Within this one verse, each of the three gifts of God is mentioned (eternal life, grace and righteousness) as well as the NAME that is above all names (Jesus Christ) as well as our fallen state from which we are being saved (sin).
The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death.
The reason we call them the power gifts, is because each one of these gifts, do something. The gifts that fall into this category are; the gift of special faith, gifts of healings, and the working of miracles.
The first, referred to in the carol 'We Three Kings', interprets the gifts as symbolising three aspects of Christ's future life: gold representing kingship, frankincense (worship) and myrrh (death and mourning).
It represents the coming of Jesus to all – to Gentiles and Jews alike. The Magi saw the star from afar and traveled to worship the Christ Child. They brought him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh – each of which tells us something about Jesus' identity.
Each of these precious gifts has a symbolic meaning. Frankincense was used for worship in the Temple; it is symbolic of Christ the High Priest. Gold is symbolic of Christ the King. Myrrh a perfume, was used to anoint dead bodies, it is symbolic of His death for the sake of truth, and therefore of Christ the Prophet.
Others categorize them into "gifts of knowledge" (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, distinguishing between spirits), "gifts of speech" (tongues, interpretation, prophecy), and "gifts of power" (faith, healing, miracles).
Three wise men, or Magi as they were known, whose names were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, traveled a far distance to pay homage to Christ. They brought with them fine gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Three Kings Day, or El Dia de Reyes, remains an important holiday for Catholics.
They have become known most commonly as Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar (or Casper). According to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India.
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
The seven gifts are found in the Book of Isaiah 11:1–2, a passage which refers to the characteristics of a Messianic figure empowered by the "Spirit of the Lord". The Greek and Hebrew versions of the Bible differ slightly in how the gifts are enumerated.
According to the Scriptures, these gifts include such ministries as faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation, teaching, administration, reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing service and charity for the help and encouragement of people.
Each of us is born with the four spiritual gifts--clairvoyance (inner vision), clairaudience (inner thoughts or ideas), prophecy (inner knowing), and healing (inner feelings).
Some say Grace, the regenerating Grace of God; or (which is the same) the HOLY SPIRIT of God in all his saving Gifts, Graces and Comforts: And indeed all the Page 2Fruits of the Spirit(a) are unspeakable Gifts, "Love, Peace, Joy, Longsuffering, Goodness, Meekness, &c.
The Magi had a lively postbiblical career. As early as the 2nd century, they were promoted to kings, probably because frankincense is associated with royalty in one of the Psalms. Their number, which varied in different accounts from two to 12, eventually settled on three, most likely because of their three gifts.
In the New Testament there is no mention of Jesus' date of birth. Even the Encyclopaedia of Theology and the Church says: "The true birthday of Jesus is unknown". This is not surprising, because people at that time were completely unaware of the year and the day. To this day the true birthday of Jesus is still unclear.
The Gift of Salvation
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” By the grace of God we have been given salvation. Grace is a subject that could be discussed for days.
So, instead of abandoning us or retaliating against us, he offers us a gift, the best gift that has ever been given: his Son, crucified and raised to life again. And he promises he will reign over us in an eternal kingdom that is far better than any of us could ever ask for or imagine.
However, it is agreed three gifts were brought. The gifts, which the three men carried, were fit for a King. Equivalent to today's prices, a pound of frankincense was worth $500 a pound, and a pound of myrrh was $4,000. Today, each are priced at approximately $15 a pound.
Myrrh was used in ancient Israelite temple worship as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil for consecrating priests, the tabernacle, and kings (see Exodus 30:23–25). It was used in the purification of Queen Esther (see Esther 2:12), and it was also used in embalming (see John 19:39).
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the men traveled for 12 days by following a star in the desert that led them to baby Jesus in a manger. The three kings represented Europe, Arabia, and Africa, and their coming together was symbolic of unity. The gold offered by one is an acknowledgment of Jesus's royal standing.