Shortly after Jesus was born, the wise men brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. While these might seem random, each gift had significance. The meanings of the gifts foreshadowed the identity of Jesus and His life!

The gift of gold pointed to Jesus’ royalty. Obviously, gold is an appropriate gift for Him because gold is the “metal of kings.” This gift from the wise men acknowledged that Jesus was the King of kings.

The gift of frankincense showed that Jesus was the great High Priest. In fact, it showed that Jesus was God in human form! Incense was used in the temple for worshiping God. Incense mixed with oil was used to anoint the Israelite priests. It was also part of the meal offerings of thanksgiving and praise to God. Through this gift, the wise men acknowledged that Jesus was fully God and fully man!

The gift of myrrh represented Jesus’ death. In that time, myrrh was used for embalming the deceased. This might seem like an odd gift to give to a newborn baby, but in this case, it was not. The wise men acknowledged that Jesus would die a brutal death to save humanity. He would live a life as an acceptable and worthy sacrifice for the sins of all humans.

The wise men preached the Gospel with the gifts they gave. Their gift-giving told the story of how God Himself came down from Heaven as Lord and King to fulfill God’s plan and die for us. They brought their best and gave gifts appropriate for the Savior of the World who was bringing hope to the world. The same hope that we celebrate at Christmas time!