You may have heard of myrrh, but do you know what it is? First, myrrh is the name of a tree native to desert and arid regions, such as North Africa. From this tree, first called Commiphora, an oil is extracted, called oil of myrrh.
Surely you have heard this name at some point in your life, because the oil of myrrh was one of the three gifts that Jesus received from the Magi at His birth. In addition to having medicinal properties, myrrh has great spiritual symbolism. Understand more about it in this article and learn what myrrh is according to the Bible and why it has such a powerful story!
What is the Myrrh of the Magi?
The Magi are three men mentioned in the Bible in the book of Matthew, who went from the East to Jerusalem to worship the Messiah – Jesus Christ – who would be born among the people. When they learned about the birth of the Savior of all, the Christ, they set aside three gifts to bring to Him: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Each of these three items has strong spiritual meanings, but myrrh in particular carries with it a very deep symbolism: somehow, it symbolizes immortality and was used to embalm the dead in Ancient Egypt.
The fact of giving Jesus this used oil at the moment of death reminds us of the physical death of Jesus, who had the intention of saving the people, to then resurrect and reveal His power to us. The Magi knew that Christ was the Savior, and because myrrh represented victory over death, they presented Him with this powerful oil.
What is myrrh for?
Myrrh, according to the Bible, has numerous symbolisms, but it has always been used as an oil that has medicinal properties. In ancient times, since Ancient Egypt, it was used to stop bleeding, soothe pain and also as an antiseptic to embalm the dead. Its spiritual symbolism is extremely strong, as, as has been said before, it symbolizes victory over death. Currently, myrrh oil is used for aesthetic treatments, to cure problems such as ulcers, gastritis, acne, cold sores, skin diseases, among others.
What is myrrh oil used for?
Myrrh's main function, according to the Bible, is to heal pain and aid in the healing process of wounds - spiritually speaking, it heals both the wounds of the body and the wounds of the soul. The anointed oil of myrrh has spiritual representation and acts on the faith of each one - the one who is anointed with the oil of myrrh receives the extreme unction.
What is myrrh oil used for, according to the Bible?
In addition to being one of the gifts given by the Magi to Jesus, myrrh oil was chosen by God for the production of the anointed oil in the Tabernacle of Moses. In addition, the Holy Scriptures report that Esther was a woman of overcoming, as she underwent a type of aesthetic treatment for about 12 months, and in six of those months the basis of healing was exclusively myrrh. Still, when Jesus was crucified, they offered Him wine and myrrh, in order to relieve the pain He felt at that moment. At the burial, Christ had his body covered in a myrrh-based mixture.
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Knowing these biblical accounts, we can understand that myrrh oil, according to the Bible, serves to heal pain and to anoint, with its strong symbolism about the victory of life over death.
