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Myrrh For The
Messiah
By Wayne Blank
"They presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and
myrrh"
Myrrh
is an aromatic resin that has been used as an ingredient in oils, ointments,
perfumes and incense since very ancient times.
The LORD commanded Moses to include myrrh in the "holy anointing oil."
"30:22 Moreover the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying, 30:23 Take thou also unto thee principal
spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much,
even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty
shekels, 30:24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after
the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
“30:25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy
ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an
holy anointing oil. 30:26 And thou shalt anoint the
tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
“30:27 And the table and all his vessels,
and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 30:28 And
the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his
foot. 30:29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be
most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy." (Exodus 30:22-29
KJV)
"Oil of myrrh" was also used for common purposes, such as perfume.
"45:8 All thy garments smell of myrrh,
and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee
glad." (Psalm 45:8 KJV)
"7:17 I
have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon." (Proverbs 7:17 KJV)
"3:6 Who
is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with
myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?" (Song Of Solomon 3:6 KJV)
"They
presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh"
Myrrh
was involved in the events of the birth, crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ.
Myrrh
was one of the three gifts brought by the "wise
men" to the newborn Messiah (although a man-made tradition began that
there were three wise men, the Holy Bible doesn't record how many there were -
only that three kinds of gifts were presented by them).
"2:1 Now when Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men
from the east to Jerusalem, 2:2 Saying, Where is he that
is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come
to worship him.
“2:3 When Herod
the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with
him. 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests
and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be
born. 2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea:
for thus it is written by the prophet,
“2:6 And thou
Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda:
for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
“2:7 Then
Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently
what time the star appeared. 2:8 And he sent them to
Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye
have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
“2:9 When they
had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the
east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child
was. 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy.
“2:11 And
when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his
mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their
treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and
myrrh." (Matthew
2:1-11 KJV)
It was sometimes the practice of the Romans to give
condemned people a stupefying concoction of "wine
mingled with myrrh" - the Messiah refused it.
"15:22 And they bring him unto the
place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 15:23 And
they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. 15:24 And
when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them,
what every man should take.
“15:25 And it was
the third hour, and they crucified him. 15:26 And the
superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 15:27 And
with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on
his left.
“15:28 And
the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the
transgressors. 15:29 And they that passed by railed on
him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and
buildest it in three days, 15:30 Save thyself, and come
down from the cross.
“15:31 Likewise
also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved
others; himself he cannot save. 15:32 Let Christ the King
of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they
that were crucified with him reviled him.
“15:33 And when
the sixth hour [i.e. noon] was come, there was darkness over the whole land
until the ninth hour [i.e. 3:00 pm]. 15:34 And at the
ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
“15:35 And
some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
“15:36 And one
ran and filled a sponge full of Vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to
drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
“15:37 And Jesus
cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost." (Mark 15:22-37 KJV)
Due
to its aromatic qualities (i.e. the reason that it was a major ingredient in
perfume), myrrh was included within the linen that the dead were wrapped in
(note that His Body was "wound"
in linen - there was no single-sheet "shroud").
"19:38 And after this Joseph of
Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews,
besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him
leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
“19:39 And there came also Nicodemus, which
at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes,
about an hundred pound weight.
“19:40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and
wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to
bury.
“19:41 Now in the place where he was
crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was
never man yet laid. 19:42 There laid they Jesus therefore
because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." (John 19:38-42
KJV)
About Wayne
Blank. I was born and raised as a Roman
Catholic, but I have had nothing what-so-ever to do with that organization
since the early 1970s, the time that I began basing my Christian beliefs solely
upon the Word of God, the Holy Bible. I have never been a
member of any other church organization.
My church membership today is that of the Biblical Church
of God. According to the Holy Scriptures, "church" actually means the
people, the "called out ones," who truly live by the Word of God
(see Can You See The Church?). I now strongly disagree with the Church of Rome and any
other Christian-professing church organization, Catholic or
Protestant, that contradicts the pure Word of God as written in the Holy
Scriptures.
Wayne Blank
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