What Gifts Did the Wise Men Bring? What do the Wise Men's Gifts Represent?
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 ESV)
What gifts did the wise men bring, and what did the three wise men’s gifts represent?
We’ve undoubtedly heard the Biblical account of the wise men who saw a star in the east and came to worship the baby Jesus at Christmas time. Since childhood, many of us have sung the familiar chorus of “We Three Kings” whether in church, at home, or in Christmas plays and pageants. But did those wise men gifts have any meaning? Let’s look closer and see how they represented the Gospel and pointed to the important work Jesus came to do!
Wise Men Gifts from the East
History tells us that these men were likely from Persia, or modern-day Iran, and that there may have actually been more than three. But tradition recounts this number due to the three wise men gifts given to the baby in the manger. The Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 60, prophesied that kings and nations would bring gold and frankincense and praise the name of the Lord.
Strange Gifts for a Baby?
Yet, do we consider what strange gifts these would be to bring to a newborn baby, especially one born in a stable in the small and relatively insignificant town of Bethlehem? For any other baby, these would be unusual presents. But, for Jesus Christ, they perfectly tell the Gospel truth about who this magnificent baby really was! This Biblical and historical account of the wise men and their gifts tell—and even confirm—God's wonderful plan of salvation through this Gospel!
What Did the Three Wise Men's Gifts Represent?
1.) Gold: As a symbol of royalty, gold was expensive and often used to denote honor and kingship. The Old Testament details that the Ark of the Covenant where God would dwell was to be overlaid with gold, not to mention the many tabernacle and temple items used to honor our God and King. As the King of creation and the King of kings, Jesus rightly deserved this extravagant gift. This gift of gold confirmed Him as the promised eternal King from David's line who would also be the promised Messiah and Savior!
2.) Frankincense: symbolized priesthood and worship through fragrant and burnt offerings to the LORD. As noted earlier, Jesus was both the sacrifice and the priest who offered Himself before God on our behalf. His perfect offering cleanses us and makes us acceptable to God, just like the lamb and other animal sacrifices symbolically did in the temple worship of the Old Testament times which foreshadowed Jesus.
3.) Myrrh: Although embalming oil representing death is not a common baby gift—probably not even at the time of Jesus—this gift, too, tells the story of the Gospel at Christmas. As we've already seen, Jesus came to earth as a human, with the purpose of the cross foremost in His plans. Death was necessary for us to have life through His eventual resurrection three days later. Knowing what we know now, the myrrh makes sense. Jesus was offered a gall mixture with myrrh on the cross, and later it could've been used to embalm His body as the ladies rushed to the cross early Easter morning. But we know Jesus didn't stay dead—instead, He defeated death once and for all!
Wise Men Gifts and Prophecy
Jesus was also prophesied to be born in the lineage of King David and be our eternal King who would reign forever. His genealogy proves He is a direct descendant of David fulfilling this prophecy. Jesus Christ is truly the King of kings and Lord of lords. The wise men gifts symbolized Jesus’s Kingship, which fulfilled the Davidic Covenant promise that a ruler from David’s line would always sit on the throne and reign forever. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise!
Wise Men Gifts and Salvation
Before His earthly birth as a man, Jesus always existed as God. But, in the Incarnation, He was born as a human to a virgin through conception by the Holy Spirit. This made Him now fully God and fully man in one Person (often referred to as the hypostatic union of Christ). He had to be born as a human, under the law just as we are, so He could perfectly fulfill that law on our behalf and become the only acceptable sacrifice for us—a sinful humanity who has failed to uphold God's commands.
As a holy and perfect offering, Jesus is the Lamb of God and the sacrifice who takes away the sins of the world. But He is even more than that! He is now also our interceding Priest who not only offered Himself as that sacrifice but pleads our case before God the Father.
God’s plan from before time began included the death and resurrection of Jesus to defeat sin and death once and for all. His birth, death, and resurrection were all prophesied throughout Scripture. This Gospel plan that was symbolized by the wise men’s gifts is what we place our faith and hope in for eternity!
Christmas and the Wise Men's Gifts
So, this Christmas, we can celebrate the greatest Gift we've ever been given, while remembering that the wise men gifts HE received tell the Gospel story of His position, purpose, and plan! We can celebrate this glorious Gospel of our salvation as we commemorate His human birth on earth that first Christmas night! All praise, glory, and honor to our King, Priest, and Savior!
Recommended Reading for Wise Men Gifts and the Gospel
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