Our Christmas tradition of gift-giving comes from the story of the Magi in Matthew 2: 1–12, who visited Jesus and “gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” to honor him.
But why these specific gifts?
Gold is obvious, being a rare and precious metal. But what about the other two?
Frankincense is an aromatic resin, gathered from certain trees in the Arabian peninsula and in Africa, and used as incense. The term comes from the French, and means “high-quality, or pure, incense.” Frankincense has been used in religious rituals for thousands of years. It’s still used today in incense, in anointing oils, and in aromatherapy. (Source: Wikipedia)
Myrrh is also a resin gathered from trees native to Africa and Arabia. Much like frankincense, it has been and continues to be used in religious rituals, in incense and in anointing oils. It also has a number of medical uses, primarily as an analgesic and antiseptic. It was also commonly used in burials. (Source: Wikipedia)
Both these resins were highly valued, and were traded all across the Middle East and Northern Africa, into Europe, and as far east as China.
So each of these three gifts was precious and valuable. That might be enough to explain why the Magi chose them.
But in addition to their obvious properties and value, the three gifts also have symbolic meaning as well. According to some sources, they symbolize three aspects of Jesus:
- Gold, like the gold of a crown, symbolizes His kingship on earth.
- Frankincense, in its religious uses, symbolizes His divinity.
- And Myrrh, because of its use in burial rites, symbolizes His death and resurrection.
(Myrrh also plays important roles in Jesus’s crucifixion and burial, further cementing this symbolism: according to Mark 15:23, at Golgotha Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, but refused it; and John 19:39 talks about Nicodemus, who accompanied Joseph of Arimathea, bringing an ointment made of myrrh and aloes for Jesus’s burial.)
I also see in this symbology a reflection of the Holy Trinity: gold for God the Father; myrrh for God the Son, who died and was born again; and frankincense for the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
This symbology, and connection to these aspects of Jesus and his life, make the gifts of the Magi all the more powerful and special.
Photo by Jonathan Meyer on Unsplash