The Stone Cold Tomb
“Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb”
In the third verse of “We Three Kings,” we are told of the third and final gift of the Magi. This gift, Myrrh, takes the tone of the carol and story in a different and more somber direction. This verse of Myrrh points listeners towards Jesus’ death on the cross and offers a reminder, even at His birth, of His ultimate purpose on Earth as a sacrifice to cleanse us all.
Most obviously, Myrrh points towards the death of Jesus. Given its most common use during the time of Christ, as an embalming oil used in preparation for burial, any person from antiquity would immediately see Myrrh as a gift for death. Because of this, although the gift of Myrrh was just as princely as any of the other gifts offered to the Christ child, it may have been viewed as inappropriate or even offensive, despite its value, due to the implications it carried. To Mary and Joseph, this gift may have seemed out of place, an unwelcome intrusion into the happy scene of their child’s birth, for it called to mind the ever-present reality of sorrow, pain, and death which lay in this child’s future. However, the presentation of Myrrh at Christ’s birth is meant to be a reminder of these things and a direct parallel of things to come.
“After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also 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.” (John 19:38-40)
Although Myrrh brings an atmosphere of sadness to this normally joyful season, it is also a vital reminder of the ultimate good news that Jesus brought for us. Not only was Myrrh used for embalming, it was also used for purification and cleansing (Esther 2:12). This gift of the Magi is then also a beautiful reminder of the cleansing and purification from sin that Jesus’ death ultimately provides for us.
Thus, I believe that Myrrh is a vital reminder to us as Christians in this Christmas season to look toward the coming season of Easter as well. Let us not forget, in the joy and gladness of the holiday season, in our singing of carols, in the giving of gifts, and in meals with family, that there was sadness intermingled with the joy of Jesus’ birth. Myrrh presents a reminder that His birth was ultimately for the purpose of sacrificing Himself for us. But, even in that sorrow, there is joy, as Jesus’ death brings us purification so that we may ultimately be reunited with God through the cleansing power of His blood. Even in this season of joy, our eyes ought to be fixed on the future glory bought for us through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus.