YouTube video sermon
Matthew 2:1-12
Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Matthew 2. One-hundred eighteen years ago, this past Friday (just 2 days ago), we celebrated a historic milestone. It was December 17, 1903, and it involved two brothers from Dayton, OH who went down to Kitty Hawk, NC and did something historic. Ring a bell? Orville and Wilbur Wright flew an airplane for the first time. They were so excited about going a few hundred feet that they wired back to their sister Katharine (in Ohio) a simple message. It was this: “We have flown 120 feet.” And then they added a little addendum that said, “We will be home for Christmas.”
Well, she was so excited, she took the message down to the newspaper editor who read those words, and his response was this: “How wonderful that the boys will be home for Christmas.” He overlooked the most monumental news of the century. Man had flown, and all they were thinking about is “the boys will be home for Christmas.” And that happens every year at Christmas. The world overlooks the grand news that a Savior has been born. We overshadow it with gifts and wrapping and parties. Sometimes we overlook the details in the story too, like what the gold meant, and what the frankincense meant, and what the myrrh meant.
Two weeks ago, we began considering the gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus after His birth: the gold, the frankincense, and the myrrh. We started with gold and saw how that gift was emblematic of Jesus’ role as a priceless gift, as royalty – indeed, as our King. And today we’re going to resume by considering the gift of frankincense. I want us to consider the men who gave the gift, the meaning of the gift, and the ministry of the One who received the gift. But before we do, let’s read the text again (Matthew 2:1-12):
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 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. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Now, gracious Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit will be our teacher, so that the pages of the Bible might be illumined to us and that we might see Your Son, the Lord Jesus, in all of this wonderful prophetic expectation, and that we might, in being encountered by Him, come to bow down before Him and acknowledge that He is Savior and Lord, and all of this to the praise of Your name. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Let me quickly recap a few things we learned two weeks ago. We noticed that, unlike most of our nativity scenes and the Christmas carols that we sing and the cards that we write, the visit of the wise men almost certainly did not take place on that first Christmas. Verse 11 uses the term “child” to describe Jesus, and while that word by itself could be used to refer to a baby, it’s unlikely that Matthew would’ve used that word if, in fact, Jesus was still and infant. Another detail that supports this is Matthew 2:16; just a few verses later, Herod realizes that he’s been tricked by the wise men and seeks to have all the male children 2-years old and younger killed. And the Bible tells us that age range was chosen because it was “according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.”
Also, the scenery seems to have changed. In Luke’s gospel, it seems rather clear that there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the house. Luke 2:7 says, “there was no place for them in the inn.” The Greek word that’s translated as “inn” is kataluma, and it’s only used 3 times in the Bible, and 2 of the 3 times it’s translated as “guestroom.” So, Luke’s narrative seems to indicate that the family was turned away from the house and pointed in the direction of a stable or at least another connected shelter for animals. When you add to that the fact that Jesus was placed in a manger, it most certainly suggests that they weren’t inside a structure where other people were residing. But by the time the wise men show up, as recorded in Matthew 2, they come “into the house” where Jesus and Mary and Joseph were staying.
Now, just make a little note here. Of all of the things in the story that we have a record of, there are certain things we don’t have a record of. For instance, Matthew left out any explanation about the wise men (the magi) except to say that they were “from the East.” We have to go back into history to find that out. And Matthew, interestingly, doesn’t tell us a lot about the star. He just said they followed a star and the star showed them where to go. So, while those details are left out, Matthew does give us details about the gifts that were presented: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. The Holy Spirit, through Matthew, preserves those details, which I believe are symbolic and illustrative of Jesus’ forthcoming life.
With that out of the way, let’s consider the men who gave the gift, the meaning of the gift, and the ministry of the One who received the gift.
The Men Who Gave The Gift Of Frankincense
We looked at these fellows a little bit two weeks ago, but there’s just so much more and particular to this story. You’ll notice again in verse 1 they’re called “wise men.” The Greek word is magoi/magos. It’s really a word that’s untranslatable, and so, our translators just take the Greek word and phonetically transcribe the word and thus we end up with “magi.”
The historian, Herodotus, said that they were a priestly caste of Medes; that is, they came from the ancient Medo-Persian Empire. And they were a smaller group within a larger group. In many ways they were similar to the nation of Israel where you had twelve tribes, but there was one tribe set apart as the priestly tribe: that’s the tribe of Levi. Well, it would seem that the Medes had a very similar setup.
There were many tribes within the Median kingdom, but they selected one tribe to perform rituals and ceremonies and all of the spiritual functions of worship. And the Magi was the group that was chosen, and they maintained an influence not in just one empire, but through several empires throughout history. They were important, for example, in the Babylonian Empire. They were important in the Medo-Persian Empire. They would be important in the Greek Empire, and also in the Roman Empire when Jesus was born.
So, they were a hereditary priesthood, much like the Levites, who influenced kings. They were monotheistic; they worshiped one God. The primary element of their worship was fire. We don’t know exactly why that is, except they must have seen fire as being symbolic of the power of God. And they maintained an altar that was used in the sacrifice of burnt offerings. Not only that, but when it came to the dead, they were very fastidious about how they would handle the dead, because they believed one could be defiled by touching a corpse.
Now why is all of that important? It’s important because when Daniel comes into Babylon where there are magi in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, he becomes the head, the chief over all the magi (according to Daniel 5:1). When he becomes the head of the magi, he brings in this Jewish belief system that he grew up with, and all of the prophecies about the coming King, and it was much easier for these magi to receive that kind of a system because it was so very similar to their own. So, we have a hereditary priesthood with political power, and they were involved in the royal courts and governments.
The reason they’re called “wise men” instead of “religious men” or “priestly men” is because they were sought out and consulted about the future. Kings would have them in their court. Kings would want to know, for example: “How should I move my armies?” “What country should I invade?” “What did my dream mean?” And they would consult this priesthood for that information.
By the way, no Persian could become king unless he met two conditions: 1.) he had to master the spiritual disciplines of the magi; and 2.) he had to be approved and crowned by the magi. How’s that for power? They were literally kingmakers of the ancient world. Their influence became so famous that there was a phrase to describe it in the Old Testament: “the law of the Medes and the Persians” (Esther 1:19; Daniel 6:8), which refers to the law given by the king after consulting with the magi.
So, to sum it up: we have a priestly tribe, influential during many kingdoms over hundreds and hundreds of years, who came to extreme prominence during the Babylonian era under Nebuchadnezzar, influenced by the prophet Daniel who brought in the Jewish Scriptures and made predictions of the coming Messiah. They talked about a future King who would be the ruler of Israel, ruler of the world, and they had access to the Jewish Scriptures. And when they came into Jerusalem and in Bethlehem, they were seeking the true God. Matthew 2:11 says when they found Jesus, they “worshiped Him.” So, these are the men who gave the gift.
The Meaning Of The Gift Of Frankincense
Now, let’s look at the gift. Matthew 2:11 continues by saying, “Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” What’s frankincense? Well, the English word “frankincense” comes to us from two French words franc and encens, meaning “high-quality incense.” The Greek word that’s used in the text is libanos, and it has connections with the name Lebanon. Frankincense, as a thing, as an object, was a resin from a very particular tree, a very pure kind of incense. It was highly prized and highly sought after, and very expensive. It was a resin or a gum from a tree in the Arabian Peninsula. The scientific name for the tree is Boswellia thurifera. I know you always wanted to know that, and now you know. This tree was native to Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Oman, and Yemen. And it only came to Israel by caravan, as an import.
It was harvested by making an incision in the trunk of the Boswellia thurifera tree, deep inside that trunk in the winter months of the year – kind of like tapping a maple tree for maple syrup. The sap is yellow and amber, sometimes white. It’s allowed to dry, harden, crystallize, and then it’s ground into a powder. And when it’s burned, gives off its fragrance and smoke. Obviously, if you grew up as a Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox, or even Anglican or Lutheran, you might recall the smell even as I’m talking about it. It’s a rather woodsy almost balsam-y smell with a hint of oil. That’s frankincense.
Knowing about frankincense is important, because it appears in the Bible 17 times. It’s almost always associated with the priesthood of Israel. It was a substance used for priests and by priests. It was used for them when they were anointed, when they were ordained into the priesthood. They took oil mixed with frankincense and put it on them as a way to mark them, to set them apart, to anoint them for service.
But it was also used by the priests in a very particular kind of an offering called the meal offering. Remember that in your Old Testament studies of Leviticus? I know you just probably read that the other day – Leviticus 2 and the grain offering or the meal offering? The Bible says, “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 2:1-2).
It’s as if God in heaven goes, “Ooh, that’s good.” He smells it and it’s wonderful, not because it really smells good, though it did to people. This is metaphorical language, anthropomorphic language. God doesn’t literally smell the offering like we would – rather it’s all about our obedience and thanksgiving. That’s what the offering was about. And God says, “When you do it that way, when you thank me and you’re obedient to me, oh, that smells good.”
This is that offering that Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Philippian church concerning their financial giving to support his ministry. And Paul said it is “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). It’s what David referred to in Psalm 141:2 when he said, “Let my prayer be set before you as incense, and the lifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
So, it’s a substance used by Jewish priests in the worship of the God of Israel in the Old Testament. Are you beginning to see the picture? We have a substance used by priests given by Parthian priests to one who would become a priest.
The Ministry Of The One Who Got The Gift
Finally, let’s consider the ministry of the One who got the gift. You’ve got priestly kingmakers bringing a priestly element, and Mary and Joseph are probably scratching their heads going, “Wha-whaaat!? What’s this all about?” Well, I think it’s illustrative. It’s prophetic. We know that one of the roles that Jesus would fulfill was the role of High Priest, right? The New Testament book of Hebrews is all about showing how Jesus is superior. And one of the areas where He’s superior is as our High Priest. Eleven times in the book of Hebrews Jesus is called our Great High Priest. In other words, at this very moment, we have a representative before God the Father in heaven – One who is acting like a priest, someone who represents people to God. That’s Jesus.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Hebrews 4:14-15, which says, “Seeing that we have a great High Priest who has gone into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just like we are, and yet without sin.” And the writer of Hebrews goes to great lengths to say that Jesus’ version of priesthood is superior to the Old Testament priesthood of Aaron. It’s so much better because (then he quotes Psalm 110), “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” It’s not temporary. It’s forever. That’s why it’s better.
So, we have a substance used by Jewish priest given by Parthian Gentile priests to someone who would become what the Bible calls our Great High Priest. Now, there’s something that Jesus did after He died, after He rose, and after He ascended into heaven. Hebrews 10:12 says that Jesus “sat down at the right hand of God.” The reason that’s important is because priests in the Old Testament never sat down. Of all the articles of furniture that were in the tabernacle and the temple, one was absent, a chair. They were on their feet all the time. The work of the priest of the Old Testament was never done. In fact, that’s exactly what Hebrews 10:11 says, “And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”
They had to sacrifice and repeat those sacrifices every day, every week, every month, every year, every decade, on and on and on. It was never done. So, here’s Jesus: He comes, and He acts as a priest offering the sacrifice. And He acts as the Lamb; He was the sacrifice. He offers Himself for the sin of the world. He dies, He’s raised, He ascends into heaven, and he sits down, which means only one thing – “It’s done. It’s finished. It’s over. What Jesus did on the cross is enough to take care of the sins of the world.” And so, He sat down. That’s why it’s significant. Our High Priest has finished the task. Jesus sat down signifying, “I’m done as Savior. I’ve finished the work on the cross. It’s over.”
And yet, He continues His work as our intercessor. The same book of Hebrews says that “[Jesus] ever lives to make intercession for [us]” (Hebrews 7:25). That’s the role of a priest. He makes intercession for you. Have you ever had somebody say, “I’m praying for you,” and you go, “Oh, thank you. I really appreciate you doing that.” Jesus is praying for you. How’s that? He’s interceding for you. He’s talking to the Father about you. He’s the One who’s giving the help before the throne of holy, perfect God for you and for me. He’s our Great High Priest.
So, Jesus is our Great High Priest – making the full and final and perfect sacrifice – THE sacrifice to end all sacrifices. He’s our Great High Priest ever interceding for us. But it continues. In the New Testament, Paul calls Jesus our mediator – our ultimate middleman. Paul writes, “There is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). That’s why we have this little detail, buried in Matthew 2, about wise men presenting gifts of gold (representing Jesus’ role as King of kings and Lord of lords) and frankincense (representing Jesus’ role as our Great High Priest).
I’ll close with this story, true story. The year was 1936. Technology was growing by leaps and bounds. Radio waves ruled the world, and there was a historic radio broadcast from England to America that was about to be staged. It was King Edward VIII who was going to speak to the American people via a radio station in New York City. Everything was set. The king was approaching the microphone. Just moments before the event, one of the workers at the radio station ran across the floor and broke the wire that would transmit the sound from England to America. The producer, the executives, nobody knew what to do. But a quick-thinking intern grabbed one of the wires that was broken with one hand and grabbed the other wire that was broken. And as the king approached the microphone and spoke to the United States, the words were literally being transmitted through the body of that intern.
Do you know that’s the role of Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest? Heaven’s voice is transmitted through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). He reveals God’s intent, and God’s Word, and God’s will. No wonder Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). He’s our High Priest. He fulfills the role. And that’s why Matthew tells us that frankincense was given to the Christ Child.
Our God and our Father, what monumental truth. My heart bursts at these things. How humbled and grateful we are at Your sovereignty in using a group of priests from the pagan world and making sure that at the right time Judah would be taken captive.
That a young man named Daniel would be inserted into their reign to become the head of the magi, to influence not only them, but future generations, some of which would show up at the birth of Jesus, and say, “We have followed a wonder in the sky, and we know that a King is born, and we’re here to worship Him.” And in presenting gold, they recognized He was King – and indeed He is King of kings. In giving frankincense, they recognized He would be a priest – and indeed He is our Great High Priest – the One who offered Himself as the sacrifice, and the One who is still at Your throne right now interceding on our behalf in Your presence.
Lord, God, we know that the Bible says we have an accuser of the brethren who accuses us before Your throne day and night (and that’s Satan). How grateful we are that we have an Intercessor, an Advocate. How amazed we are at how detailed You are and how much You love us. Lord, I pray if anyone doesn’t know Jesus as their Savior, their true High Priest, as well as their One and only mediator and intercessor, that that would change, and it would change today. For we pray this in His name and for Your glory, amen.