Mind Boggling

Image by Aritha from Pixabay

The more I study the Bible, the more amazed I am at the intricacies. If anyone doubted it is God’s Word, that alone should convince them. The text spans thousands of years, each scripture building on the previous one. Add in the depth of symbolism.

I’ve read and listened to the story of the Magi since I was little, but this time it was different. The Magi brought the familiar gifts. This time I understood the deeper meanings behind each and what they actually were.

They gave him gold for his kingship. That was easy enough to understand, but the other two I only knew from the scripture reference.

Frankincense is a hard resin taken from the trunk of the Boswellia tree. It is one of the ingredients the temple priests used as a sacred anointing oil (Exodus 30:34), and as an offering in the tabernacle (Leviticus 2:1-2). Thus, it was a symbol of Christ’s priestly role.

Myrrh is a yellow, fragrant, sap-like resin derived from the cuts in the bark of the Commiphora myrrham tree, used as a purification and embalming oil. Added amid the gifts, it prefigured Christ’s sacrificial death.

But it goes further. The Great I Am, the Creator, became His creation, a helpless human baby. His purpose? To be a servant and minister to the people who would put him to death. He died for our sins and then forgave us for them. Think about that. It’s mind boggling.

There has never been, nor will ever be, as impactful a demonstration of love. How cherished we are, even in our sins.

Gold for a King. Frankincense for a divine Priest. Myrrh for a sacrificial Lamb. But the story doesn’t end there.

Christ rose from the dead and because of him, so will we.

Amen. Hallelujah.