The Gift of Frankincense

Mathew 2:11 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Why Frankincense? Have you ever asked that question when it comes to exploring the gifts the wise men brought? Frankincense was a gift fit for a King and so we can infer that the wise men desired to honor Jesus. If the wise men believed the prophesy about Jesus they not only saw him as King but also as Messiah. They chose the most precious commodity of their day that not only set apart the recipient as someone very important, but this gift also had deeper spiritual meanings as well.

We see in Exodus 30 the incense to be burned at the alter required pure frankincense. It was the only thing considered to be pure and holy, when you think of that in terms of Jesus the picture is clear. This gift wasn’t a random one. It was a methodical choice on the part of the wise men to show the world who Jesus was, and they did it through a gift.

Pastor Benaiah Snider