The Symbolism Behind Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh

Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh and the telling of Jesus’ birth go together and have both symbolism and natural meanings behind them. What is so unique about each of those gifts that the Wise Men gave to Mary and Joseph the day Jesus was born? In Matthew 2, the Bible talks of the birth of Jesus and the gifts that were brought to Him. Many believe that these three gifts foretold Jesus’ life and ministry on earth, while others feel that they were simply practical gifts from the Magi.

Jesus wasn’t the only person to receive such gifts in the early days. Before and after him, kings and gods were gifted these items as well. According to ancient inscriptions, King Seleucus II Callinicus offered these same three gifts to the Greek god Apollo at the temple in Miletus. Only powerful and important individuals were given such extraordinary gifts. So, what is the symbolism behind golf, frankincense, and myrrh? There are some scholars that think these three gifts were chosen for their special spiritual symbolism about Jesus himself.

Gold

In Bible times, gold was a very precious metal. Even today, gold is still quite valuable. This has been used for centuries as a sign of wealth, royalty, and power. In addition to all that, gold has been a major source of currency as well. During King Solomons reign, today’s equivalent of just his gold equates to 60 trillion dollars. The wealthiest man on earth currently has around 200 billion.

The gift of gold symbolizes Jesus’ kingship. It represents Jesus being hailed as the King of Kings. Other than that, gold has very practical purposes as well. Especially to brand new parents. It was never said how much gold was given. However, it must have been extremely helpful to Mary and Joseph when it came to traveling and schooling for Jesus.

Frankincense

Frankincense was used quite a bit in the temple throughout the Bible. It was used as either an incense, perfumes, or as an anointing oil. Frankincense is a type of gum resin from tree sap that creates white smoke when burned. This gift was quite costly during biblical times. Some say it was even more expensive than gold.

Because of how much this was used in the temples, this gift became symbolic to deity and priesthood. When the Wisemen gave this gift, they were saying that Jesus is not just a king, but also a great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and Deity. Besides that, Frankincense had a few practical uses as well. The medicinal values would have aided Mary, Joseph, and Jesus greatly in their travels. The oil was used for fighting against pathogens as well.

Myrrh

Myrrh has many similarities to Frankincense. It is also a gum resin. However, it comes from a different tree. Throughout the Bible Myrrh was used in many different ways. It was used for purification, perfume, embalming and burials. It was also used as an anointing oil, during weddings, and as medicine. In ancient cultures, myrrh was used to help stop bleeding, as an antiseptic to clean and treat wounds, and treat hay fever. Myrrh has powerful antibacterial, antiparasitic, and antifungal properties.

There is a lot of symbolism in the way that Myrrh is extracted. For myrrh to be cultivated, it must be extracted by piercing the tree’s heartwood and allowing the gum to trickle out into bitter red droplets called tears. This process symbolizes what Jesus went through during his last days on earth. Myrrh symbolizes the death and burial that Jesus would have to face on the cross. This process shows a picture of the suffering He would go through by being pierced on the cross for our sins.

The gifts from the three Wisemen or Magi had significant meaning for both Jesus, his family, and what it symbolizes. All three gifts brought wealth to the family and also medicinal value. The gold represented or symbolized Jesus as the King of Kings. The frankincense represented Jesus as not only God, but also the High Priest. Finally, Myrrh represented what Jesus would have to face on the cross so that we may be healed because of His sacrifice.