As we approach the final week of Advent, we turn our attention to the third and final gift of the Magi: myrrh. While gold and frankincense might be more familiar to us, myrrh carries perhaps the most profound meaning of all three gifts, pointing directly to Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice.
What Is Myrrh and Why Did It Matter?

Unlike gold from Nubia or frankincense from Sheba (modern-day Yemen), myrrh came from both Sheba and the Horn of Africa. This precious resin was harvested by stabbing the Commiphora Myrrh tree, allowing the sap to ooze out, harden, and then be scraped off. In the ancient world, myrrh was a crucial part of daily life, especially in Middle Eastern cultures.
The Connection Between Myrrh and Death

What makes myrrh unique among the three gifts is its consistent association with death and burial. While Jewish people didn’t embalm bodies like the Egyptians, they used myrrh and other spices in their burial process. We see this clearly when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus used 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus’s body for burial.
Even during the crucifixion, someone offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh from a sponge – a detail we often read over without understanding its significance. This wasn’t just any sponge, but one that soldiers carried as toilet paper, making the gesture even more humiliating.
What Do the Early Church Fathers Say About These Gifts?

Early church fathers like Irenaeus and Origen began connecting the Magi’s gifts to Jesus’s identity and mission:

Gold represented Jesus’s eternal kingdom
Frankincense symbolized his divinity
Myrrh pointed to his role as the sacrificial lamb

Origen wrote that myrrh represents “the death of the human race” – meaning our old nature is buried with Jesus. It’s also “the death of death” itself, showing that while we experience physical death, it’s not the end of our story for those who put their faith in Jesus.
How Does Myrrh Represent Sacrificial Love?

Myrrh symbolizes a very specific type of love – one that sacrifices for others’ benefit, not our own. This reflects the Hebrew concept of hesed (faithfulness without seeking recognition) and raya (deep companionship through life’s journey).
The Difference Between Human and Divine Sacrifice

Most human sacrifice is tainted by self-interest. We give to look good, get tax breaks, or receive recognition. But Jesus’s sacrifice, symbolized by myrrh, was purely for our benefit. This is agape love – making decisions that benefit others rather than ourselves.
Why Were These Gifts So Providential?

The timing of the Magi’s gifts was no coincidence. After their visit to Herod, the paranoid king ordered the killing of all boys two years old and younger. An angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt, and the Magi’s generous gifts provided exactly what the poor family needed to fund their escape.
Evidence of Mary and Joseph’s Poverty

We know Mary and Joseph were poor because Luke 2:24 tells us they offered “a pair of doves or two pigeons” at Jesus’s presentation in the temple. According to Leviticus 12, this was the offering for those who couldn’t afford a lamb – essentially the “poor man’s gift.”
The Magi’s gifts transformed this homeless, extremely poor young couple’s situation, providing the resources they needed for their flight to Egypt.
What Can We Learn About Generosity?

The geography of Israel provides a perfect illustration of generosity versus stinginess. The Sea of Galilee receives fresh water from Mount Hermon and gives it out through the Jordan River – it’s full of life, birds, and vibrant colors. The Dead Sea, however, receives the same fresh water but keeps it all, becoming the most concentrated salt water on earth where nothing can live.
When we’re generous, we’re full of life. When we’re stingy, we’re full of death.
Three Key Questions for This Season

As we navigate this Christmas season, we need to ask ourselves:

Are you paying attention? To what’s happening around you, not just the busyness and distractions?
Are you being intentional? With your time, relationships, and resources?
Are you being generous? Without stipulations or expectations of return?

How Do We Avoid Hating Christmas?

It’s easy to get so caught up in the busyness of the season that we hate getting to Christmas. The world’s schemes will try to overwhelm us, numb us with entertainment, and distract us from God’s purposes.
Instead of getting pulled into the cultural madness of parties, events, and gift-giving obligations, we need to slow down and create space to listen to God. Don’t let the darkness of this world lull you to sleep with numbness and entertainment.
The Danger of Being Discipled by Algorithms

Ask yourself honestly: Who’s discipling you – an algorithm or Jesus? We’re not actually watching “news” anymore; we’re watching what algorithms think we should know based on agendas we may not even recognize.
Consider limiting your news consumption to an hour or two per week from sources you somewhat trust, rather than doom-scrolling constantly. This creates space to hear what God actually wants to do in and through your life.
Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to embody the spirit of myrrh by practicing sacrificial love. Choose one specific way to be generous that benefits someone else without any expectation of return or recognition. This could be financial giving, volunteering your time, or simply being present with someone who needs companionship.
Create intentional space in your schedule to slow down and listen to God. Resist the cultural pressure to fill every moment with activity, entertainment, or information consumption. Instead, ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to do in your life right now.
Questions for reflection:

What is God asking you to be obedient to, even without having all the details figured out?
How can you use your resources (time, money, talents) to fund someone else’s “escape plan” or meet their needs?
Are you building up your own kingdom or generously building up God’s kingdom around you?
What would it look like for your acts of worship to be bold enough to leave a lasting legacy that points others to Jesus?

The Magi’s simple act of obedience – paying attention, being intentional, and being generous – funded a divine escape plan and has been remembered for over 2,000 years. Your faithful obedience today might bless people in ways you’ll never fully understand, but God sees it all and will use it for His glory.