Wise Men Still Seek Him

Today’s post is brought to you by Sarah Lee Thomas. Sarah is an OK native currently residing in Santa Fe, NM with her husband. She is an excellent Bible study leader and we are excited to have her contribution today.

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:2

For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 8:35 

And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11

Gold makes sense, right?! They knew they were looking for a King. Gold is the metal of real kings and wantabe kings (based on every music video these days). Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He was born into this world for that truth. 

“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)

“Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'” (John 18:37)

My heart is marvelling in knowing that the battles we see playing out every day are not how things end up. Our King has overcome this world! We can rejoice and not be discouraged or fearful or even angry about what is going on in our world today. He doesn’t just win the battle, He has already won for all of eternity. 

Frankincense wasn’t something I really understood growing up. I knew it was an anointing oil, used in temple worship, and used to annoint the priests. Today, I know a lot more about Frankincense. It is an oil from the resin of the Boswellia tree, which is small and shrubby and has white flowers. The resin comes out as a milky white that then hardens into an orangey brown, but the oil is pretty liquidy. The oil is steam distilled from the hardened resin. Frankincense has a fresh, woodsy, slightly citrusy smell and is considered to have turpentine top notes and sweet, warm, balsamic, wood-smoke undertones. It has the following properties: analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antidepressant, astringent, carminative (relieves gas), cicatrizant (promotes healing through the formation of scar tissue), cytophylatic, (stimulating regeneration of cells), digestive, diuretic, expectorant, sedative, immune boosting tonic, anti-carcinogistic. The Babylon Bee can joke all they want, but I can tell you that I get excited about Frankincense as a gift and use it very frequently. From the wise men, the Frankincense gift looked forward to Jesus Christ our High Priest. 

“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 sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14-15) 

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”  (Hebrews 7:25)

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12)

Myrrh is another essential oil. It is also steam distilled from the resin, although this one is reddish brown and the tree is thorny with a distinctive knotted trunk (also has white flowers). Myrrh is a smokey, woodsy, kind of bitter (Hebrew, mor, or Arabic, murr, refers to its bitter taste), strong scented oil and is very viscous (much thicker than Frank). It also hardens back into a resin like substance and then you can’t get the lid off. Myrrh’s top properties include: anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, expectorant, anti-infectious, carminative, and antifungal. Throughout history Myrrh has been a prized oil and at times valued at its weight in gold. It was used as an embalming oil in Jesus’ time and the gift foreshadowed His death. 

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21)

“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20:28)

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18)

“This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.” (1 John 4:9-10)

Even though I am part of a sovereign nation, I’ve never experienced being ruled by a king, I don’t really have a frame of reference to relate to needing a priest, and I don’t think our brains can truly understand the concept of a sacrifice, but my innermost being rejoices knowing my Lord knows the very hairs on my head and cares about the desires of my heart, protects me in the shadow of His wing, is with me, fills me, died, for me?!, and He lives to give me life abundant. Why anyone would want to leave Jesus as a baby in the manager is beyond me.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov 9:10 NKJV)

Wise women still seek Him and marvel. Merry Christmas!!