“Myrrh—The Death Gift of The Magi”

On Wednesday night, I preached a message entitled, “The Message Of The Magi.” We revisited the facts around the birth of Christ as it pertains to the wisemen from the east. We know from scripture that there were three gifts given to Jesus by these men: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I want to remind you of the latter gift and the powerful implications that it had on the day it was given to Jesus.

The third gift the wise men brought was a very valuable gum-like substance called myrrh that was used in embalming process of that day. Can you imagine bringing a little baby something that would be used to embalm the dead?  They did this because they recognized that this little baby was born to die.  The gift of myrrh given to Jesus pointed to His sacrificial death.

Imagine being Mary. You have seen the gold and the frankincense, now the myrrh is the “dagger to the heart”; a chilling reminder that your precious little boy will have to die!  He’s just a baby—at the most a toddler— but it all comes back to her, this child is here for a reason.  He is the consolation of Israel!

The Myrrh brought by the Magi reminded Mary that the Messiah was mankind’s only way out—our only hope—this is the reason that these wisemen brought the components needed to prepare someone for death, because Jesus would die.

Jesus was the remedy, the perfect sacrifice!

The wise men may not have understood all of this, but the Holy Ghost did.  None of this was by accident.  Of everything that could be listed as gifts to the King, we know they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to recognize His sovereign dominion, sacred deity, and sacrificial death that was to come.

Jesus paid it all—All to Him I owe!

Merry Christmas

Pastor Winston Parrish