There are two books of the New Testament that talk about the Nativity story. These two books are the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.
We find the Nativity story in Matthew 1:18-2:24 and Luke 2:1-20. Both of these passages of the scriptures give us all the information we need to know surrounding the Lord’s birth and the Nativity story.
While many of us think we are inherently knowledgeable about the Nativity story, we might be shocked to learn there are many hidden symbols that we have overlooked.
While we should not search for Easter eggs or hidden clues in every verse of the Bible, it is important to understand what they say as well as what they mean.
If we are quick to read over a Bible passage because we think we already know what it says, we could miss out on a wealth of knowledge concerning the Bible.
Unfortunately, the Nativity story is one of the accounts in the Bible that we often overlook and in so doing we miss out on a lot it has to say.
Here are four hidden symbols in the Nativity story you never noticed.
1. There Is Meaning Behind the Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
The Magi, also known as the Wise Men, brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus in celebration of His birth into the world (Matthew 2:11). The Magi traveled a long distance to see the coming King.
They had followed the star of Bethlehem all the way from the East to see Jesus. The Bible does not tell us directly that there are deeper symbolic meanings behind these three gifts, but tradition places symbolism on the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold was a highly valuable item during Jesus’ life, similar to what it is today. In the Old Testament, gold was highly sought after as well.
The Ark of the Covenant was overlaid in gold (Exodus 25:10-17). The Magi gave Jesus the gift of gold because He is the King. Over time, the gift of gold has been viewed as symbolic of Jesus’ divinity.
The Magi’s gift of frankincense was a symbol of Jesus’ sacrificial nature and how He was going to willingly die as a ransom for our sins. His sacrificial death to pay for our sins went up to the Father as a pleasant aroma, just like a burnt offering in the temple.
The symbolism of the frankincense was pointing us to Jesus’ willing death as a sacrifice for our sins. This should not be overlooked when it comes to the Nativity scene.
Myrrh also comes from a tree just like frankincense and it is a spice. It has been used in perfumes, medicines, and embalming. Interestingly, myrrh is used to make a special drink mixed with wine.
This drink would have been the same drink Jesus was given before His crucifixion (Mark 15:23). The drink mixed with myrrh acted as a property to make a person not feel. Jesus refused the drink as Matthew describes the myrrh as “gall” (Matthew 27:34).
Myrrh stands for suffering, pain, and bitterness. It is possible that Jesus’ refusal to drink the drink mixed with myrrh was His refusal to deny the suffering, pain, and bitterness that awaited Him on the cross.
The gift of myrrh to Jesus was a foreshadowing of His suffering and pain on the cross to save mankind from our sins.
2. Jesus’ Name
A second hidden symbol in the Nativity story you never noticed is the importance of Jesus’ name. Through Jesus’ name, we see that He is the long-awaited Messiah. The angel Gabriel told Mary that her baby was to be named Jesus.
Mary didn’t object nor did she want to name the baby anything else. Rather, she obeyed what Gabriel said and named her son Jesus.
In Hebrews, Jesus’ name can be translated as Yeshua, which means “The Lord saves.” In this way, Jesus’ name alone tells us how important the Lord is and what He was coming to the earth to do.
Jesus was not born into the world for no reason. Rather, He was born into the world to save us from our sins.
Oftentimes, individuals overlook the importance of Jesus’ name in the Nativity story because not many Bibles have a side note telling the reader what the name Yeshua means.
If you have ever wondered if Jesus’ name had an important meaning behind it, it does, and you should share this truth with others. Never overlook the hidden symbols within the nativity story.
3. Jesus Was Not Born in a Stable
A third hidden symbol in the Nativity story that you might have never noticed is that Jesus was not born in a stable.
In most depictions of the Nativity scene, we see Jesus, Mary, and Joseph being inside a stable. While it is true that Jesus was not born in an inn, He wasn’t born in a stable either. Rather, it is more likely that Jesus was born in a cave.
This is most accurate and works in accordance with the biblical narrative. Caves are not very glamorous; however, Jesus did not desire to enter this world with glitz and glamor. This shows us the hidden symbol of Jesus being humble in heart and spirit.
It is very easy to overlook this hidden symbol because it is not apparent. Most of us have the preconceived notion that Jesus was born in a manger. Not many of us go into further detail surrounding the topic because we assume He was born in a manger.
By Jesus being born in a cave, we see how much He lowered Himself in order to redeem us. Jesus deserved to be born in a mansion, yet we see Him being born in a humble cave.
The Lord never acts as though He is better than such things even though He deserves far more than human beings could ever do for Him. His humbleness is the hidden symbol we see in the way Jesus was born in a cave rather than in a luxurious palace or even a simple manger.
4. The Wise Men Did Not Visit Jesus as a Newborn
A fourth hidden symbol in the nativity story you never noticed is that the Wise Men did not visit Jesus as a newborn. The Bible actually says the opposite.
The Wise Men visited Jesus after the night He was born. The Bible tells us that the Wise Men are recorded as visiting Jesus in a house, not in a cave (Matthew 2:11).
Jesus could have been up to the age of two by the time the Wise Men came to visit Him. Tradition also asserts the names of the three wise men; however, the Bible does say anything about the names of the three Wise Men.
Nonetheless, tradition claims the names of the three wise men were Gaspar/Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar/Balthazar.
The Bible tells us that the Wise Men traveled a long distance from the East to see Jesus (Matthew 2:1). The “East” refers to Persia, which is modern-day Iran.
In other words, the Wise Men traveled all the way from Persia to Jerusalem. This would have been a trip of 800-900 miles. The Wise Men traveled all this way because they were well aware of the coming Jewish Messiah.
They would have had access to the writings of the prophet Daniel since he was a chief seer in Persia during his life. Daniel’s writings predicted the coming Jewish Messiah, who was going to be the great King (Daniel 9:24-27).
The Wise Men would have also been knowledgeable about Balaam’s prophecy of the coming King since Balaam was close to Persia. Balaam’s prophecy specifically states; “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).
From the Wise Men not visiting Jesus on the night of His birth and waiting a few years, we see the hidden symbol of the divinity of Christ. Nobody would travel 900 miles for just anyone — they traveled to see the Lord.
As we can see, there are many symbols hidden in the Nativity story that you might have never noticed. While Jesus not being born in a stable and the Wise Men not visiting Jesus on the night He was born might not be seen as symbols, but they are.
The former attests to the humbleness of the Lord. The hidden symbol here is the humility of Christ, which is spoken of in many passages of the New Testament (Philippians 2:5-11). For the latter, the Wise Men not visiting Jesus on the night He was born is the hidden symbol of His divinity.
The Wise Men traveled a very long distance to see the Lord. As mentioned, they would not have done this unless they were certain He was the King who would be born into the world.
As it is, the Wise Men were right. Jesus is the King and He saves all those who place faith in Him. There are many things we may miss in the Nativity story; however, upon a closer look, we will see many hidden symbols.
For further reading:
Can the Word ‘Nativity’ Be Found in the Bible?
The Significance of Angelic Echoes and the Nativity
What Is the Significance of the Three Wise Men and Their Gifts?
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