Myrrh signifies death and also the fragrance of death. Among the human race, death has no fragrance; however, with Jesus there was the fragrance of death.

When the wise men presented the gold, the frankincense, and the myrrh, I do not believe they knew the meaning of the gifts they offered. They surely offered their gifts under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh, signifying that the child Jesus had the divine nature; that His life would be a life of resurrection, full of the fragrance of frankincense; and that His life would be full of the fragrance of death.

When Jesus was twelve years old, He went to Jerusalem with His parents (Luke 2:42). Because He was burdened to see what people were doing in His Father's house, the temple, He stayed in Jerusalem after the feast (Luke 2:43). Mary and Joseph did not understand Him. They looked for Him and eventually found Him in the temple (vv. 44-48). In a sense, Mary rebuked Him. If I had been Jesus, I would have rebuked her. I would have fought back and said, "Don't you know what I'm doing here? Why do you come to bother Me?" If we read Luke's account, we shall see that Jesus did say something to them. He said, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (v. 49). After He said this, He went along with them and returned with them to Nazareth. That was a real killing to Him. His intention was killed, and in that killing we can smell myrrh. That was not the fragrance of frankincense; it was the sweet aroma of myrrh.

If we read the four Gospels, the biographies of Jesus, we shall see that in the life of Jesus the gold, the frankincense, and the myrrh were very prevalent. He was always living the resurrection life, and He was constantly under the killing of the cross. He did not wait until thirty-three and a half years had passed before He went to the cross to be crucified. Throughout His whole life He was continually being crucified on the cross. Thus, He had not only the fragrance of resurrection, but also the sweet myrrh of the cross.

The wise men found the kingly child Jesus in Bethlehem, which Micah 5:2 tells us is "little among the thousands of Judah." He was born in such a humble town in such lowly circumstances. However, due to the vision that came through the star, the wise men paid their full respect to the kingly child, not caring about the place. Therefore, they offered to Him the three precious items. Each of these items signifies some precious element of the Lord Jesus' nature and life. In nearly every page of the four Gospels, we see the preciousness of the Lord's humanity, the fragrance of His resurrection life, and the sweet aroma of His sacrificial death. Even in the early days, soon after the Lord's birth, the wise men did such an appropriate thing. It exactly suited the Lord's nature and life. Their offering was certainly presented under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

It may be that these precious treasures offered by the magi provided for the Lord's trip from Judea to Egypt and from Egypt to Nazareth. The worship and offering of the wise men truly accomplished something.