Why was Jesus - a baby -given Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh?

Question

Most toys I buy for babies are not hazardous and make fun sounds.

I really was curious about this and thanks to everyone who posted a serious answer to this question.

Answer 1

Frankincense & Myrrh: Not Such Strange Baby Gifts After All


Gold, frankincense, and myrrh — nearly any child can tell you that these were the gifts three Wise Men brought the Christ Child. Their gift of gold we understand. Most young parents can use a sizeable contribution of gold bullion to rear their child. But frankincense and myrrh leave us scratching our heads a bit in puzzlement. What are we to make of these? And is there something about the precious gifts of the Magi that can provide us with clues to the true worship desired by Jesus?

Without traveling to Israel or the Middle East, we can discover quite a bit of factual information about frankincense and myrrh. Frankincense comes from trees and myrrh from bushes that grow along the coasts of southern Arabia and Somalia. When an incision is made in their trunks or stems, sap exudes and congeals with exposure to air. These droplets are gathered and sold ounce by precious ounce. The droplets of frankincense and myrrh are so valuable because they have so many uses for those who know what to do with them and how to do it.

In the line of work and study practiced by ancient theologians, frankincense and myrrh had some uses commonly known to them. For example: frankincense was added to the incense mixture burned before the Lord in offering sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem; myrrh was used to embalm bodies. Without investigating further, those two uses led commentators to romantically suggest that frankincense and myrrh were only symbolic gifts for Jesus, our Heavenly High Priest, and Jesus, the One who was to be Slain.

However, these neat theological packages come undone quickly because 1. Frankincense is only one of several ingredients needed for temple incense so why did the Wise Men also contribute the rest? And 2. Jesus was never embalmed and didn’t stay dead so prearrangements for embalming was wholly unnecessary.

So what was the frankincense and myrrh all about?

Several Israeli practitioners of traditional and herbal medicines knew immediately. It turns out that the combination of gold, frankincense, and myrrh was not only appropriate, in their opinion, but a very deluxe First Century baby gift selected by true Wise Men. These spices were gifts anyone would deeply appreciate because they addressed the problems common to everyone — health and well-being — for frankincense and myrrh are powerful medicines. However, in a day of high infant mortality, frankincense and myrrh were highly regarded medicine for babies, practically a pediatrician in a jar.

Although frankincense and myrrh each have their own separate curative properties, both were used in various ways to treat everything from scratches and bruises to common baby and childhood illness. They also were thought to have health and psychological benefits for a new mother, too. However, when mixed together in different proportions and used in a variety of folk-style treatments, frankincense and myrrh made an entire drugstore of powerful medicines.

Even today, each practitioner has his or her own secret proportions, additives, and methods of application. One practitioner, when presenting me with his private blend of frankincense and myrrh, told me confidentially and with a bit of a twinkle, “This will change your life.”

Perhaps this was true of the Magi as well. Perhaps when they “opened their treasures” (Matthew 2:11), they imparted some of their secret learning, too. But whether or not they gave Mary and Joseph dosage information, one thing is sure: the Wise Men have left us with a lasting example for worshipping Jesus and giving good gifts.

What Jesus Wants Most For His Birthday

Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. These gifts symbolize the worship of the wise, what Jesus most desires from us at any time of year.

Offerings of gold — that is painfully obvious. He desires that we worship Him with contributions given to those who care for the Body of Christ.

Offerings of frankincense and myrrh are just as obvious. As Jesus taught in Matthew 25, when we meet the most basic human needs of others — clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, visited the jailed — we are giving to Him and bestowing the wisest and most precious gifts of all

Answer 2

Why Was Jesus Given Frankincense

Answer 3

The gold was supposed to be symbolic of Jesus being king. The frankincense was used for temples so that may be a symbol of Jesus being the high priest.. The myrrh.. I think the last wise man ate up all the chocolate covered macadamia nuts along the way ;D Wise crack..

Answer 4

The presents are symbolic.

Gold, as ever, for the King. Simple

Frankincense, or incense, for worship. Fairly simple, considering that Jesus is God in human form.

Myrrh - the tricky one as it is very theological. Myrrh was used in burial, and symbolises death. It looks forwards to the Cross, for which Jesus came to earth.

Answer 5

Because the story of "Jesus", down to the last detail, is exactly the same as other old ancient pagan "saviour" stories that existed long before "Jesus". The story of "Jesus" is a compliation of these old stories, and in these stories the savior figure was always brought gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh, among other things. It's a copycat story.

Answer 6

Each gift was symbolic - the Gold symbolic of his kingship, the Frankincense symbolic of his priesthood, Myrrh was a burial herb and symbolic of the fact that he would have to die for his people...

Jesus was no ordinary baby!!

Answer 7

Jesus chewed on pieces of gold when he was teething. The frankincense and myrrh were to make his diapers smell springtime fresh.

Answer 8

Jesus is the son of God. The King of Kings and the Savior. Not even these great gifts were good enough for Him but thats all the shepherds had and that was good enough for Him :)

Answer 9

These gifts actually helped finance the family's escape and sojourn in Egypt.

Further, each gift represents Jesus' role as King, Priest, and Prophet.

Answer 10

all the babies you by stuff for are not the KING OF THE JEWS, Praise the Lord,also this is some very awsome stuff I would love to get any of these gifts I burn myrrh all the time it is the best smell in the world