The Profound Significance of Myrrh in Christ's Mission

 

Summary

The story of the Magi and their gifts to Jesus is a profound narrative that reveals the prophetic nature of Christ's life and mission. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were not merely extravagant offerings but held deep spiritual significance. While gold is universally recognized for its value, frankincense and myrrh are less understood. Last week, we explored frankincense, symbolizing Jesus as our eternal high priest, who empathizes with our struggles and intercedes on our behalf. Today, we delve into the gift of myrrh, a substance used in ancient times for burial preparations, symbolizing Jesus as the suffering servant and the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.

Isaiah 53 is a powerful prophetic chapter that foretells the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus, written 700 years before His birth. Isaiah's prophecy is akin to predicting the outcome of a Super Bowl centuries in advance, underscoring the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. Isaiah describes humanity as sheep, highlighting our weaknesses, lack of wisdom, and tendency to stray. This comparison is not flattering but rather a call to recognize our need for a Savior.

Jesus' journey to the cross was marked by immense suffering, both physical and emotional. From the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed in agony, to the brutal crucifixion, Jesus bore the weight of our sins. The cross, often sanitized in our minds, was a place of unimaginable pain and sacrifice. Yet, it is through this suffering that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our redemption.

The cross is a reminder of God's profound love and the lengths He went to save us. Unlike other religions that require humans to strive towards God, Christianity is unique in that God came down to us, offering grace and salvation. Jesus' resurrection three days later is the triumphant conclusion to His mission, affirming His victory over sin and death. As we reflect on these truths, may we be moved to worship and serve Him with our whole hearts, recognizing the depth of His love and sacrifice.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Prophetic Gifts: The gifts of the Magi—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—were prophetic symbols of Jesus' identity and mission. Myrrh, in particular, foreshadowed His role as the suffering servant who would bear the sins of the world. This gift points to the sacrificial nature of Christ's life and His ultimate purpose in redeeming humanity. [08:51]

2. Isaiah's Prophecy: Isaiah 53 is a remarkable prophecy that details the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus centuries before His birth. It highlights the divine inspiration of Scripture and the foreknowledge of God. This chapter calls us to recognize our need for a Savior and the profound love that motivated Jesus' sacrifice. [16:58]

3. The Nature of Sheep: Isaiah's comparison of humanity to sheep underscores our weaknesses and tendency to stray. Sheep are defenseless, lack wisdom, and wander aimlessly, much like us without divine guidance. This analogy serves as a reminder of our need for a shepherd, a Savior who leads and protects us. [13:53]

4. The Suffering Servant: Jesus' journey to the cross was marked by immense suffering, both physical and emotional. From the agony in Gethsemane to the brutal crucifixion, He bore the weight of our sins. This sacrifice was necessary for our redemption, and it calls us to a deeper appreciation of His love and grace. [19:58]

5. The Unique Love of God: Christianity is unique in that God came down to us, offering grace and salvation through Jesus' sacrifice. This divine love is unparalleled and calls us to respond with worship and devotion. The resurrection of Jesus affirms His victory over sin and death, offering us hope and peace. [31:08]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:00] - The Gifts of the Magi
- [04:30] - Significance of Myrrh
- [08:51] - Myrrh as a Symbol of Sacrifice
- [11:00] - Isaiah's Prophecy
- [13:53] - The Nature of Sheep
- [16:58] - Humanity's Need for a Savior
- [19:58] - The Suffering Servant
- [21:30] - Jesus' Journey to the Cross
- [25:07] - The Brutality of the Cross
- [26:01] - The Crucifixion Process
- [29:28] - The Weight of the Cross
- [31:08] - The Unique Love of God
- [32:17] - The Resurrection and Hope

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 2:9-11 - The visit of the Magi and their gifts to Jesus.
2. Isaiah 53 - The prophecy of the suffering servant.

#### Observation Questions
1. What were the three gifts presented by the Magi to Jesus, and what is their significance according to the sermon? [08:51]
2. How does Isaiah 53 describe humanity, and what does this imply about our need for a Savior? [13:53]
3. What specific event in Jesus' life does the sermon highlight to illustrate His role as the suffering servant? [19:58]
4. How does the sermon describe the uniqueness of God's love as demonstrated through Jesus' sacrifice? [31:08]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways do the gifts of the Magi, particularly myrrh, foreshadow Jesus' mission and identity as described in the sermon? [08:51]
2. How does Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 53 enhance our understanding of Jesus' suffering and sacrifice? [16:58]
3. What does the comparison of humanity to sheep in Isaiah 53 reveal about our spiritual condition and need for guidance? [13:53]
4. How does the sermon explain the significance of Jesus' resurrection in affirming His victory over sin and death? [31:08]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the prophetic nature of the gifts of the Magi. How can understanding their significance deepen your appreciation for Jesus' mission and sacrifice? [08:51]
2. Isaiah 53 describes humanity as sheep who have gone astray. In what areas of your life do you feel you are straying, and how can you seek guidance from Jesus, the Good Shepherd? [13:53]
3. The sermon emphasizes the immense suffering Jesus endured for our redemption. How does this understanding impact your daily walk with Christ and your response to His love? [19:58]
4. Christianity is unique in that God came down to us. How does this truth challenge the way you view your relationship with God and your approach to worship and devotion? [31:08]
5. Consider the emotional and physical suffering Jesus experienced on the cross. How can this awareness influence your perspective on personal suffering and trials? [21:30]
6. The sermon highlights the resurrection as a source of hope and peace. How can you live out this hope in your interactions with others and in your personal life? [32:17]
7. Reflect on the statement that God's goodness leads us to repentance. How can you cultivate a heart of gratitude and repentance in response to His love and sacrifice? [29:28]

Devotional

Day 1: The Prophetic Gifts of the Magi
The gifts of the Magi—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—were not just lavish offerings but prophetic symbols of Jesus' identity and mission. Gold represented His kingship, frankincense His priestly role, and myrrh foreshadowed His suffering and death. Myrrh, in particular, was used in ancient burial practices, symbolizing Jesus as the suffering servant who would bear the sins of the world. This gift points to the sacrificial nature of Christ's life and His ultimate purpose in redeeming humanity. As we reflect on these gifts, we are reminded of the depth of God's plan and the intentionality behind every aspect of Jesus' life and mission. [08:51]

Isaiah 60:6 (ESV): "A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord."

Reflection: Consider the gifts you offer to God in your life. How can you ensure that they are not just material but also spiritually significant, reflecting your understanding of who Jesus is?


Day 2: Isaiah's Prophecy of the Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53 is a remarkable prophecy that details the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus centuries before His birth. This chapter highlights the divine inspiration of Scripture and the foreknowledge of God. Isaiah describes humanity as sheep, underscoring our weaknesses and tendency to stray. This comparison calls us to recognize our need for a Savior and the profound love that motivated Jesus' sacrifice. The prophecy serves as a powerful reminder of God's plan for redemption and the lengths He went to fulfill it through Jesus. [16:58]

Isaiah 53:5-6 (ESV): "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt lost or strayed from your faith. How can you draw closer to Jesus, acknowledging Him as your Savior and guide?


Day 3: The Nature of Sheep and Our Need for a Shepherd
Isaiah's comparison of humanity to sheep underscores our weaknesses and tendency to stray. Sheep are defenseless, lack wisdom, and wander aimlessly, much like us without divine guidance. This analogy serves as a reminder of our need for a shepherd, a Savior who leads and protects us. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, offers us guidance, protection, and care. Recognizing our own vulnerabilities and need for His leadership can lead us to a deeper reliance on Him and a more intentional walk in faith. [13:53]

John 10:14-15 (ESV): "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself wandering without direction? How can you invite Jesus to be your shepherd in those areas today?


Day 4: The Suffering Servant's Journey to the Cross
Jesus' journey to the cross was marked by immense suffering, both physical and emotional. From the agony in Gethsemane to the brutal crucifixion, He bore the weight of our sins. This sacrifice was necessary for our redemption, and it calls us to a deeper appreciation of His love and grace. The cross, often sanitized in our minds, was a place of unimaginable pain and sacrifice. Yet, it is through this suffering that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our redemption, offering us hope and new life. [19:58]

Hebrews 5:7-9 (ESV): "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him."

Reflection: How does understanding the depth of Jesus' suffering on the cross change your perspective on your own struggles and sacrifices?


Day 5: The Unique Love of God in Christ's Sacrifice
Christianity is unique in that God came down to us, offering grace and salvation through Jesus' sacrifice. This divine love is unparalleled and calls us to respond with worship and devotion. Jesus' resurrection three days later is the triumphant conclusion to His mission, affirming His victory over sin and death. As we reflect on these truths, we are invited to recognize the depth of His love and sacrifice, and to live in response to this incredible gift of grace. [31:08]

1 John 4:9-10 (ESV): "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Reflection: How can you actively demonstrate your gratitude for God's love and sacrifice in your daily life? What specific actions can you take to live out this love towards others?

Quotes



"Occasionally, it was used as an antiseptic. For example, in myrrh, in Mark chapter 15 and verse 23, when Jesus was on the cross just moments before his death, you may remember this, that they took a sponge, put it on the end of a stick, and they stuck it up to Jesus. It was a mixture of wine and myrrh to help dull the pain in his final moments of life, and we know this, that Jesus rejected that, and the reason he did is because he wanted to pay it all. He did not want anything to detract from the full burden and the full pain and the full price of our sins, and he took it all to the cross and buried it once and for all." [00:09:04] (38 seconds)


"This is why for centuries now, most Bible scholars agree that when the wise men brought the gift of myrrh to the baby Jesus, it was going to be symbolic that this child would be the suffering servant, that he would be the lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world, that he would be that one that would stay and stand in our place in proxy of us, and that vicariously he would take our sins to the cross, paying for it once and for all." [00:11:21] (30 seconds)


"All of us like sheep have strayed away we have left God's path to follow our own and the Lord has laid on him that is Christ the sins of us all now let me say this to you that when you hear the word of God and you hear the word of God Isaiah referred to us as sheep he is not paying us a massive compliment it is not a big compliment if he would have said all of us like lions all right that may be a compliment all of us like eagles that may be a compliment but when he said all of us like sheep have gone astray he is identifying that we have a major problem." [00:13:21] (32 seconds)


"Sheep are weak, they are witless, and they are wayward. I'll prove it to you. They're weak. A sheep is defenseless. Think about it with me. They have nothing to protect themselves with from a lion or a coyote or a wolf. They are easy prey. They have no fangs. They have no claws. They don't even have quills on their back like a porcupine in defense. They're not fast like a deer that can run away from danger. They're not like a bird that can fly away from attack. They don't even have camouflage to blend in. They are just big, white blobs on the countryside, and they stick out like a sore thumb." [00:15:32] (36 seconds)


"Jesus was despised and rejected. He was a man of sorrows. He was acquainted with the deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, but we didn't care, yet it was our weaknesses that he carried. It was our sorrows that weighed him down, and we thought that his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins. But he was pierced for our rebellion." [00:18:44] (22 seconds)


"But thanks be to God, this is not the end of the story. In a few months, we're going to really make a big deal out of and celebrate what happened three days later. I grew up in a really traditional church home. My mom would play the piano and sing and they sang old, old, old, old songs. And some of them were like, old, old songs, like really old. And I remember this one song. Every now and again, my mom would just begin to play it and she would sing it. It was like super wordy. But I remember as a young man listening to the words of the song one time and I did some research and found out that in 1874, it was written by a pastor named Robert Lowry." [00:32:17] (38 seconds)


"He said, In one's stance, a death cannot keep its prey. My Jesus is torn the bars away. Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph over his foes. He arose the victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever with his saints to reign. He arose. He arose. Hallelujah. Christ arose. He was the suffering servant, but he is the risen king. And he finished the work so that you and I might go free and know what it's like to experience peace that passes all understanding. Merry Christmas indeed." [00:33:05] (37 seconds)


Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Dec 15, 2024. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?