Day 11: The Magi

Some of the most interesting characters in the Christmas story didn’t show up right when Christ was born. The Magi are known for journeying to Jesus after seeing the star announcing His birth. In Numbers 24, there is a prophecy that “a star would come out of Jacob.” The prophecy was speaking about both a literal star as well as pointing toward Jesus, who was a descendant of Jacob. The Magi waited and watched the sky for generations. And the minute they beheld the star, they gathered up precious treasures. They traveled a long distance to find the Messiah—the one who saves His people from their sin.

While their long journey was quite a sacrifice already, the gifts they brought also had spiritual significance and were quite costly for them. In the Old Testament, gold was a symbol of power and prosperity for kings. When the Magi offered gold to Jesus, they were declaring him the King of earthly kings.

They also brought Jesus frankincense. This incense was the very kind that the High Priests of Israel burned on the Day of Atonement. The smoke from the frankincense filled the Holy of Holies and covered the room enough to hide God who dwelt on the mercy seat, saving the High Priest from death. To burn anything but this particular incense warranted a death sentence.

This gift of the Magi proclaimed Jesus as the ultimate High Priest. And the Bible tells us this about Him, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). The book of Hebrews also clearly states, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

It is also important to note that the kings and priests in Israel never came from the same line. Kings came from the line of Judah, and priests came from the line of Levi. Yet at the birth of Jesus, God Himself came to earth and fulfilled in perfection both roles as the ultimate king and priest to all who are children of God.

And lastly, the Magi brought myrrh. This was a very uncommon gift to give a baby because it symbolized death and burial. Through this gift, they prophesied about the Savior’s death on the cross and his burial afterwards. Why would the Magi bring gold and frankincense—speaking of the majesty and power of Jesus—to then prophesy His death through myrrh?

Because without Jesus’ death and burial, there was no point in the King of Kings coming to earth as a baby. Without His sacrifice on the cross, there was no way to solve humanity’s sin problem and allow us to have a relationship with a perfectly holy God. So Jesus, the King of Kings, stepped down from Heaven to take the place of sinful humans. He died a horrific death, was buried in a tomb, and rose again on the third day. He is in Heaven now as our intercessor. We can confidently come before the throne of God in prayer because Jesus is our High Priest, interceding on our behalf to the Father.

What a love our great and mighty King has for us—that He would lay aside the glory of Heaven to come and make a way for us to be right with God. This Christmastime, let’s offer our most precious gift to our Savior—our lives and hearts.

“What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wiseman I would do my part;
Yet what can I give Him? Give Him my heart.”
- Christina Rossetti
What Can I Give Him?