The amount of spices brought to embalm Jesus is lavishly generous, on par with royal burials. This was an opulent display of affection and respect. Though Jesus’s body was maliciously and cruelly treated before and during His crucifixion, after His death His body was cared for in a royal fashion, pointing toward His role as our King.

The spices gathered here are ones that played a significant role in the events of Passion Week.

Spikenard, a rare and fragrant oil was imported from India in carefully-sealed alabaster jars. This costly ointment was the fragrance used by Mary of Bethany to anoint the head and feet of the Messiah prior to His betrayal.

Myrrh, an exotic biblical spice, is a fragrant oil that comes from small trees that bear plum- sized fruits. It was used in purification and beautification rites, in the formula for the Old Testament anointing oil (Ex. 30:23-25), and in burial spices. Bitter to the taste but sweet to the smell, myrrh served as a cosmetic more than a purification oil. It wasn’t used to become clean, but to please the senses. In the spiritual sense myrrh speaks of dying to self to become a “sweet smelling savor” to the Lord.

Hyssop is a low growing evergreen, cultivated for its flower tops, from which the fragrance is extracted. While being crucified, when Jesus said He was thirsty, the soldiers offered up the vinegar on a branch of hyssop: “A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips” (John 19:29). Hyssop branches were used by Moses to administer Old Testament blood sacrifices (Hebrews 9:19) and to cleanse a house before the Passover (Ex. 12:22). Hyssop symbolizes spiritual cleansing by the shedding of blood: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

Frankincense speaks of religious fervor and zeal (Malachi 1:11). In the days of temple worship, a sweet incense containing frankincense was placed on the inner altar of the tabernacle and burned morning and evening. Frankincense was also one of the gifts brought by the wise men soon after Christ’s birth, foreshadowing the fact that He was born to die. At the same time, frankincense’s prior connection to temple worship spoke of Christ’s priestly office on our behalf.

Adoration. Beautification. Spiritual cleansing. Devotional zeal. Isn’t it amazing how seemingly “random” spices carried such powerful theological truths? Every element of Good Friday is a sermon in itself, ripe with reflection.

As you hold the grave-clothes and smell the scents of the various spices, remember the price Jesus paid, and the generous response poured out by those who buried Him so honorably. Shouldn’t we lavish our love on One who has loved us so generously Himself? In fact, of all the gifts you can give to God, one that He holds most precious is your heart, that is, your personal devotion. Psalm 141:2 likens our prayers to “incense.” Why not surrender your heart afresh in a prayer of praise and devotion, a sacrifice “pleasing to the Lord”? Take a moment to adore God, to exalt His beauty, to thank Him for making us spiritually clean, and pledge to be ever faithful and ever intentional in pursuing Him, burning your “spiritual frankincense” night and day.