Mary and Joseph Present Baby Jesus in the TempleBible World
2:23Luke 2:23
( As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
The law required that every firstborn male be set apart as holy to the Lord and presented to Him in the temple at Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary obeyed it as faithful Jews, bringing Jesus to Jerusalem about forty days after His birth to present Him and offer sacrifice. As man's substitute He conformed to the law in every particular, fulfilling it in obedience to teach obedience by His example and dedicating Himself as firstborn Son to the work He had come to do. Being poor they could bring only the offering allowed for the poor, two doves or turtledoves, yet the Lord received it as acceptable and did not reject it for its smallness. God measures gifts not by amount but by motive and heart service, accepting what is given to the utmost of ability when the heart is opened to Him in faith.
Law and Presentation Setting
The law required that every firstborn male be set apart and presented as holy to the Lord in the temple at Jerusalem. As Jews keeping the custom of their nation, Joseph and Mary obeyed it by bringing Jesus to Jerusalem about forty days after His birth, when He was six weeks old, to present Him to the Lord and to offer sacrifice.
They came as many other fathers and mothers came every day with their children, entering the stone temple to the priest, with Mary kneeling and holding the swaddled child before the broad temple entrance with its tall columns and steps while Joseph stood behind her. Because they were simple working people and poor parents, the priest performed the dedication as routine and saw nothing different in them, seeing and feeling nothing unusual but only a helpless infant like any other child. He did not know he was holding in his arms the Saviour of the world, the High Priest of the heavenly temple, for spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and if he had been obedient to God's word the Lord would have taught him who the child was.
Though He was presented by poor parents, God acknowledged His own act in giving His Son to the world, and the occasion received recognition when Simeon, warned by the Spirit, understood the infant being presented to be the Consolation of Israel, the Lord's Christ. The aged white-bearded Simeon in white and gold robes took the swaddled child in his arms and lifted Him joyfully, declaring that he could now depart in peace because his eyes had seen salvation, while aged Anna leaned on her staff and watched.
Christ's Obedient Example
As man's substitute He conformed to the law in every particular in His presentation, having already been subjected to circumcision as a pledge of His obedience to the law. He who was God's own Son and the Prince of heaven fulfilled this law to be obedient in all things, and by His example teaches obedience. His dedication as first-born Son, holy to the Lord, was to the work He had come to do.
The offerings presented with Him had to be without blemish because they represented Christ Himself. He Himself was free from physical deformity, with a strong and healthy body marred by no defect, the lamb without blemish and without spot. Throughout His lifetime He lived in conformity to nature's laws, and physically as well as spiritually He was an example of what obedience to God's laws makes all humanity to be. The ceremony was to keep in memory how the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. The Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh king of Egypt to say Israel is His son and His first-born and to let His son go to serve Him or He would slay Pharaoh's first-born, which Pharaoh refused by saying he did not know the Lord and would not let Israel go.
Poor Gift Accepted
Being poor, Joseph and Mary could bring only the offering permitted by the law for the poor, two doves or two turtledoves. The Lord Himself had provided by law that the poor might bring that simple offering instead of a great offering. Mary had little to offer for the precious gift entrusted to her, and could not bring the costly treasures the wise men laid before Jesus at Bethlehem.
The Lord received her two doves as an acceptable offering and did not reject her because of the smallness of her gift. He looked on the willingness of her heart, and her love made the offering sweet. God measures gifts by motive and heart service, not by amount in money, and accepts what is done in faith to the utmost of ability. He does not require a great gift but a gift according to what a man has, be it ever so simple, and accepts it whether rich or poor when the heart is opened to Him, in proportion to what a person has.
After giving ourselves, the best offering to God is our property, following Jesus who gave Himself without reserve, and even a little offering of two turtledoves is precious in the sight of God in return for His great gift. In bringing their offering to God at the temple, Joseph and Mary prayed with thanksgiving for the gift of His Son. Their prayers rose with thanksgiving for the offering God had provided.
The law required that every firstborn male be set apart as holy to the Lord and presented to Him in the temple at Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary obeyed it as faithful Jews, bringing Jesus to Jerusalem about forty days after His birth to present Him and offer sacrifice. As man's substitute He conformed to the law in every particular, fulfilling it in obedience to teach obedience by His example and dedicating Himself as firstborn Son to the work He had come to do. Being poor they could bring only the offering allowed for the poor, two doves or turtledoves, yet the Lord received it as acceptable and did not reject it for its smallness. God measures gifts not by amount but by motive and heart service, accepting what is given to the utmost of ability when the heart is opened to Him in faith.
Law and Presentation Setting
The law required that every firstborn male be set apart and presented as holy to the Lord in the temple at Jerusalem. As Jews keeping the custom of their nation, Joseph and Mary obeyed it by bringing Jesus to Jerusalem about forty days after His birth, when He was six weeks old, to present Him to the Lord and to offer sacrifice.
They came as many other fathers and mothers came every day with their children, entering the stone temple to the priest, with Mary kneeling and holding the swaddled child before the broad temple entrance with its tall columns and steps while Joseph stood behind her. Because they were simple working people and poor parents, the priest performed the dedication as routine and saw nothing different in them, seeing and feeling nothing unusual but only a helpless infant like any other child. He did not know he was holding in his arms the Saviour of the world, the High Priest of the heavenly temple, for spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and if he had been obedient to God's word the Lord would have taught him who the child was.
Though He was presented by poor parents, God acknowledged His own act in giving His Son to the world, and the occasion received recognition when Simeon, warned by the Spirit, understood the infant being presented to be the Consolation of Israel, the Lord's Christ. The aged white-bearded Simeon in white and gold robes took the swaddled child in his arms and lifted Him joyfully, declaring that he could now depart in peace because his eyes had seen salvation, while aged Anna leaned on her staff and watched.
Christ's Obedient Example
As man's substitute He conformed to the law in every particular in His presentation, having already been subjected to circumcision as a pledge of His obedience to the law. He who was God's own Son and the Prince of heaven fulfilled this law to be obedient in all things, and by His example teaches obedience. His dedication as first-born Son, holy to the Lord, was to the work He had come to do.
The offerings presented with Him had to be without blemish because they represented Christ Himself. He Himself was free from physical deformity, with a strong and healthy body marred by no defect, the lamb without blemish and without spot. Throughout His lifetime He lived in conformity to nature's laws, and physically as well as spiritually He was an example of what obedience to God's laws makes all humanity to be. The ceremony was to keep in memory how the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. The Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh king of Egypt to say Israel is His son and His first-born and to let His son go to serve Him or He would slay Pharaoh's first-born, which Pharaoh refused by saying he did not know the Lord and would not let Israel go.
Poor Gift Accepted
Being poor, Joseph and Mary could bring only the offering permitted by the law for the poor, two doves or two turtledoves. The Lord Himself had provided by law that the poor might bring that simple offering instead of a great offering. Mary had little to offer for the precious gift entrusted to her, and could not bring the costly treasures the wise men laid before Jesus at Bethlehem.
The Lord received her two doves as an acceptable offering and did not reject her because of the smallness of her gift. He looked on the willingness of her heart, and her love made the offering sweet. God measures gifts by motive and heart service, not by amount in money, and accepts what is done in faith to the utmost of ability. He does not require a great gift but a gift according to what a man has, be it ever so simple, and accepts it whether rich or poor when the heart is opened to Him, in proportion to what a person has.
After giving ourselves, the best offering to God is our property, following Jesus who gave Himself without reserve, and even a little offering of two turtledoves is precious in the sight of God in return for His great gift. In bringing their offering to God at the temple, Joseph and Mary prayed with thanksgiving for the gift of His Son. Their prayers rose with thanksgiving for the offering God had provided.