In this Sunday’s gospel on the Epiphany of the Lord (Matthew 2:1-12), the gifts presented by the magi to Jesus revealed who the baby lying on the manger is.
The first gift, gold, symbolized that Jesus is a king. In fact, the Bible calls him as the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14). As such, he is “far above all principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21).
The second gift, frankincense, symbolized that Jesus is God. Incense is used in worship, and worship is due to God alone. In Exodus 20, in one of the ten commandments, God said, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, you shall have no other gods beside me” (verses 2-3). Recognizing this, we pray to God, and our prayer goes up to him like an incense (Psalm 141:2).
The last gift, myrrh, symbolized that Jesus is also a mortal man, for this substance is used to embalm the dead. This baby, born on Christmas Day, was appointed to die on Good Friday, not because of any sins that he has committed but to save us from the penalty due to our own sins. “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28). Thus, myrrh also symbolized that Jesus is our Savior – the one who, for his great love for us, offered his life on the cross.
How then should we respond to this message? Do we truly acknowledge Jesus as the king of our lives? Does his will prevail over ours, and do we submit ourselves in obedience to our benevolent king? Do we worship Jesus with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength? Do we profess him as our Lord? And lastly, do we accept in faith his free gift of salvation? Do we profess him as our Savior?
The identity of the baby Jesus was revealed by the gifts of the magi. Like the wise men who traveled from afar to offer these gifts to the Lord, may we journey through this new year, presenting our very own selves as gifts to God who, after all, owns everything and everyone, including us.
