The Gift Of Myrrh
Notes
Transcript
Exodus 30:22-33; Hebrew 2:9-18; Isaiah 53
The Gifts of worship
The Gifts of worship
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Myrrh - Humanity / Path of Suffering
Seeking Jesus as the Suffering Servant
Submission, Suffering, and Sacrifice
Anointing - Christos - The Messiah
Submission - Not My Will, But Thy Will Be Done.
Suffering of Christ - His Passion, Death, and Burial
Sacrifice - By His Scourgings, We Are Healed.
Might - What are you willing to sacrifice for Jesus?
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
What Is Myrrh?
What Is Myrrh?
Myrrh was a yellow to reddish-brown substance that hardens into a bitter, aromatic gum resin taken from a shrubbery tree.
It is found in Ethiopia, Southern Arabia and up into India. Its taste is bitter but it has a pleasant smell.
It was used in cosmetics and perfumes and medicinally, but its primary biblical use was:
Liquid myrrh was known as stacte.
It was used as one of the ingredients in the Incense for the Altar of Incense
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.
It was used in the Holy Anointing Oil to anoint the priesthood and articles of the tabernacle.
Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. “You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
What Is The Purpose And Symbolism Of Myrrh?
What Is The Purpose And Symbolism Of Myrrh?
It Was Used In The Sacred Anointing Oil. (Exodus30:22-33)
The Term Messiah Means – Anointed One - Christos (Christ) - Holy - set apart
Anointing oil signified Ownership by God - It was used to indicate that which was a personal possession. In other words, God was using it to claim that which was His own.
It demonstrated Dedication To God:
Used as a ceremony setting apart a person, object or place to special service and was poured over the heads of those who were being called into kingship, prophet hood, and priesthood.
It was smeared upon the object, thus consecrating it to the Lord as His own for divine service.
We see the myrrh mixture explicitly used here to anoint Aaron and his sons to the priesthood.
It was special (holy) and not to be used for any other purpose.
It Was Used As An Analgesic To Numb Pain. Suffering/Christ’s Passion
Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.
He would meet death face to face in control of all His faculties.
He would die on His own accord that He might experience the full fury of the wrath of God and taste death for every man.
It Was Used As A Burial Spice. Death/Burial Of Christ
John 19:39–40 (NASB95)
Nicodemus...came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
The Implications Of The Gift Of Myrrh To Jesus (Hebrews 2:9-18)
The Implications Of The Gift Of Myrrh To Jesus (Hebrews 2:9-18)
Humanity: He was made for a little while lower than the angels. His incarnation was indeed real. (vs.9)
Chapter 1 focuses on His Divinity, His Divine glory. Frankincense if you will. In Chapter 1, He is superior to the angels…
Chapter 2 focuses on His humanity, His mortality. Myrrh, if you will. And so chapter 2 focus on him being lower than the angels…
(Vs.14) He took on flesh and blood. Only by sharing our flesh and blood could Jesus die a real death.
Anointed King: Crowned with glory and honor – His return to glory was a firstfruit offering and reveals Jesus being coronated as King. Crown...Gold, if you will. (vs.9)
Church of Smyrna (myrrh) - suffering…given the crown of life to those who are faithful until death.
because of His suffering and death He was crowned...
Experienced Death– (vs.9)
Myrrh - By the grace of God he tasted death for everyone
(vs.14) To render the devil powerless in regards to death.
(vs. 15) To set us free from the fear of death. Jesus brought death to death.
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Perfected (completed) Through Suffering (vs. 10)
Comparison of inadequacy of temple sacrificial system with the adequacy of Christ’s sacrifice.
Perfection/completeness - To reach the intended goal, bring to a full end, complete, finish a work or duty.
The fulfillment of God’s plan, the completion of God’s saving purpose.
“Author” could be translated “champion” of their salvation.
Having successfully endured the trial of life, He was victorious and proven fit to be the Savior of God’s people.
In Jesus’ case, this is not about attaining moral perfection, He was already perfect, but rather being perfectly equipped to fulfill his saving mission.
But the appointed way was through the path of suffering. myrrh
Suffering - The one whose position was King (Gold), and whose purpose was High Priest (Frankincense) now has to go through the path of suffering (Myrrh) in order to fulfill His mission.
Submission - In the face of the most pressing hardship and suffering He remained obedient to His Father.
Not my will but Thine be done.
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Crazy connection here: Thorns were a part of the curse.
myrrh branches are thorny.
It was a piece of the thorny story of redemption.
Myrrh was part of the anointing oil that anointed the pieces of the tabernacle, but do you know what the pieces, like the altar of incense were made of? Acacia wood.
beautiful wood that is very thorny.
Some even believe it was acacia tree branches that made the crown of thorns on Christ’s head.
Submission and Suffering
Jesus was the Suffering Servant
Isaiah 52.13-53.12
Marred
Despised
Forsaken
Man of Sorrows - literally a man of pain
Acquainted with Grief
Afflicted
Stricken
Smitten
Pierced
Crushed
Scourged
Oppressed
Afflicted
Cut Off
Anguished of soul - toilsome labor
Poured out to death
Numbered with the transgressors
Bore the sin of many
Again, His fulfillment of the mission was just proof that He was qualified to be the champion of our salvation.
He proved He was the Savior by submitting to and following through the intended path
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Result: Bringing Many Sons To Glory (vs.10)
Vs. 16 - He does not give help to angels, but to the sons of Abraham.
Vs.17 – He was made like us so that he could help us.
Mercifully knows what it is like to be human
Faithfully represent us in service to God: Highlights obedience and trustworthiness
He made propitiation for our sins.
Vs.18 - Since He was tempted, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Isaiah 53:3–4 (NASB95)
He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief...Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried
He takes us from death to life. From Suffering to Healing
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Our Response: God sanctifies us, or sets us apart to Himself. To lay claim to us, to call us His own. (vs.11)
He “anoints us”. To Make Us Holy:
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
A sign of hospitality and welcome.
He is laying claim to us as His kinsmen. Reconciling us as family.
We are not aliens or strangers, but one of His. We are His!
He is dedicating us to His service.
Just like the myrrh in the Holy anointing oil was used to dedicate and anoint the priests for service, so too we are anointing for service.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 is the anointing given to believers to do God’s work.
Spiritual Gifts distributed I Cor 12…are the tools given to us by the Holy Spirit to do God’s work.
Myrrh And Might Application
Myrrh And Might Application
Myrrh deals with our mortality, our suffering, and our weaknesses, thus deals with our bodies and therefore our strength or might.
It also ties into the anointing unto holiness, or setting apart from common to sacred, of sanctifying us for godly purposes, thus deals with us sacrificing and giving over our bodies to God.
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Give God Our Bodies – Test/Trial (Death)
Submission: conscious choice to trust God
Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
Suffering Smyrna – Greek word for Myrrh (Revelation 2:8–11, HCSB)
Martyrdom – witness: Polycarp and pupil of John the Revelator was martyred in Smyrna in AD 155
Worship God With Our Bodies (Sacrifice)
A Living Sacrifice
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
-vs. 2 - Do not be conformed to this world.
Honor God With Our Bodies – Temptation (Anointing/Holiness)
Ceasing from sin doesn’t mean we won’t ever sin again, but that we don’t let sin run our life anymore.
Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Although this is specifically dealing with sexual sin, and I need to note the word here for immorality is porneia, which is where we get our word for pornography, this does apply generally to all sins done in the flesh.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Might: Strength – What can I give up in order to better love and serve God? What are you willing to sacrifice for Jesus?
Are You Seeking Christ Through Bringing Your Gift Of Myrrh?
Are You Seeking Christ Through Bringing Your Gift Of Myrrh?
Like the Magi came seeking the Suffering Servant and humbly submitted to Him through these acts of giving, so we too humble ourselves recognizing Jesus’ sacrifice for us, saying: “Thy will be done.”
The myrrh didn’t make him the sacrifice. He was already the sacrifice.
The myrrh was an intensifier of what He already was.
Likewise we intensify our worship of Him through voluntary and sacrificial giving and service.
Myrrh: That we might know His will and follow Him more nearly.
Seeking Christ Through the Three Gifts
Seeking Christ Through the Three Gifts
Gold – Royalty / Position as King
Seeking Jesus as King and His Kingdom
Love and Loyalty
Do we love Gold, or God?
Do we do things for God’s fame and glory or ours? For His Kingdom or ours?
Heart– Does your heart pursue Jesus as King over your life?
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Frankincense - Deity / Purpose as Priest
Seeking Jesus as the High Priest
Worship and Prayers
Tabernacle - God’s dwelling among us.
Atonement - God’s payment for us.
Intercession - God’s mediator between us.
Soul - Have you allowed Jesus to restore your soul? Does God dwell within you?
Hebrews 7:24–25 (NASB95)
but Jesus…, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Myrrh - Humanity / Path of Suffering
Seeking Jesus as the Suffering Servant
Submission, Suffering, and Sacrifice
Submission - Not My Will, But Thy Will Be Done.
Suffering of Christ - His Passion, Death, and Burial
Sacrifice - By His Scourgings, We Are Healed.
Might - What are you willing to sacrifice for Jesus?
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
In Summary:
Gold, a king, the son of royalty – the best of earth.
Frankincense, a high priest, the son of God – the best of heaven.
Myrrh, a mortal, the son of man – what it takes to reunite heaven and earth.
Day by day
O dear Lord three things I pray
To see Thee more clearly (Frankincense)
Love Thee more dearly (Gold)
Follow Thee more nearly (Myrrh)
Day by day
Closing Songs: We Three Kings; How Many Kings?