The GiftSample

What is the strongest scent you’ve ever smelled (whether it was good or bad)? Whatever it is, I’m sure the scent is memorable and even imagining it now it probably lingers a little in your nose.

Did you know that in Biblical times, scents were valuable and had meaning? For example, in Biblical times when burying a loved one, the body of the deceased would have been prepared to be laid in a tomb. Loved ones would take the body, wash it, and anoint it with spices or oils to keep the body from smelling while what would have been similar to a funeral would take place a few days later. The aroma of the expensive perfumes and spices would be very strong during the visitation of the family and friends.

Another example of scents in the Bible is when incense was burned in the temple during the Old Testament times. The Altar of Incense was burned twice a day in the temple, in the morning and the evening, and stood as a symbol for intercessory prayer and humble petition before the Lord. Incense had a strong smell and would contain traces of myrrh, frankincense, stacte, onycha, and galbanum. God instructed His people not to use these same ingredients outside of the temple. These two examples contained one important ingredient that we will be looking at this week; frankincense.

Frankincense smells earthy with hints of citrus to it. If you have ever smelled it before, it is hard to forget. While frankincense was used all throughout the Old Testament in the temple and for burial preparations, it was present at Jesus’ Birth as well. The Magi brought frankincense as one of the gifts for Jesus.

In the Old Testament, frankincense was also burned during the High Priest’s sacrifice. The high priest would cross through the veil, into God’s Presence to ask for forgiveness for the sins of the people and for his own sins. In order to enter God’s Presence the high priest would have to be completely clean, sacrifice two animals, the fat of the animals, and a burnt offering. This was known as the Day of Atonement because the sacrifices made by the high priest atoned for everyone’s sin. While all of this took place, the aroma of frankincense would be in the air.

So why would the Magi bring this as a gift to Jesus? This gift foreshadowed Jesus being the Ultimate High Priest by sacrificing Himself for our sins. Thirty-three years after receiving this gift as an infant, Jesus would be the Atonement for our sins.

When people smelled frankincense, they probably thought of the sacrifice made on the Day of Atonement by the high priest in the temple. Just like the scent that you remembered whether good or bad, it brought a memory back to your mind. Imagine the foreshadowing that the scent of frankincense brought to Jesus, his parents, and the Magi. They knew this was the Messiah and would one day be the Sacrifice for sin like the prophecies they had studied for hundreds of years prior to this moment.

This week we will be looking at the fragrant Gift of Jesus and how we are to carry that same aroma around in our everyday lives. Everywhere we go, we are to share the Gift of Jesus with others and leave the aroma of the Joy of the Lord in every person’s mind we come in contact with.