The GiftExemplo

Worship Jesus for What He’s Doing—Our God, Priest, and Healer 

The next gift the wise men brought Jesus is frankincense. Sap. 

Yes, frankincense is dried sap from trees. Specifically trees that grow in and around the southern end of the Arabian peninsula. 

First, a special knife pierces a wound in the Boswellia sacra tree where the sap begins to seep out. This first sap is not collected, it simply cleanses impurities. 

Later, more cuts are made to release a refined liquid. As the sap dries, it creates what’s referred to in the industry as a “tear.” These tears are then collected off the tree, crushed into pieces, and sold as frankincense. 

The frankincense delivered to Jesus would have traveled (likely by camel) across the Arabian desert as foreshadowed in Isaiah 60:6. At the time, it would have been worth more than its weight in gold. But it’s in the purpose and function of this gift that we can really start to see its value. Frankincense was most often burned as a type of incense. Actually, the history of the word itself points to something like pure or high-quality incense. 

Throughout Old Testament history, this pure incense was used by priests in the temple as part of ritual worship and sacrifice made to God to cover sins. It was also used regularly across the ancient world as a healing agent. 

Recent scientific research suggests frankincense still has healing powers, especially against certain cancers. When interviewed by the BBC, immunologist Mahmoud Suhail explained, “Cancer starts when the DNA code within the cell’s nucleus becomes corrupted. It seems frankincense has a reset function. It can tell the cell what the right DNA code should be.”

Why did the wisemen bring the gift of frankincense to young Jesus? Whether they knew it or not, they brought perhaps the only substance that could tell the story of Jesus foretold in Isaiah 53:5 NIV: 

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Jesus did this, and Jesus does this. Just like part of the Boswellia sacra tree is crushed to create frankincense, Jesus was crushed so that He could become our healing agent—the ultimate priest who offered His life as the final and perfect sacrifice for our sin and who still goes to God on our behalf. He is the reset function that makes everything right. He is our peace. 

Pray: Jesus, thank You for being the reset that makes us right with God. Thank You for continuing to intercede for us and for all the ways you heal us, restore us, bring us peace, and show You’re with us. Amen. 

Practice: How will you worship Him for what He did and still does today? How can you rely on Him as your priest and healer?