Acts 10:38,
42 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him.
42 And
he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is
he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of
quick and dead.
Carol: With Wondering Awe Hymn #210
Lesson: The
Gifts of the Wise men
Have Gold
coins (Chocolate gold coins will work nicely), myrrh and frankincense (Found at
a health food store) ready to show as
needed.
The Gifts of the Wise men
Matthew
2-11
...And
when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his
mother, and fell down, and worshipped him; and when they opened their treasures,
they presented unto him gifts: Gold, and frankincense, and Myrrh.
Isn’t it interesting that Matthew, the tax collector, (who
knows the value of things) is the one to record the gifts that were brought to
the Savior?
Gold
. Gold has been used for Centuries by numerous cultures;
even mentioned in the account of the Garden of Eden, (Genesis 2:11) Gold is
a symbol of royalty, kingship, and power. It was imported to Ancient Israel and was held in high esteem for its
great beauty, rarity, and resistance to corrosion. It symbolizes
"A Priestly King" Representing
the celestial or godly nature of Christ, including His incorruptibility,
purity, and wisdom and was a worthy
gift for the Son of God.
Frankincense
came from Oman and was considered so valuable that it was worth more than its
weight in gold. Frankincense is the
resin from the Boswellia tree. Small slits are made in the bark and the sap
slowly bleeds out and dries into the white "tears". Thus its white color represents purity. It symbolizes sacrifice,
communion with God, and resurrection.
The ancient Israelites used
frankincense only in offerings of purity to their God and never associated with
any sin or wrongdoing; thus making frankincense a pure offering literally to
the living King.
Myrrh
was worth seven times its weight in gold and also is the natural sap from the
Cammiphora tree. It is a balm related to
suffering, healing, anointing, and atonement.
It is very
significant because it was one of the first gifts to Jesus and the final
offering to him as he was on Golgotha as a deadening agent to relieve his
suffering. He refused the wine and Myrrh mixture because he had "already
drank the bitter cup". Myrrh has a bitter taste and thus represents
mortality and sacrifice.
“That there were three gifts has
provoked the tradition that there were three wise men. The number three, however,
represents that which is godly or divine in nature and origin, and it is likely
for this reason that there were three gifts—that is, Jesus was godly/divine in
His nature and origin and the wise men were sent of God.” -Alonzo Gaskill
What could
be a more fitting gift for the Savior than
gold symbolic that He is King, Frankincense representing pure worship, and
Myrrh to acknowledge His sacrifice? These costly gifts to the Holy family are
believed to have provided the means to travel to Egypt. These three gifts listed by
Matthew symbolize Christ, His nature, and the gifts He would bring to the
world.
No comments:
Post a Comment