The Gifts of the Magi (Frankincense)
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 12/17/2017
If you’re just joining us, we’re using the three Sundays leading up to Christmas to talk about Christmas presents. No, we’re not taking turns reading our Christmas wish-lists. Rather, we’re taking a thoughtful look at the first Christmas presents ever given—the gifts of the Magi: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As I mentioned last week, the best gifts take into consideration the uniqueness and individuality of the recipient. These kinds of gift often tell us something about the one receiving the gift. And similarly, some gifts are intended to send a message.
Once again, the contents of my stocking are a good example.
Let me preface this by saying that I hate having a beard. Beards are hot and itchy. Its uncomfortable. And it makes me feel old because I keep finding an inordinate number of white hairs in my beard. If it were up to me, I’d shave the thing off. But it’s not entirely up to me. My wife loves my beard and threatens to divorce me whenever I shave. So, this year on Saint Nicholas Day, in addition to the obligatory chocolates and candy, my lovely wife stuffed my stocking with a few interesting items: beard oil, beard cream, and a beard comb! On an unrelated matter, my stocking also included a bottle of Poo-pourri, a woodsy scented bathroom deodorizer. These gifts certainly send an unmistakable message, don’t they? They say, “You better take good care of that beard and, by the way, you stink!”
Similarly, I believe the first Christmas presents—the gifts of the Magi—send an unmistakable message about Jesus. The story of the Magi is told in Matthew 2. If you have a Bible or an app on your phone, open it there. Once again, we read:
“The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 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” (Matthew 2:9-11 NLT).
As I mentioned last week, these three gifts were valuable items intended to convey honor and great standing upon the recipient. But beyond that, many scholars think that these three gifts were specifically chosen for their special spiritual symbolism. In other words, these gifts tell us something about Jesus. They send a meaningful message about the baby in the manger and the man he would become.
Last Sunday, we examined the gift of gold, which symbolizes the kingship of Jesus. The value and preciousness of gold is universally recognized. Gold was a treasure befitting royalty, albeit royalty in the home of a young, poor family. The Magi came in search of a king and when they found the Christ child they immediately bowed in reverence and worship, setting an example for all generations. The Magi’s message was clear: Jesus is the King of Kings!
The next gift the Magi presented to Jesus, however, is significantly less familiar to today’s Christmas shopper: Frankincense.
I’m reminded of three small boys who were in a Christmas play at church. They played the three wise men and were supposed to give their gifts to baby Jesus. The first boy stepped forward, held out the gift in his hands and said, “Gold.” The second boy stepped forward, held out his gift and said, “Myrrh.” The third boy stepped forward, held out his gift and said, “Frank sent this.”
We can’t really blame the kid. After all, what the heck is frankincense anyway? Well, Frankincense is the dried sap of trees in the Boswellia genus, particularly Boswellia sacra. These trees grow in Oman, Yemen and the Horn of Africa, including Somalia and Ethiopia. Frankincense producers wound the tree using a traditional chisel-like tool, after which a milky white sap leeches out of the hole, forming "tears." The first sap is not collected, and is thought to cleanse the wood of impurities. Once this dries, the hole is enlarged and deepened, after which sap comes out, dries, and is collected about two weeks later. This tapping process is repeated several times at several points throughout the year. After the stone-like gobs are gathered, they are put out to dry. The highest quality frankincense is silvery and clear. Because it was not native to Judea, obtaining frankincense from the east was costly.
While the production of frankincense underscores its value, the purpose of frankincense is even more revealing. Frankincense was a key ingredient in Jewish worship. In the Old Testament, God instructed the priests: “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer” (Exodus 30:34-35 NLT). This incense was then ceremonially burned in the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, twice a day, every day.
Each day the Levitical priests took turns taking burning coals from the altar of sacrifice out in the temple court, placing the coals in the altar of incense, and depositing the incense upon coals (Exodus 30:7-8). When burned, the frankincense released a sweet fragrance which filled the Temple and wafted into the courtyard. Devout Jews, gathered in the Temple courtyard to worship, would see the smoke rising, smell the fragrant scent, and lift their hands in prayer and praise.
Because of this recurring religious ritual, many scholars agree that the gift of frankincense points to the priesthood of Jesus. Many of us know Jesus as Savior or King, but how many of us know Him as our Great High Priest?
The book of Hebrews says, “Since we have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God, who has gone into heaven, let us hold on to the faith we have” (Hebrews 4:14 NCV). When the writer of Hebrews identified Jesus as a “great high priest,” that image resonated with every first-century reader. But in our contemporary culture, the reference might be met with a blank stare. What does it even mean to be a High Priest?
The high priest was the supreme religious leader of the Israelites. He and all the other priests in Israel were ministers, models, and mediators for God’s people. They served two primary roles: They represented God to the people through preaching and pastoring, and they represented the people to God by offering sacrifices in the Temple to make atonement for sin. As such, they were set apart from the rest of society and expected to live righteous and hoy lives. In fact, the High Priest wore a gold plate on the front of his turban with the inscription: “Holy to the Lord” (Exodus 28:36).
However, by the time of Christ’s birth, the priesthood in Israel had become utterly corrupt. Rather than being called by God, the high priest was appointed by King Herod—the same Herod who tried to kill the infant Jesus because he saw Christ as a threat to his throne. Unsatisfied with political control, Herod sought control over the spiritual lives of everyone in Jerusalem. Thus, he appointed priests who would bend to his will. But, the birth of Jesus heralded the end of this vile and vain religious system.
Several chapters in Hebrews are dedicate to describing Jesus as our Great High Priest, far superior to the crooked priests in in Herod’s pocket and even superior to the original priesthood as God intended it. So, what makes Jesus such a great High Priest? Hebrews offers at least three reasons.
First, his sympathy makes Jesus our Great High Priest.
Hebrews goes on to say, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). Another translation says our High Priest can “empathize with our weaknesses” (NIV).
As with a pastor, an important part for a priest’s duties is ministering to God’s people, helping them work through their spiritual struggles, and just being there for them in times of need. As our High Priest, Jesus does that for us. He’s understanding, empathetic and compassionate.
The reason Jesus can sympathize so well with our struggles is that he’s walked our streets. On that first Christmas morn, the God who spoke the universe into existence stepped down from heaven and entered our world. The arms of a teenage virgin cradled him. Angels watched with wonder as the creator of the cosmos took his first steps. Jesus was fully divine and yet fully human at the same time. Thus, Jesus experiences life as we do. As a baby, he cried when he was hungry. As a preteen, his voice squeaked when he talked. As a man, he grew tired, experienced conflict, and faced normal human struggles. Therefore, he understands our weaknesses, our faults, and our hardships. He not only understands, but he cares. The Bible urges us, “Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NCV).
We have a High Priest who wants us to share our burdens and battles with him. He invites us to cast our worries and weaknesses on him. And when we do—when we go to Jesus in prayer and just lay it all out there—he helps us. He’ll turn our weaknesses into wisdom and our struggles into strengths.
His sympathy qualifies Jesus to be our High Priest.
Furthermore, his sinlessness makes Jesus our Great High Priest.
Notice that verse again: “This High Priest of ours… faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 14:15 NLT).
As I mentioned, priests were expected to live holy and blameless lives—yet, they all fell short. The readers of Hebrews were all too familiar with the rampant corruption within the priesthood—exploitation, extortion, etc. In fact, the High Priest Caiaphas helped orchestrate Jesus’ crucifixion. But even before Herod came along and tainted the purity of the priesthood, the High Priest was still just as sinful and sullied as any other human being.
In fact, before entering into God’s presence, the High Priest had to endure an elaborate purification ritual. As you may know, the Temple had three parts: the outer courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. A thick veil completely surrounded The Holy of Holies. Inside was the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat, and the shekinah glory of God—the very presence God. Only the High Priest could enter the Hoy of Holies and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Prior to the Day of Atonement, the High Priest spent an entire week in seclusion. The other priests brought him food to ensure that he didn’t touch or eat anything unclean. The night before Yom Kippur, he would stay up all night praying and reading Scripture in order to cleanse or purify his soul. Then on Yom Kippur, he bathed head to toe and dressed in pure, unstained white linen. Then he went into the Holy Place and offered an animal sacrifice—a pure, unblemished lamb—for his own sins. Then he came out, bathed again, and put on a whole new set of fresh white linen robes. Then he offered a sacrifice for the rest of the priests. Then he came out a third time and bathed again and dressed again in brand-new pure white linen. Finally, he could enter the Holy of Holies and offer a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all the people. He went through this elaborate ritual not so that he would be physically clean, but spiritually clean, holy, pure and unblemished as he stood in the glorious presence of God.
Our High Priest, on the other hand, never endured such a ceremony. He never had to. Hebrews says, “He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins” (Hebrews 7:26-27 NLT).
Although Jesus faced the same temptations we do, he never sinned. He is human and yet holy. His sinlessness makes Jesus the perfect High Priest, with unrestricted access to heaven and able to perfectly present God to the world, not only through his teaching but through his life and love. In fact, the Bible says just that: “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15 NLT).
If you want to know what God is like, just look to Jesus.
So, his sympathy and his sinlessness make Jesus our Great High Priest.
Finally, his sacrifice makes Jesus our Great High Priest.
The author of Hebrews continues: “Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.… For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:11-14 NLT).
The Jewish priests’ posture of standing indicated that their work was never finished. The blood of bulls and goats could never really remove the stain of sin from the human soul, so the recurring ritual of temple sacrifices remained a never-ending cycle. By contrast, our Great High Priest offered a once-for-all sacrifice and then sat down at right hand of the throne of God, indicating that his work was finished. The Jewish sacrificial system couldn’t completely remove sin; Christ’s sacrifice did. The blood of bulls and goats need never stain the altar again. Jesus cemented his status as the perfect Priest by doing what a thousand generations of prior priests could never do—fully and finally washing away the sins of the world.
The great and overarching message of the Magi’s gift of frankincense is that we have a great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who came into the world as the Son of God, lived a sinless life, offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of his people, rose to everlasting life at the right hand of the majesty of God, and there loves us and prays for us and bids us draw near to God through him. He did not come to fit into the old system of priestly sacrifices. He came to fulfill them and end them.
In the words of the author of Hebrews, “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven… let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT).
Invitation
Do you need to experience God’s grace this Christmas? Could you use a little mercy? Then I’ve got good news for you. We have a great High Priest who invites us to come confidently before the throne of God and receive all the grace and mercy we need at Christmas time or any time. Why don’t we do that together, right now? Would you pray with me?
Holy and Heavenly Father, we come boldly before your throne to thank you for the most precious gift of all—the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. The Magi’s gift of frankincense reminds us that He is our Great High Priest. We thank you for sending Jesus to be a High Priest who can sympathize with our weakness. We thank you that Jesus lived a sinless life. And we thank you for the sacrifice he made once-for-all, so that we might draw near to you. Finally, we pray that you would fill our hearts and homes with your mercy and grace this Christmas. May our lives be as sweet and fragrant to you as the smell of frankincense upon your altar. Amen.
Let’s stand and sing together church.
