The Gifts
Pt. 3- Myrrh
I. Introduction
?Time is running out! Christmas is upon us! If you haven’t completed your shopping list I am sure you are nervous and frantic. There is nothing quite as stressful as needing to find that last second gift when the gift has to be perfect. The narrative has played out. The first wise man kneels and opens the package of gold and presents it to the young divine king. The second wise man bows and offers Frankincense to this One sent to be the go between God and man . . . A gift for a high priest. Now the third and final wise man approaches this small child and I wonder if the thought passed through his mind . . . What do you get someone who has everything? What is the perfect gift for the perfect gift. Time is running out. It is time to present gift. No more shopping days are available. We read the moment of his presentation. There isn’t a ton of detail given.
TEXT: Matthew 2:9-11
(Message) Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
Not much detail. But we have talked about the imagination that accompanies Christmas. My imagination kicks in here. . . The third wise man has watched Joseph’s jaw drop when he sees the gleam of the gold shining in the light. His appreciation and excitement is undeniable. His attention is fixed. He recognized the knowing/understanding look of Mary when she saw the package of Frankincense that the second wise man presented to Jesus. She knew this little one was a priest. Now it his turn. He steps forward hesitation apparent. Reluctance not because of being an unwilling giver but because he knew. Slowly and careful unwraps the cloth that protected his gift against the long, bumpy and dusty path that he covered to arrive at this moment. The unwrapping brings his gift into the light. He hears the mother catch her breath. He hears the grunt of Joseph. He glances into the eyes of Mary and it is like she knows something he doesn’t. Did her eyes suddenly fill with tears? Was that a momentary look of pain he saw pass over Joseph’s face? This third wise man presents as his gift . . . Myrrh. Not odd to us after Frankincense. However, our own lack of knowledge of these items cushions us against feeling what they must have felt when this gift was handed to this family.
It would help us to know that Myrrh had been imported to Egypt for embalming rituals and the practice had filtered throughout the surrounding areas. Myrrh was connected with death and burial. Now revisit the scene. The gold could be celebrated. Frankincense. OK. But Myrrh? More than awkward ... a prophetically painful gift to give to the mother of a new born child.
In other words, while He was alive this wise man was not only pointing to but preparing Mary And Joseph and more importantly... Jesus for death. This gift of Myrrh prophetically points to Jesus' death.
If gold was a gift for a king and frankincense was fit for a priest, then this wise man’s gift was a prophetic gift presented to a savior.
This was a gift fit for the One for who it would be said later in Revelation 13:8 was slain before the foundation of the world. Jesus was presented Myrrh at or around his birth because He was in fact born to die.
The truth that we can miss at Christmas, if we are not careful, is that we get caught up in the great gift of His birth and forget about His most important gift which was His death.
He could be born to be king and priest but to be our savior required His death. Scripture informs us that forgiveness of sin requires blood. Our blood had it not been for a savior who was willing to embrace the gift of Myrrh.
A perfect lamb. A perfect sacrifice. A sinless for sinful exchange had to take place. Jesus was born to be our savior.
This wise man in some way, whether he fully comprehended it or not, approached Jesus as savior.
So, in a very real way the Christmas story reveals that Jesus was prepared for death while He was alive.
Question . . . have you prepared for death while you are alive?
Could it be that during our life that we fixate on living so much that we fail to stop long enough to prepare for dying? I am here to tell you that it is not enough to celebrate the birth of a savior!
If we simply celebrate His birth we make the mistake that so many will make this season . . . We celebrate Christmas without embracing Christ!
Should you recognize and approach Him as king? Yes. He is the ruling One. Should you approach Him as the high priest? Yes. He is the go between. However, until you recognize and embrace Him as savior He can not truly function as King and Priest on your behalf. The third gift is really the first step to seeing the other roles become a reality in your life.
There has been no other name given in heaven or on earth by which man can be saved. So, whether we approach Him or not doesn’t determine whether or not He is the savior of the world. However, it does determine whether or not He is our savior!
Interestingly enough not only was Jesus presented Myrrh at the beginning of His life, but also at the end of His life. The little child received Myrrh. The man on the cross dying for your sin and my sin was also offered Myrrh. The Roman soldiers offer a suffering savior a sponge dipped in wine and Myrrh and He refuses? Why did He accept the gift early and decline the same substance later? On the cross Jesus refuses because the Myrrh/wine combination was intended to numb the pain. It was used to keep the condemned from going into shock. Jesus refuses and purposely feels and endures every moment of torture, punishment, pain that belonged to us. He doesn’t numb the ugliness of your sin so that He could die up to His mission - to save us.
If not for a savior we would live in the constant shadow of fear of punishment and separation from God.
On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, "Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:16-17 (NLT)
No savior = no salvation. Savior = no stain of sin!
I challenge you . . . approach Him as Savior!
Maybe you are here and you are celebrating Christmas but you haven’t had a Myrrh moment. I challenge you to approach Him as the savior He is.
Maybe you are here and you have encountered Jesus as savior years ago and like me you tend to focus on the gold and frankincense of His birth. Perhaps this Christmas we need to stop and reflect on Myrrh. We have a king and a priest because we have a savior.
I know Christmas is about the excitement of a baby born but this evening let’s remember the end from the beginning.
Communion. Take empty cup back with you to seat and hold.
Only had to die once. Broken once. Experience Myrrh once.
