Bible Secrets of the Magi’s Gifts

Many paintings, Christmas cards, and other illustrations incorrectly give the image of Magi presenting Jesus with three small boxes of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

But this image simply falls short of reality. When the Magi came, they arrived with a whole caravan that transported precious cargo filled with unimaginable and inestimably valuable treasures that had been thoughtfully and painstakingly prepared as gifts for the greatest king ever born. As we already saw, this elite group was accompanied by bodyguards and a real army to protect them and the treasures they carried.

If we were able to compile a complete inventory of all the treasures and gifts they gave to Jesus in Nazareth — and if we were able to estimate the value of those treasures and gifts — it would simply be difficult for our minds to comprehend it. Remember that 20 talents of gold was deemed a normal gift for a lower-level king. Jesus, however, was deemed the greatest king ever to be born, and thus, the amount of gold they would have brought Him would be mind-blowing. Although the exact gifts presented to Jesus are unknown, there are three gifts that are mentioned in the Bible in particular — gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We will take a closer look at these items in the follow sections.

The Gift of Gold

Again, Matthew 2:11 says, “…When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

The word “gold” in this verse is from a Greek word that described the purest form of gold. Just as it is true today, the most sought-after and expensive gold was the gold that was absolutely pure. Other forms of this precious metal were less valuable because they were mixed with silver, producing a lower and less desirable grade of gold.

Although gold can be found as solid nuggets, the majority of gold is located in rock that must be mined from the earth, and the process of extracting it has always been long, difficult, and expensive to do.

First, the rock must be removed from the earth and then crushed into dust. Once the rock is crushed, tons of water wash away the lighter rock and dirt, leaving behind the heavier raw gold.

The exposed gold is then gathered and placed into a furnace with blazing hot temperatures that melt the precious metal into liquid form. As the molten gold bubbles under the heat of the blaze, impurities with a lower density than gold (called “slag” or “dross”) begin to rise to the surface — impurities that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

The worthless black slag is then scraped off by the gold worker using a special instrument. This process is repeated again and again, each time with a hotter furnace, until all impurities have been exposed and scraped off, and the only substance left is pure gold.

This refining process is long and laborious, and the heat that must be endured by the gold worker is furiously intense. From beginning to end, the process is tedious, uncomfortable, complicated, and, as we saw, expensive. But it is the only way to produce the purest gold.

Eliminating the impurities in gold without fire is impossible. And although these blemishes that are removed by fire are invisible to the naked eye, they will weaken any object made from a batch of gold where they are not removed.

On the other hand, once this process has been fully completed, a soft, pliable, pure form of gold is produced that the artisan can then shape into an object of exquisite beauty.

Because of the high cost required to produce this grade of pure, refined gold, it became the metal associated with royalty or nobility. In the ancient world, only pure gold was fitting for magnificently wealthy, powerful kings or nobility and was therefore used to make their cups, bowls, plates, saucers, and platters, as well as many other items.

When ambassadors or heads of foreign states arrived to visit a king, those guests came with many gifts. But to present a gift crafted of gold was deemed the highest way to show respect and honor. The Magi brought a whole catalog of gifts of gold to Jesus the Messiah-King, when they entered His family’s home in the village of Nazareth.

The Gift of Frankincense

Frankincense was exotic, rare, and so valuable that it could even be more expensive than gold itself. It was produced from the gum, or resin, of trees that grew in Far Eastern lands, which made it exceedingly rare and unthinkably expensive. Once the bark of the tree was cut, the trunk would exude amber-colored drops of sap, which were dried into a brittle mass. If burned, it produced a powerful, aromatic fragrance. Frankincense was the chief fragrance used in Temple worship in Jerusalem, and it was considered to be such a holy substance that Hebrew merchants were strictly forbidden to sell it to pagans.

Frankincense became such an integral part of Temple worship, rituals, and services that some scholars estimate a use of 700 pounds of this precious substance annually to fulfill Temple requirements. Because the frankincense tree didn’t grow in Israel, this substance was imported from Arabia and Sheba, which made it even more expensive. Although its primary use was for priestly ministry, it was also the preferred fragrance of kings. When the Magi brought gifts of frankincense to Jesus, it was not only an expensive gift, but it was their recognition of Him and their acknowledgment that they were bringing gifts to both a Priest and a King.

The Gift of Myrrh

Myrrh was also an aromatic substance that was produced from the resin derived from exotic trees in Eastern lands, which made it rare and very expensive. As with frankincense, the bark of the tree was cut and resin seeped from within that was then collected. When it hardened, it turned into a reddish mass with a pleasant odor when exposed to the air.

Because of its pleasurable smell, myrrh was in high demand as a perfume, especially for royalty. It was additionally used as a medicine. In most cases, it was mixed with fat, and as the fat melted, it filled the atmosphere with a lovely aroma. It was particularly loved by kings who used it to relieve headaches or who wore it in amulets around their necks.

However, myrrh was also used in the embalming process. As the fat melted in the compound, the aromatic smell would fill the cavity of a dead body and it would counteract the stench of a dead corpse.

Because trees that produced myrrh could only be found in distant countries, it was extremely expensive to produce and purchase. I remind you that when the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon, she brought him considerable quantities of frankincense and myrrh as a way of honoring him.

But Jesus was no lower-level king. The Magi knew they were embarking on a journey to see the greatest king ever born — the long-awaited world leader the Magi had anticipated since the time of Daniel. When the Magi brought gifts of myrrh to Jesus, because it was such an expensive gift, it was a declaration of honor, admiration, and esteem. After all, they were bringing gifts to the King of all kings!

When you take all these gifts into account, they each have great significance. Gold was a gift for a king. Frankincense was predominantly connected with a priest and his priestly functions. And myrrh was a component in perfume used for embalming the bodies of the dead. Thus, the myrrh symbolically prophesied Christ’s death. He was born to be the Messiah — the Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world. These three gifts of the Magi prophetically foretold that Jesus would eventually serve in the role of King, High Priest, and Savior of mankind through His death and resurrection.

The estimated value of all the Magi’s gifts for Jesus was extraordinary. Jesus was not a lower-level king, but the King of all kings! Accordingly, He was presented with gifts and treasures commensurate with His status. Not only was Jesus given gold, but also frankincense and myrrh, which were even more valuable than gold because of their rarity. Such gifts were so valuable that it is difficult to translate their value into modern financial equivalents. The treasures and gifts the Magi brought — and these are only three of those gifts — would have been worth a considerable fortune!

Think about it. The Magi really believed constellations in the heavens announced the arrival of the King of kings. And based on what we know of diplomatic exchanges among kings at that time, we can see that the enormity of the gifts they gave to Him would be simply mind-boggling.

What Happened to the Gifts the Magi Gave Jesus?

You may also ask, “What happened to all those gifts and treasures the Magi gave to Jesus in Nazareth?”

We see the answer to that question in my book, Christmas—The Rest of the Story. You need to learn the truth that God knows everything in advance and is always “on time” to provide everything you will ever need for anything He asks you to do. He will always provide what is needed for any of His children to fulfill any assignment He will ever ask him or her to carry out.

You are about to discover that when the Magi showed up with their gifts, God was supernaturally supplying all the needs of His Son exactly “on time” as needed. God always supplies every need to fulfill His plan according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (see Philippians 4:19).

As a child of God, you can expect God to fulfill the needs of your life too.