Jesus, like a Bundle of Myrrh

“A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; ...” (Song of Solomon 1:13)

Myrrh comes from a tree found only in the middle east and Somalia.  It’s a pricy resin that was used for religious purposes, for perfume, medicinal purposes and for embalming.  In this verse of Song of Solomon, the Shulamite bride describes her beloved as a bundle of myrrh. When the resin is extracted from the tree, it quickly hardens into these stones which is how it was stored and transported. So, the husband is to the bride, not just one stone of myrrh but a bunch of them.  He is not merely precious to her, but more than precious.  She doesn’t just value him, but he is priceless to her.

Jesus is not just salvation from the punishment of our sin and death.  He isn’t merely one stone of myrrh, but a bundle. Through His sacrifice we are reborn of God and the Holy Spirit comes to live in us to comfort us, to teach us and lead us. (John 3:7; John 14:16,17) His Word is alive and has the power to change us. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The stripes that He took are healing for every disease this world brings upon us. He healed us.  We were healed over 2,000 years ago. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1Peter 2:24) We are healed in heaven and receive that healing here on earth. “...on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:7) And He makes us part of His body the church giving us gifts to partake in the priesthood of believers. “But all these (gifts) worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” (1Corinthians 12:11, the whole chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians; Ephesians 4:11-16)

Jesus is precious to the church.  There is this love of the church for Jesus because He died for the church. We (the church) have His Word and live clean and purified by it so that we can approach the Throne of Grace and stand before the Father spotless and righteous. “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:26-27) And being clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, we are accepted by the Father in the beloved. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3-6)

Our beloved is invaluable and priceless to us.  There is only One Way.  And Jesus is the One Way. There is no other means of entering the kingdom of God, no man invented way or other god that people worship. There is no other way to have peace, love and joy because only Jesus Who is God is peace, is love and is joy. (Ephesians 2:14; 1John 4:8; Zephaniah 3:17) Jesus is our bundle of myrrh.