/4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 61/4 pounds of fragrant calamus,and 121/2 pounds of cassia — as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil. Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil.