A KING’S CHRISTMAS – FRANKINCENSE

THE FRAGRANCE OF HIS PRESENCE

Matthew 2:11

Opening Illustration

In the Natural History Museum in London, there is a huge plant called the Titan Arum — many people call it the corpse flower. It only blooms once in a long while, and when it does, people line up for hours just to see it.

Now here’s the strange part: when this flower blooms, you know it. You don’t even have to be close to it.

Because it gives off a strong smell like rotting flesh. The moment you walk into the room, the whole atmosphere changes. You can feel it in the air before you ever see the flower.

One visitor told the BBC,

“You don’t just see it — you feel it when you walk in. The smell fills the whole place.”

Isn’t it amazing, that..... One plant, sitting quietly in the corner, can change the entire atmosphere of the room just by being there?

And church… if something created can fill a room with a fragrance of death… how much more can the presence of Jesus fill our lives with the fragrance of life, peace, healing, and hope?

If one plant can change the air in a museum… the presence of the King can change the atmosphere inside us.

And that brings us to our message today — part two of A King’s Christmas.

Last week we talked about the gold — the gift that said Jesus is not just any baby, but the King of kings.

Today we move to the second gift:

Frankincense — the fragrance of His presence.

The Bible says:

Matthew 2:11 NKJV

11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

If gold speaks of His kingship, frankincense speaks of His priesthood… His nearness… His presence with us.

Gold says, “He rules.” Gold says, “He has all power.”

Frankincense says, “He is close.” Frankincense says, “He understands your pain.”

Somebody here needs this reminder today.

You don’t just need a King who can fix things from a distance — you need a High Priest who comes close, steps into your struggle, and changes the atmosphere of your life.

THE FRAGRANCE OF HIS PRESENCE

Transition

To really understand what this gift means for us today, we first need to understand what frankincense was and why it mattered back then. Let’s start by looking at what frankincense is and why the wise men brought it.

I. WHAT FRANKINCENSE IS — AND WHY IT MATTERED

A) The Meaning Behind the Gift

Church, I want you to picture this moment. These wise men have been traveling for weeks — maybe months or even years. They didn’t have GPS, AirPods, or hotel reservations. They had camels, starlight, and faith. And when they finally arrived, they didn’t come in empty-handed.

They also didn’t bring Jesus a baby blanket, a rattle, some random baby gift or whatever they found on sale. No — they brought gifts that carried meaning. Gifts that said something about who this child really was.

One of those gifts was frankincense.

Now, frankincense isn’t something most of us keep in a cupboard, so let’s make it simple.

Frankincense was:

A pure, white sticky substance taken from certain special trees in Arabia and nearby regions.

Very expensive — only used for important purposes.

Burned as incense in the Old Testament tabernacle - only in holy places.

It symbolised prayer, worship, and closeness with God.

Also people used for healing - healing wounds, calming the mind, and soothing the emotions.

So if someone brought frankincense into a room, like we see the wise men did, people understood: This is something holy. Something special. Something that brings peace. Something that invites God near.

Illustration

I remember going shopping with my wife, and she would always stop at the shelves full of scented candles. She’d pick one up, smell it, then try another one.

Meanwhile I was standing there thinking, “Just pick one so we can go!”

To me, a candle was a candle. I didn’t think it mattered.

But church… I learned something. Because when that candle was lit at home, and I walked in from a long day at work, the whole atmosphere in the house felt different.

The smell filled the room. It made the house feel fresh. It helped me relax. It calmed me down.

Sometimes I came home tired, stressed, or drained — but that one simple fragrance changed how I felt.

One small smell changed the whole atmosphere.

And that’s what frankincense did in Bible times. It changed the air. It changed the mood. It reminded people that God was close, that God was listening, and that He was stepping into their moment.

Quote

A.W. Tozer (pastor and author) said,

“God’s presence is the missing crown jewel of the Church.” A.W. Tozer

In other words: We can have songs, sermons, lights, microphones, events, good programs, nice building, activities… but without His Presence, we’re missing the most important thing.

Without God’s presence, everything we do in church is just a show. It might look nice on the outside, but something important is missing.

Paraphrasing Tozer.....It’s like having a fancy crown but the biggest jewel is missing.

Frankincense symbolised exactly that — the presence of God drawing close to His people.

So when the wise men laid that gift in front of the Lord, they were not just giving Him something valuable… they were declaring something spiritual:

“This child brings God near.”

B) Scriptural Insight

Now let’s connect the dots.

The wise men brought gold, which said: “This child is a King.” He has authority. He rules. He reigns. He is sovereign.

But they also brought frankincense, which said: “This child is a Priest.” He will stand between God and people. He will intercede. He will carry our prayers. He will bring Heaven down into human lives.

And when you put those two gifts together and the message becomes clear:

This child, Jesus is where Heaven and Earth finally meet.

He is not just King over us… He is Priest with us.

God Was Announcing Something at His Birth

Even at the manger, before Jesus spoke a word, before He performed a miracle, before He grew into manhood, God was already preaching to the world:

“This child will be your access point to Me.”

“This child will stand in the gap and bring you back to me.”

“This child will heal what sin has broken - broken hearts, broken homes, broken lives.”

Jesus didn’t come into the world just to sit on a throne someday. He came to step into the middle of human pain right now.

Pastoral Statement

Church, a King sits on a throne. He rules. He commands. He carries authority.

But a Priest? A Priest walks into your fear. He steps into your mess. A Priest stands beside you in your tears. A Priest puts His hand on your shoulder when your heart is breaking. A Priest speaks for you when you don’t have the strength to speak for yourself.

Jesus is both.

He has the power of a King, and the compassion of a Priest.

He has all authority, and yet He knows how to come close when your heart is hurting.

He reigns in Heaven, but He reaches into your life.

Frankincense tells us that Jesus didn’t just come to rule over your life — He came to walk with you through it.

Transition

So frankincense wasn’t just a nice smell or an expensive gift. It was deeply connected to God’s presence.

And to understand that even more, we need to look at how frankincense was used in the Old Testament and what it tells us about the presence of God.

II. FRANKINCENSE AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD

A) The Picture in the Old Testament

Church, let’s go back for a moment to the book of Exodus — into the wilderness, into the tabernacle, into a world where God was teaching His people how to worship Him.

God gave Moses very specific instructions about how worship should happen in the tabernacle — the tent where His presence would meet with His people.

One of the things God told Moses to make was a special incense.

This wasn’t something you could use at home, or burn at a family gathering, or use just because it smelled nice. It was holy, set apart for one purpose: to represent My presence.

And the main ingredient in that incense was frankincense.

The priest would take some of this incense, carry it into the tabernacle and burn it on the golden altar, right next to the Most Holy Place, the place where God’s presence was.

As soon as the fire hit the incense, something beautiful happened:

A cloud of fragrant smoke rose up.

The smell filled the entire tent.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Everyone nearby knew: God is here.

This wasn’t just a smell… It was a message. A sermon in the air.

That rising smoke symbolised:

Worship — hearts lifted toward God

Prayer — our cries rising to heaven

Intimacy with God — closeness, connection, relationship

A holy atmosphere — a place set apart from ordinary life

A God who draws near — not far, not distant, not silent, but close.

God even told Moses, “Don’t ever make this incense for common use.

Exodus 30:37 NIV

37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord.

Don’t burn it at home. Don’t try to copy it.”

It was too special. It was too holy. It belonged only in the place of His presence.

It was a smell that said, “God is here. God is listening. God is near.”

That is what frankincense meant to Israel.

B) A House Filled With Glory

Now fast-forward to Matthew chapter 2.

The wise men finally reach the child they’ve been searching for. They’ve come to honour a King — maybe expecting a palace, golden walls, servants, or luxury....who knows..

But when they arrive… they find none of that.

No golden altar. No beautiful incense burner. No thick veil. No priest dressed in special garments. No temple. No tabernacle.

Instead, they walk into something ordinary — something simple.

They see:

A tiny house — nothing impressive

A young, tired mother — doing her best

A poor carpenter — probably covered in dust

A small child — playing or resting in His mother’s arms

Nothing about this scene screams “King!” Nothing looks like “God’s presence.” Nothing looks holy. Nothing looks royal.

But church… God loves to show up in unexpected places.

And in that quiet moment, the Holy Spirit whispers to the wise men:

“Put the frankincense here.”

Why?

Because the presence of God wasn’t in a building anymore. It wasn’t behind a veil. It wasn’t in a temple. It wasn’t locked away in rituals or ceremonies.

The presence of God was now in a Person.

This child is the new Altar.

This child is the new High Priest.

This child is the new meeting place between God and humanity.

This child is God stepping into flesh to walk among us.

No wonder the writer of Hebrews later says with confidence:

Hebrews 4:14 NLT

14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.

In the Old Testament, only the priest could go near the altar of incense and even then, only at certain times and under strict conditions.

Regular people had to stay back. Only one man could enter the presence. Everyone else watched from a distance.

But because of Jesus…everything has changed.

The veil is gone. The separation is gone. The barrier is broken.

Every believer — not just priests, not just leaders, not just the “holy” people — every believer can live in the fragrance of His presence.

You can pray and He listens. You can worship and He draws near. You can walk into your home, your job, your car, your pain… and His presence meets you right there.

Every believer can experience His peace, His healing, His comfort, His nearness.

This is what a King’s Christmas is all about:

Not just a story from long ago

Not just a manger scene to decorate your house

Not just a holiday tradition

Not just singing carols and giving gifts…

But an invitation — a real, personal invitation — an invitation to come close to the King, to step into His presence, to breathe in the fragrance of His love, and to let His presence change the atmosphere of your heart.

Frankincense means: “God came near.” Christmas means: “God is still near.”

Transition

Now that we see how frankincense points to God’s presence coming near through Jesus, the question becomes this: what does that mean for us today?

The Bible shows us that this same fragrance is connected to our prayers. Let’s look at how our prayers rise to God like frankincense.

III. FRANKINCENSE AND THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS

A) The Fragrance of Your Prayers

I want you to see something powerful from the book of Revelation.

In the book of Revelation, God gives us a behind-the-scenes look into heaven. John, the apostle, is allowed to see what worship looks like around the throne of God in heaven.

And in that vision, John notices something special — golden bowls. Not empty bowls. Not dusty bowls. But bowls filled with incense, with a fragrance rising into the very presence of God.

And then the Bible explains what that incense really is:

Revelation 5:8 NIV

8 And they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Heavenly beings....

Think about what that means for you and me.

Your prayers have a smell in heaven. Your prayers have a presence in heaven. Your prayers rise like fragrance before God Almighty.

Think about it like this:

Every little prayer you’ve ever prayed when you felt broken…

Every tear you cried late at night when no one else saw…

Every moment when life hurt so bad you didn’t even have words — only a sigh or a groan…

Every quiet, private moment when you called on the name of Jesus…

Heaven did not ignore it. Heaven did not overlook it. Heaven did not forget it.

Your prayers don’t disappear. Your prayers don’t get lost. Your prayers don’t hit the ceiling.

The Bible says your prayers rise like incense — like a holy fragrance — before the throne of God.

Church, you may feel like your prayers are small… You may feel like they’re weak… You may feel like they don’t make a difference…

But heaven sees them as beautiful. Heaven sees them as precious. Heaven says they matter.

Your prayers go up, and God leans in.

Illustration

When Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022, thousands of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Reporters said something remarkable happened.

All at once, the whole crowd became silent.

No one told them to be quiet. No one led a moment of silence. It just happened naturally.

People stood there with tears in their eyes. Some whispered simple words like “Thank you” or “Rest in peace.” Others couldn’t speak at all — they just stood there quietly.

A BBC reporter said, “In the hush, you could feel the emotion in the air.”

The silence made everyone’s feelings very clear.

That silence — that simple, sincere moment — was more powerful than any speech could have been. It changed the whole atmosphere.

Church, our prayers are like that. They don’t have to be loud. They don’t have to be long. They don’t have to be fancy. They don’t have to be perfect.

Sometimes the quietest prayer — the whispered “Jesus, help me”… the tear that rolls down your cheek… the sigh when you don’t even have words — that prayer reaches heaven like incense.

B) Scriptural Connection

Now let’s bring this back to Jesus.

Why was Jesus born? Why did God come near? Why did He step into human flesh?

Yes, He came to save us from sin. Yes, He came to redeem us. Yes, He came to heal us.

But He also came so that your prayers could reach heaven.

Before Jesus came, people often felt far from God. There was a curtain — a veil — in the temple that separated God’s presence from the people. Only the high priest could go beyond that veil, and only once a year.

Everyone else had to stand back.

But when Jesus came…

The King stepped into a manger.

Heaven touched earth.

The veil would eventually be torn.

God came near — not far, not distant.

Jesus came to remove that distance.

He was born so your voice could be heard in the throne room of heaven. He came so you would never again have to wonder, “Does God hear me?”

This is what A King’s Christmas means

It means you are not left standing outside the palace gates. You don’t have to shout to get God’s attention. You don’t need a priest to speak for you. You don’t need to beg God to listen.

You are invited into the throne room.

Your voice matters to God. Your prayers matter to God. Your tears matter to God.

Here’s the heart of it:

Prayer is your frankincense. It’s what you offer up. It’s your fragrance before God.

His presence is His gift back to you. When your prayers rise, His presence comes down.

He gives peace. He gives strength. He gives comfort. He gives direction.

That’s the fragrance of His presence in your life.

So we’ve seen what frankincense was, how it pointed to God’s presence, and how our prayers rise like incense. Now let’s bring this home and ask: what do we do with this truth?

THE FRAGRANCE OF HIS PRESENCE

CONCLUSION — THE FRAGRANCE OF HIS PRESENCE

Church, as we come to the end of this message, I want you to see something very clearly:

Frankincense is not just a Christmas detail. It is an invitation.

It reminds us that:

Jesus didn’t come to stay far away.

He didn’t come to rule from a distance.

He didn’t come to watch your life from heaven like a king behind a palace wall.

He came near. He came close. He came into the room, into the world, into the pain, into the fear, into the heartbreak.

Just like a scented candle changes the atmosphere in your home… the presence of Jesus changes the atmosphere of a life.

Some of you walked in today feeling heavy. Some walked in with worry, stress, fear, loneliness, secret pain, guilt, or questions you haven’t been able to answer.

But church… Jesus came to change the atmosphere inside you.

Frankincense says:

“You are not alone.” “God is near.” “He hears your prayers.” “He knows your pain.” “He wants to heal your heart.”

The wise men brought frankincense because God wanted the whole world to know:

“My presence is now available. Not just to priests. Not just to holy people. But to you.”

Christmas is not just a manger scene. It is God saying:

“Come close. You belong here. My presence is for you.”

ALTAR CALL

Church, with every head bowed and every eye closed, I want to speak to your heart for a moment.

If you’re here today and you would say:

“I feel far from God.”

“I need His presence in my life.”

“I need peace.”

“I need healing inside.”

“I need strength.”

“I need God to step into my situation.”

“I need Him to change the atmosphere in my heart.”

Then this moment is for you.

Maybe your life feels heavy. Maybe your mind has been racing. Maybe your home has felt tense. Maybe your prayers have felt small or weak. Maybe you haven’t felt God in a long time.

But today… right now… the King is here. And not just the King — your High Priest. The One who walks into your pain. The One who carries your prayers. The One who brings Heaven into your heart.

If you want His presence… if you want that fragrance of peace, healing, and hope… would you come to this altar right now?

Come and stand in His presence. Come and let His love calm your heart. Come and let His Spirit bring peace to your mind. Come and let His nearness change the atmosphere inside you.

You don’t have to say the perfect prayer. You don’t have to shout. You don’t have to perform.

Just say, “Jesus, I’m here. I need You.”

And I promise you — He will meet you here.

These altars are open. Come. Let His presence surround you like a fragrance. Let Him draw near to you… as you draw near to Him.

Big Idea;

Jesus came to be close to us, and His presence can change our lives.

Through Jesus, God came near to us so that His presence could fill our lives, transform our hearts, and turn our prayers into a holy fragrance that reaches heaven. It’s all about His presence being close and real in our everyday lives.

CLOSING PRAYER

Jesus, thank You for coming close to us. Thank You for being our King and our helper. Today we give You our worship and our hearts. Please heal what is broken inside us. Heal our minds, our emotions, our homes, and our fears. Fill our lives with Your peace, joy, and strength. Let Your presence be with us every day. We love You, we need You, and we welcome You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.