The Meaning of Myrrh 没药的意义
Dexu Xia
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11
Today is Epiphany, the day which commemorates the event described by the carol “We Three Kings of Orient Are” when gentile wisemen visited the child Jesus. Yet they weren’t kings, they weren’t from the Far East (as Orient formerly meant), and it’s unlikely there were three of them.
There were, however, three gifts, and the carol considers each. When the magi arrived in Bethlehem, “They opened their treasures and presented [Jesus] with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). The gifts symbolize Jesus’ mission. Gold represents His role as King. Frankincense, mixed with the incense burned in the sanctuary, speaks of His deity. Myrrh, used to embalm dead bodies, gives us pause.
The fourth verse of the carol says, “Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume / breathes a life of gathering gloom; / sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, / sealed in the stone-cold tomb.” We wouldn’t write such a scene into the story, but God did. Jesus’ death is central to our salvation. Herod even attempted to kill Jesus while He was yet a child (v. 13).
The carol’s last verse weaves the three themes together: “Glorious now behold him arise; / King and God and sacrifice.” This completes the story of Christmas, inspiring our response: “Alleluia, Alleluia, / sounds through the earth and skies.”
By: Tim Gustafson
How do you feel when you ponder the truth that Jesus was born to die for you? How does His resurrection inspire you?
Heavenly Father, may Your Spirit help me live my life in gratitude for Your Son giving His life for me.
[他们]揭开宝盒，拿黄金、乳香、没药为礼物献给祂。—马太福音2章11节
今天是主显节，是纪念在诗歌《朝拜新生王》（We Three Kings of Orient Are）所描述的事件。当时，有几位外邦的智者前去朝见婴儿耶稣。这几位博学之士来自东方，不过他们不太可能是三个人。
然而，他们确实带了三件礼物，这首诗歌细说了每一件礼物的含意。当这些智者抵达伯利恒，俯伏敬拜婴儿耶稣的时候，便“揭开宝盒，拿黄金、乳香、没药为礼物献给祂”（马太福音2章11节）。这些礼物象征耶稣的身份和使命。黄金代表祂君王的身份；乳香是圣殿中所燃的香料之一，代表了祂是神；没药则是用于防止尸体腐烂，而这令人深思。
这首诗歌的第四节写道：“献上没药苦味至浓，表示我主将受伤痛，忧愁叹息流泪死亡，被葬孤寂墓中。”我们不会把这样的情景写进圣诞故事里，但是上帝的计划却是如此。耶稣的死是我们得救恩的关键，希律王甚至在耶稣还是婴孩的时候，就企图杀害祂（13节）。
在诗歌的最后一节将这三个主题交织在一起：“基督复活荣耀辉煌，被杀羔羊救主我王。”这一节完成了圣诞节的故事，也激发你我欢然回应：“哈利路亚，哈利路亚，声震天地四方！”
作者： 葛庭墨
当你想到耶稣降生是为你而死，
你有什么感受？
祂的复活如何使你得激励？
天父，感谢祢让耶稣为我流血舍命，
愿祢的灵帮助我，使我能活出感恩的生命。