Anchor My Faith

Jesus Presented at the Temple

Scripture: Luke 2:21-23

With this lesson we come to another marker in our journey from eternity past to eternity future and consider the presentation of baby Jesus at the temple. We find ourselves at “gev013” in the index of our journey. At this point we find that we are eight days after the birth of Jesus, who is not yet officially named.

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21 ESV). Why was circumcision done on the eighth day? It was done on the eighth day because the covenant that God made with Israel required it: “He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant” (Genesis 17:12 – 14 ESV). At the time of the circumcision the child is legally name and so the name of Jesus, as required by the angel as he spoke to Mary, was given to the child.

Then some time later: “. . . when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22 ESV). That time is determined as follows: “And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed” (Leviticus 12:3 – 4 ESV). During those 40 days after the birth of Jesus, Mary was considered to be impure and thus was not permitted to go to the temple or to engage in religious services with others.

Another requirement of the covenant was: “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine” (Exodus 13:2 ESV). Since Jesus was Mary’s firstborn son it was then proper to present him to God along with an appropriate offering, which we will cover in the next lesson. Luke then rewords Exodus 13:2 to become: “(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord)” (Luke 2:23 ESV).

Prayer

Father, Gabriel announced the birth of Elizabeth’s son, to be named John and he announced the birth of Mary’s son, to be named Jesus, and on the eighth day, for each, the boys were circumcised and named as required. Each day on our travel through the gospels we learn something new that enhances our faith as the details of salvation come together. Father, I had no idea how significant this single storyline would be to me and I hope also to my readers.