Ahhh Christmas. Its the time of year for giving, and a significant tradition that we as Christians hold dear to our hearts each year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
The Wise men traveled a great distance from the East to bring gifts to the Baby Jesus. This Christ child must have been pretty important. We don’t know much about the wise men, we’re not even sure how many there were. Jesus was well over a year by the time they arrived.
Matthew 2:11 NIV
[11] On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Why bring such precious and valuable gifts to a baby? The wise men thought they were going to see a King, so they brought gifts of royalty, they did not know the savior of mankind would be a child. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:32).
One of the precious gifts they bought from afar was Frankincense. It is considered the holy oil. The gift of frankincense given to the Christ Child symbolized His holiness. His willingness to freely and wholly give Himself up as a sacrifice for our sins.
Frankincense is the gum or resin from the Boswellia tree. It was a very expensive substance because it was collected in remote parts of Arabia, North Africa, and India. Today Frankincense essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dry resin. Frankincense has a lemony, musky odor, and is used to help arthritis, asthma, depression, memory, inflammation, and skin disorders. Some studies suggest Frankincense may have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
Click the link to find out more about how I use Frankincense essential oil or visit my website.
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