The Gifts of Christmas: Myrrh

Matthew 2:1-2, 9-12

Can you imagine going to a baby shower and someone gives the mother to be a bail bond certificate? I'm sure that this would be viewed as insulting and inappropriate. You may never be invited back to another baby shower. You might also lose a friend. Perhaps the only thing that could be worse is if you gave the mother to be a certificate showing that you had prepaid for the child's funeral. We find such a thought as heartless and vile. Yet, the final gift of the wisemen was along those lines.

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Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Matthew 2:1–2, 9-12

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Myrrh is a gum from a tree. It has a bitter taste and had a few uses in the Bible. First, it was used in the anointing oil of the Tabernacle and Temple. The whole tabernacle was sanctified (set apart as holy) by being anointed with the oil and having the blood of a sacrifice sprinkled on it. The anointing oil was paired with death and a blood sacrifice.

The second use of myrrh in the Bible was as a pain killer. In Mark 15:23 Jesus, on the cross, was offered wine mixed with myrrh. He refused it because He was to feel the full weight of suffering for our sins. The wine and myrrh would have numbed the effects of His pain.

A third use of myrrh was as a perfume. In the book of Esther, when Esther was being prepared to be presented as a candidate to be queen, she was given myrrh. It was part of her purification process. For six months she was given myrrh, which had a woody smell. Then for six months she had sweet smelling perfumes.

Finally, and related to the first two uses of myrrh, was its use as an embalming spice. A body would be wrapped in cloth. Then there would be spices placed between the folds of cloth. This process would be repeated multiple times. In John 19:38-39, Joseph and Nicodemus brought 100 pounds of myrrh and aloe for the burial of Jesus's body.

This is what it represented in the life of Mary's little baby. He was born to die. He would be the sacrifice that would meet a bitter end as an atonement for the sins of all mankind. It was through that sacrifice that we (Christians) would be sanctified and made holy. It was for our purifying as in the book of Esther. That which was unclean, was made clean, and becomes a sweet smelling savor unto the Lord. Paul wrote:

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

II Corinthians 2:14–15

Father, thank You for sending Your Son to die for our sins. Even from birth, this was His destiny. We none like to think about this at Christmas, but it is why Jesus came. Without the cross, there is no reason to celebrate Christmas.