Advent Day 22 - Born to Die
"When a baby is born, people usually celebrate and talk about the long life ahead for that child. But from his birth—even before his birth—a cloud of death loomed over the baby Jesus. This was a baby who was born to die.
The wise men who followed the star to find Jesus seemed to know some things about the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. When they came to see Jesus, they actually fulfilled one of those prophecies. Isaiah had written about the Messiah, “Mighty kings will come to see your radiance. . . . [They] will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the LORD” (Isaiah 60:3, 6). Matthew recorded that the wise men “entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and . . . they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are certainly unusual gifts for a baby! Gold was a gift suited to a king. The wise men must have recognized Jesus as King and so they brought him gold and bowed down to him. Frankincense was a perfume mixed with ground wheat or barley for the grain offering. Frankincense gave off an aroma that was pleasing to God as it burned. This, too, was an appropriate gift for Jesus, who in his life, but especially in his death, would be a pleasing sacrifice to God.
The third gift the wise men brought to Jesus was especially unusual. Myrrh is a sweet-smelling substance that was used to preserve dead bodies and overcome the smell of decay. Why give myrrh to a baby? Perhaps the wise men also understood Isaiah’s prophecy that “it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants” (Isaiah 53:10). The Messiah came as a baby for the very purpose of dying as a sacrifice for sin.
Because Jesus was born to die, we don’t have to be afraid of death. Yes, we will all die someday. But if we belong to Jesus, he will one day resurrect our dead bodies and make them new so that we will live with him forever."[1]
The wise men who followed the star to find Jesus seemed to know some things about the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. When they came to see Jesus, they actually fulfilled one of those prophecies. Isaiah had written about the Messiah, “Mighty kings will come to see your radiance. . . . [They] will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the LORD” (Isaiah 60:3, 6). Matthew recorded that the wise men “entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and . . . they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are certainly unusual gifts for a baby! Gold was a gift suited to a king. The wise men must have recognized Jesus as King and so they brought him gold and bowed down to him. Frankincense was a perfume mixed with ground wheat or barley for the grain offering. Frankincense gave off an aroma that was pleasing to God as it burned. This, too, was an appropriate gift for Jesus, who in his life, but especially in his death, would be a pleasing sacrifice to God.
The third gift the wise men brought to Jesus was especially unusual. Myrrh is a sweet-smelling substance that was used to preserve dead bodies and overcome the smell of decay. Why give myrrh to a baby? Perhaps the wise men also understood Isaiah’s prophecy that “it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants” (Isaiah 53:10). The Messiah came as a baby for the very purpose of dying as a sacrifice for sin.
Because Jesus was born to die, we don’t have to be afraid of death. Yes, we will all die someday. But if we belong to Jesus, he will one day resurrect our dead bodies and make them new so that we will live with him forever."[1]
-- Nancy Guthrie
[1] Guthrie,
Nancy. Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent .
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
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