Why Did the Wise Men Bring Gifts?

We don’t have the names of the Magi nor the number of their delegation, but we are told what they brought. Mary and Joseph were unlikely to forget the extravagant substances that were laid at the child’s feet. The object of their entire rigorous quest was one of worship, and worship of a God probably not their own. This Child was for everyone, and the gifts would reflect both the givers and the recipient.

Gold

This gift needed little explanation. Throughout the world, gold was coveted as the most precious of metals, the standard by which all other wealth was measured. That’s why gold is a royal gift symbolizing kingship. Only as partakers of divine revelation would these visitors from a pagan world be able to fall at the feet of an ordinary peasant child in a small village and acknowledge Him as King. Their background and their long travel proved their commitment. A gift of gold demonstrated hearts of sacrifice.

Frankincense

This was a holy oil, well familiar to anyone who lived near Jerusalem as it was frequently used in the temple. As the cloud of the fragrance spread, it suggested the pure and beautiful presence of God among the fellowship of believers. Only priests could make an incense offering and only to God. But in Jesus, of course, all men and women would become priests. All people could step boldly into the Lord’s presence, and no temple would be necessary. If gold was a gift of kingship, frankincense said godliness.

Myrrh

This gift also has a familiar association, but not a positive one. Myrrh was an anointing oil used for embalming the dead and it would be the final smell associated with a lost loved one. It was the scent of bereavement. The Magi brought it because it, too, was a precious oil for anointing, and a gift valued in any land. But its aroma was slightly bitter, and for the common Judean, it was the very smell of death. The day would come when Jesus would be offered this gift again, but on this later occasion He would refuse it. “They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha... They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it. Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross” (Mark 15:22-24, NLT).

Discover the answer to more questions like these in Dr. Jeremiah’s book, Why the Nativity?