Odd Gifts for a Baby?

I have thought a lot about the gifts presented to baby Jesus over the years, but it wasn't until the last couple of years that I realized how precious these gifts were. I can hear some of you saying to yourselves... Really? I have always thought that gold, frankincense and myrrh were odd gifts for a baby.

A few years ago I became acquainted with essential oils. Our son has done missionary work in Ghana over the past decade, yet - even with all the proper immunizations, he has suffered from many illnesses, with the worst one being typhoid. When he was getting ready to return there once again in 2008, I began researching what would be effective against many of the diseases and illnesses that plague third-world countries. Additionally, they needed to travel well, last a long time and be relatively easy to administer. Essential oils fulfilled all those requirements. In fact, I have often said that - next to Jesus, essential oils are one of the best things God every gave us! Many possess antiviral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Some of the precious essential oils identify improperly written DNA; others can obliterate those "miss-writes", while still others can re-write using the proper DNA. In fact, a few of these essential oils can do all three by themselves. See what I mean? Wow!

Our son has used these powerful essential oils during his last three stays in Ghana and we have seen first-hand how incredible these oils are.

How does this relate to the gifts baby Jesus received from the Wise Men? Well, two of the gifts: frankincense and myrrh are essential oils. In reality what the Wise Men gave to the parents of baby Jesus was a 1st century pharmacy. Why frankincense and myrrh? Both essential oils come from the same botanical family, "Burseraceae" which is indigenous to Somalia. They had been used medicinally for centuries prior to Jesus' birth because of their incredible medicinal properties listed here.

Frankincense: antitumoral, immuno-stimulant, antidepressant. It contains sesquiterpenes, which stimulate the limbic system of the brain, hypothalamus, pineal, and pituitary glands. The hypothalamus is the master gland of the human body, producing many vital hormones. Frankincense was "used to treat every conceivable ill known to man" at the time of Jesus' birth. In fact, "it was valued more highly than gold during ancient times, and only those with great wealth and abundance possessed it". (Quotations were taken from Essential Oils desk reference fifth edition.)

Myrrh: antioxidant, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiparasitic, analgesic and anesthetic. It also contains sesquiterpenes... and like frankincense, was very expensive.

Wise Men travelled from the East following a star... a star placed in the sky by God himself to point the Wise Men to God's son, Jesus. They brought with them precious essential oils that Mary and Joseph would not have been able to afford themselves. They bowed before the baby Jesus and presented him with gifts. Oh, but not just gifts... these carried within them the power to keep baby Jesus healthy during his infancy and toddler years. The Wise Men also presented baby Jesus with gold so that more oils could be purchased to keep him strong and healthy as a young boy, teenager and adult. With these oils available to baby Jesus from his birth he would not only be protected from the plagues, illnesses and infections of that time in history, but his tiny body, brain, hypothalamus and other important glands would be stimulated by these oils from the moment he entered into this world in human form.

Pretty awesome?! You bet... No cute baby clothes, play pens, diapers and diaper bags for the baby Jesus from family and friends. His gifts came from afar - and from men his parents didn't even know. AND, his gifts were quite literally gifts of LIFE.

Think about it: baby Jesus was given gifts to preserve human LIFE yet He gives us eternal LIFE when we believe He is God come in human form to live a perfect life, die for the sins of the world, and rise up from the grave thus fulfilling his purpose for coming in human form. He came for you and for me!

Next time you hear the Christmas story and the gifts the Wise Men presented you will know that these were NOT odd gifts for a baby. These were the perfect gifts for the Son of God.

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