What Are the Three Gifts Given to Baby Jesus?
Shortly after Jesus was born, the Bible tells of wise men who brought three gifts to give to the child. These gifts were not only valuable items at that time that helped Jesus' family financially, but they are also thought by some Christians to be symbolic of the roles of Jesus.
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Context
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The visit of the wise men, also known as magi, is recorded in the gospel of Matthew. None of the other gospels mention this story. According to Matthew, wise men followed a star from the east that led them to Bethlehem, where they found Jesus. They likely did not arrive on the night of his birth, but rather within the first couple years of his life. Matthew 2:11 says, "And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh."
Gold
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The first listed gift is gold, which was commonly given to kings in the time of Jesus. This precious metal affirmed Jesus' worth and future role, even though he was still just a baby. Bible scholars believe that this gold might have funded the family's subsequent journey to Egypt to escape from Herod, who was trying to kill Jesus.
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Frankincense
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Frankincense is a fragrant resin that was often burned during prayers. This specific type of incense is the same kind that the laws in Leviticus prescribed for putting on a grain offering before burning it. Because the smell of frankincense was associated with the priests who burned the offerings, some Christians consider frankincense to be symbolic of Jesus' role as a priest. Hebrews 4:14 refers to Jesus as the "great high priest who has passed through the heavens."
Myrrh
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Myrrh is another type of fragrant resin, but this one was more known as a fragrance used when embalming dead bodies. After Jesus died and was laid in the tomb, John 19:39 says, "Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight." In this way, the myrrh given to Jesus when he was a baby can be seen to foreshadow the death he would later suffer.
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References
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