Midweek Advent 3 (2023)

Exodus 30:1-8; 34-38

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we come together tonight to look at the second gift that the Magi bring to Christ for to glorify him and celebrate His birth. It is the gift of Frankincense. This is not the first time that frankincense is mentioned in the Bible. In fact it was a regular part of the worship life of the Jewish people and had been for almost 2000 years. God had commanded the people to use it in worship of Him.

But what is Frankincense? It is a fragrant resin that comes from a particular family of trees. It was collected and then burned for it had a pleasant smell. You can buy it still today. It has a yellowish color and I’ve got some in a bag in the narthex if you want to take a look and smell it. This mixture of frankincense was set apart as special and to be offered up by the priests at twice a day before the presence of God. That is why in the Psalm for tonight it speaks our prayers rising up before God as incense, and the lifting of hands in prayer as the evening sacrifice.

That was its regular function, but there was a special day that was set aside in Israel’s calendar, and it was Yom Kippur, or the day of atonement. This incense served a very special purpose on that day. Yom Kippur was the only day that the high priest was able to enter into the Holy of Holies and stand before God to ask for God’s forgiveness for the people, and that God’s holiness might bring blessing to the people of Israel.

However, there was a problem the High Priest was human, like you and I, and if he were to come into the presence of the Holy and righteous God, he would come under judgment and wrath. So on that day they beat the incense until it was very fine and then burned two handfuls of it until the cloud of incense enveloped the mercy seat of God, so that He wouldn’t die.

Then he would take the blood of the sacrifice of the sin offering that had been made for him, so that He would not perish. This was necessary for the High Priest had no one to intercede for him, and so God promised that the incense would protect him, while he finished the sin offering made for himself, and then He could offer up sacrifices for the people of God.

So who is this babe born in Bethlehem? He is not just our king, He is also our priest in the order of Melchizedek, and He is the high priest who would intercede for the world. The incense here points to that priestly function that Jesus would make intercession for us.

The Sacrifice that Christ would offer up would not be the blood of goats or bulls. He would offer up Himself, His perfect for the sake of sinners. By doing this, He overthrew the need for incense to shield people from the Holiness of God. For while the Priests in the line of Aaron needed to offer up sacrifices again and again, Jesus had to offer up only one sacrifice once for all. That is why at his death, the Curtain that separated us from the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. God ripped it away for Christ’s life was offered up as a fragrant offering that is eternal.

That’s why it’s not required that we use incense in the sanctuary anymore. Jesus our High Priest has opened the way to the altar that might receive the blessings that are found here might be available for all of God’s people. For what Jesus does for you, is what the incense did for the priests of old.

But why do you care? What does all of this mean? It means you can approach the Father in Heaven through the name of Jesus. It means that God’s holiness is given to you, those blessings that bring strength and hope, and comfort. It means your sins are forgiven, and that Jesus has opened the way that you might come before the Father as His child and have a home there.

Jesus has torn down the division that existed between God and man due to sin through His work on the Cross. We are no longer separated or lost to God because of our sin, but can be certain that our sins are forgiven, for that is what Jesus your high priest has won for you.

What we do now is come before the Lord in prayer, and those prayers are described as a fragrant aroma to the Lord. Indeed the prayers of the saints are heard by God and are pleasing to Him, and so we are encouraged to pray on account of what Jesus has done for us. So come before the Lord in prayer for it is pleasing to God, to hear the word of his children. Your prayers rise before him as incense.

For that is part of what it means that are all priests. It’s not the same as being pastors, but we are all priests who are to offer up sacrifices before God, and that includes offering up prayers. If Jesus has opened the way, so that you might receive all of these gifts as our high priest, and God has urged and commanded us to come before Him in prayer, then what stops us?

When we pray, we must be sure that we pray for it is godly and proper. If we pray for sinful things, our Father will not give them to us for our own good. You have access to the Father in heaven, and even if you do not know what to pray, Jesus has taught us to pray simply, Our Father who art in heaven hallowed by thy name.

So my brothers and sisters in Christ this is why frankincense was brought as a gift. It points to the work of Christ as our high priest, who would offer up a fragrant sacrifice, and cloud that would shield us from harm as it had done for the priests in the temple. By His death, way to heaven is open, and we have access to the Holy of Holies now and can receive these blessings not just on one day a year, for Jesus stands in the presence of God making intercession for you always. In Jesus name. Amen.