To Consider: The Gift of Myrrh
We are considering the three gifts brought by the wise men to the baby Jesus. Today we get to the gift of myrrh. Gold points to Christ as King, Frankincense to Christ as our Great High Priest, and the myrrh points to his death. Myrrh is another fragrant spice, like frankincense, but it was more commonly used in burial rites. It is more a gummy-type substance that would have been used on the inside of cloth used to wrap a body. We see myrrh used in the burial spices for Jesus in the book of John. This name of Nicodemus who helped Joseph of Arimathea prepare the body, should sound familiar:
After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
You may recall that Jesus died on a Friday afternoon, and by the time his body had been retrieved, it would have been nearly dark. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday. They must have wrapped his body hastily with these spices, as the gospels recount that the women were bringing spices to anoint his body on Sunday morning after the Sabbath, because they believe he has not yet been anointed, given the timing of his death. This makes the words of Jesus to Mary of Bethany even more profound, as he knows the timing of his own death. When she poured the jar of expensive nard over his head (Mark 14), the disciples were outraged, but Jesus said to her:
“She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” (Mark 14:8-9)
This is who Jesus is – the Savior, the one who would die. The wise men are pointing directly to his death in this gift of myrrh, and that is instructive for us at Christmastime. Jesus did not come just to hang out with us, to make things better, or to advocate for world peace – this is part of God’s plan all along, that he would be sent as an atonement for the sins of the world. Isaiah 53:10 in speaking of the Suffering Servant, says –
“It was the will of the Lord to crush him.”
It is crucial for us then to understand the incarnation has very serious purposes – Jesus had to take on flesh to truly die, to experience the punishment for our sin, to feel that wrath of God on himself. The Wise Men help us in seeing this purpose right from the very beginning of his life.
Song to Sing: What Child is This?
Prayer: Father, we thank you for planning our salvation the way that you did. Though we know Jesus came as a sacrifice for sin, your angels announced this great hope and joy! Let our hearts rejoice in knowing our Savior, and we thank you, God, for looking at us with love instead of what we deserve. Your mercy reigns and we celebrate it this Christmas! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Echoes of Eden: Thoughtful, peaceful instrumental music. Some of you might like Enya, maybe you’re a jazz fan – but try listening to Brian Eno’s “An Ending” with no other distractions – just close your eyes, and think of God’s beautiful world.