When burned as incense, it creates a strong and beautiful aroma. It is produced by scraping the bark of certain native species of trees and then harvesting the beads of resin after they have dried. By bringing a gift of gold, the wise men showed that they did indeed consider Jesus a king.įrankincense is an aromatic gum resin that is still widely used in parts of the Middle East and Africa today. Because of its scarcity and immense value, gold was particularly associated with royalty and nobility, as is seen in 1 Kings 10 when the Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon bearing great quantities of gold as a gift. Among the types of assets listed in the Bible (e.g., precious metals, livestock, servants, gemstones, etc.), accumulation of gold was one of the chief measures of wealth (cf.
And as it is today, gold was a valued commodity in the ancient world. These valuable gifts were clearly intended to honor Jesus, but it’s possible they carried deeper theological significance as well.Īs was customary for royal visits, the wise men came bearing treasured gifts intended to honor the newborn king. However, without venturing too far off into extra-biblical speculation, it’s reasonable to draw a few possible inferences from the gifts brought by the wise men. Beyond making it clear that these were great treasures given in an act of worship, Scripture does not directly attach any other symbolic meaning to the gifts. The primary significance of the gifts lay in their great value-they were indeed gifts fit for a king. If you’re wondering what use an infant would have for these gifts, you’re not alone. One aspect of the visit that has largely escaped alteration is the list of gifts presented to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. History and tradition have done their part to fill in the details regarding these visitors, including their number, names, and the timing of their arrival. "Ĭompared to the Bible’s account of the royal visit, the story we tell is often padded with a bit of extra information. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 states: "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. As we all know from our nativity sets, some very special guests attended the birth of the Jesus: wise men from the east, bearing gifts for the newborn king - gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
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