You Are Extravagantly Beautiful!
December 2010
Dear Friend,
Christmas is a special season; a time to remember those whom you value most. Friend, you are a valued partner to my wife Megen, me and the Way of Peace Gospel Workers throughout Israel.
A lot has happened in the past year. The Gospel has been proclaimed throughout Israel and many lives have been transformed and born again! I trust you enjoyed the Ministry Reports you receive each month from Israel. You make it possible!
We are partners! This Christmas know you are loved by your partners at Way of Peace Ministries!
Friend, when I think of Christmas, I often think of the three wise men whom brought gifts to Jesus: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Details in the Bible are not by chance, and these gifts hold special prophetic importance for our lives today.
Gold and Frankincense are perhaps the most well known of the three gifts, however, Myrrh is also of great prophetic significance. Myrrh represents the bitter sufferings of Jesus, and the extravagant beauty we now receive because He took our shame!
Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus! Isaiah’s prophesy later became Jesus’ inaugural sermon:
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound… to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)
In Jesus our “ashes” are turned into “beauty”.
Do you have an “ugly” situation in your past or present? That could be called your “ashes”. Maybe you made a mistake. Others may have been born into a family that really didn’t have much going for them. Has a business deal gone south? Others may be burdened by loved ones who are hurting. Whomever we are, we all have ashes, whether directly or indirectly.
JESUS TURNS THOSE ASHES INTO BEAUTY! That is the Christmas message!
Myrrh was given by the wise men as a prophetic symbol of the beautification work Jesus would fulfill in our lives. Our beauty comes from Him, and whatever Christ does, He does with perfection! You are made perfectly beautiful!
You may look in the mirror and in the natural not like what you see: regrets, scars, wounds, shame. However, in Jesus, you are somebody, no matter what you see in the natural. Our spiritual reality will create our natural reality!
YOU ARE EXTRAVAGENTLY BEAUTIFUL!
In nature, Myrrh is gum resin from the Commiphora tree. Myrrh is produced by the tree as a reaction to a purposeful wound through the bark into the sapwood. The Hebrew meaning for Myrrh (Mowr) is “distilled”, which comes from the root word Marar, meaning “bitterness”. Yet, this bitter substance is used as a beautification product!
Isn’t that incredible? God chose myrrh as one of the prophetic symbols to represent Jesus! Jesus, was pierced in the side as He hung in bitter agony on the cross, and by His bitter wounds we are made whole: physically, mentally and spiritually!
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
During Jesus final agonizing hours in the Garden of Gethsemane, the weight of the world’s sins crushed our Savior like a wine press, causing Him to sweat great tears of blood. His bitter sufferings can be compared to Myrrh, a highly-prized spice used for perfumes and incense, extracted by piercing the tree’s heartwood and allowing the gum to trickle out and harden into bitter, aromatic red droplets, called “tears”.
Jesus was pierced, and myrrh came forth. While Jesus hung on the cross, He was given wine mingled with myrrh, offered as an anesthetic to ease His unbearable pain, but He would not take it. He had to take our bitter pain.
Myrrh has several Biblical prophetic significances, which were all fulfilled when Jesus was pierced on the cross.
1. ANOINTING OIL: Myrrh was first mentioned in the Bible as the principle ingredient in anointing oil. Kings and priests were anointed with it.
“Moreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh… and you shall make from these a holy anointing oil… it shall be a holy anointing oil. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you’.” (Exodus 30 excerpts)
This holy anointing oil was used to anoint the tabernacle, kings and priests, empowering each with the Spirit of the Lord! King David was anointed king by this same anointing oil made with myrrh.
In Psalm 23 David commented that the Lord anointed his head with oil and made his cup to run over. David saw the anointing as a sign of God’s provision in his life.
Today, we live in the new covenant. We are not anointed with physical oil made from myrrh. We are anointed by the oil of the Holy Spirit made from the bitter myrrh which flowed from Jesus side!
“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
Isn’t it marvelous? Jesus became the myrrh that made our anointing oil! Jesus is our anointing. He was pierced in the side, and because of His sufferings, our anointing was provided!
Now we are anointed kings and priests because of Jesus!
“And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.” (Isaiah 10:27)
Every yoke of bondage has been broken off our lives through Jesus! He is the anointing oil that flows freely through the Holy Spirit today!
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. (1 John 2:20)
Do you have Jesus? YES! Then you know the truth! The truth is you are a new creation in Christ! All things are made new! You know new health! You know success! You know a sharp, creative mind! You know the love of the Father! Yes, you know the truth, because Jesus became bitter myrrh for you!
2. BEAUTIFYING AGENT: Myrrh was used throughout history, and in the Bible, as a beautifying agent for brides to be. It was used in perfumes and was of high value, often more costly than its weight in gold!
“A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts.” (Song of Solomon 1:13)
This descriptive verse highlights a popular custom of the day. To lay a bundle of myrrh on one’s chest while asleep, was a physically enriching tradition in preparation for a wedding.
In this love psalm, the precious lover is made beautiful while the myrrh lays on her chest. What a symbol of Jesus! He is the lover of our soul! As we rest in Him (Hebrews 4), we are made the beautiful bride of Christ!
Queen Esther was also put through this beautifying process with myrrh before she was presented to King Ahasuerus as a potential wife.
“Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women.” (Esther 2:12)
We believers in Christ are betrothed to our Lord and Savior and will one day be presented to Him as a pure spotless bride! (Ephesians 5:27)
During our time of preparation here on earth, Jesus is our bundle of myrrh. He makes us beautiful… as we rest in what He has accomplished! BEAUTY FOR ASHES!
When the wisemen brought myrrh to the Christ child, you were included in that prophetic act! Jesus would become the myrrh that would make your life beautiful!
Your inadequacies are turned into stars! Our ugliness is turned into beauty!
Don’t ever doubt God’s love. Jesus, God’s own Son, was sent to earth to die for you. Myrrh was also used in the embalming process for dead corpses, including Jesus’ own (John 19:39). Do you see the incredible love? As a baby, Jesus was assigned to die, so that we might live a beautiful life!
Enjoy your Christmas, yes, with family, friends and loved ones, but also with Jesus! He is your beauty!
Thank you for your generous support of the Gospel work ongoing throughout Israel in 2010. The outreach intensifies, and the harvest increases in 2011. Your partnership makes it possible.
I am forever amazed when I see the generosity of believers who support the Gospel in Israel. Your partnership! You give from the incredible overflow Jesus has put in you. THANK YOU!
We wish you God’s richest blessings! Merry Christmas! Shalom!
Blessings in Christ
Nathan Thurber