... And Nature Sing!

By Danny Saavedra

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”’ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”—Matthew 2:1–10 (NIV)

Have you ever watched Star Trek? In this series, the crew from the Enterprise travel into unfamiliar territory on a mission “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Like the characters in Star Trek, the wise men boldly went on a mission. How bold? Well, they set out in search of a King after seeing nature sing.

Where do we see nature sing in this story? Matthew 2:2 (NIV, emphasis added) tells us that the wise men, likely Persian or Babylonian priests and astrologers, who devoted their time to interpreting signs and prophecies, came to Jerusalem and asked Herod the Great, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Do you see that? This star was set in the sky to sing and signal loudly that the “fullness of time” had come at last. Heaven and nature were indeed singing! Now, regarding this star, most scholars believe the wise men knew to look for the star because of the reference in Numbers 24:17 about the star and scepter that was to come out of Jacob.

Now, look at what happens next in Matthew 2:11 (NIV): “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Not only did they travel far and wide to find this King, but they brought gifts! And the significance behind each gift cannot be missed.

Gold

The perfect gift for a King! Only a gift of the greatest value would be fitting for the King of greatest authority, which is why they gave Jesus the gift of gold. Their gold was only a faint reflection of His surpassing value, but at the same time, it was the most precious earthly gift they could offer to honor His majesty and supremacy.

Frankincense

The perfect gift for a High Priest! Frankincense was used by the priests in the temple as incense to represent the prayers of God’s people ascending to Him (Psalm 141:2). The scent served as a sensory point of contact between the people and God. So, in giving this gift, the wise men were acknowledging that Jesus was also an eternal priest who always intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25).

Myrrh

A fragrant substance used for medicinal purposes, myrrh could be applied to wounds or even corpses to slow down decomposition. As Jesus was being crucified on the cross, myrrh was mixed with wine and given to Him most likely to sedate Him. But Jesus refused to drink it, not wanting to lessen the severity of pain and punishment for our sins. Joseph of Arimathea, the man who asked to take Jesus’ body and put it in a tomb, also used a customary mixture of myrrh and aloes on His body (John 19:38–40).

Do you see it? If gold indicates He is King and frankincense reveals He is our eternal High Priest, myrrh points us to the fact that He would suffer and die on our behalf, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 NIV)! As we reflect on what these gifts mean concerning Christmas and the One we celebrate on Christmas, let’s never forget that Christmas is actually about the fact that the King of the universe came to give US the gift of eternal life for all who believe!

In prayer, you can talk to God about your life and whatever is going on in the world. You can cultivate a richer prayer life by practicing prayer individually and in groups, perhaps with your family, friends, or small group. You can also practice praying Scripture for others. Today, thank Jesus for being our King, High Priest, and Savior. Reflect on what makes it hard to view Jesus in these ways, and pray for help in those areas.