”Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Luke 2:21-24 NLT
Jesus was the firstborn in more than one way – Paul said that Jesus is the “firstborn of all creation” in Colossians 1:15 . There is so much information out there about birth order. There are studies, stats, science and lots of controversy. I often wonder if it always comes back to the old B.F. Skinner theories – is it nature or nurture. Are we born with specific traits and characteristics? Or are these personality quirks brought about by our family of origin and the influence of siblings.
Luke, the doctor, is very specific about Jesus’ beginnings. Here in this passage Luke makes sure we know that Joseph and Mary followed the law perfectly. “It was time for their purification offering.” God instructed Moses about the firstborn, “The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal” Exodus 13:1-2 NIV. The New International Version correctly translates “firstborn,” as firstborn male. “Bakar,” meaning “to be born first” or “to bear early fruit,” is “prototokos,” in New Testament Greek. As mentioned, in the New Testament it refers to Jesus as the “firstborn” over all creation (Colossians 1:15) and the “firstborn from the dead” (Revelation 1:5). Not only is this firstborn son theme an echo of of the death of every firstborn male in Egypt, it is also seen in the entire sacrifice/offering system that God set up to teach humanity all about both the penalty, but also the consequences of sin.
Jesus, was circumcised and dedicated, completely fulfilling Old Testament requirements. In this purification offering, there is fulfillment of prophecy and the future picture of completion for all of us. GotQuestions.org writes, “In the Old Testament, purification was associated with ceremonial cleanliness. The Law of Moses included numerous rituals and sacrifices to achieve purification from physical and spiritual impurities. It [symbolizes] both the cleansing and liberation from impurity.
What effect do you think Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, doing everything right, had on Jesus? It was critical for Jesus’ life and mission. Being the Son of Man and Son of God meant that Jesus’ parents played an important role in his early formation. God trusting Mary to carry, deliver and care for His only Son is pretty crazy! Then relying on Joseph to father Jesus as a foster dad, following every detail of what is required in the Jewish Old Testament Law. That’s a lot of pressure to get it right. There are only a few glimpses into the young life of Christ. But what we do see is Joseph and Mary doing everything humanly possible to give Jesus a wonderfully, normal, orthodox Jewish upbringing. What a difference it makes when parents do things right in raising their children! I have seen the difference in the way my wife, Robin, was raised and the way I was raised. Her parents raised her in a Godly environment and followed God, mine did not.
Prayer
Dad,
Even though I did not have the benefit of having godly parents or even an attempt at giving me an understanding of who you are, you watched over me. Even as I heard your voice at fifteen, I had a vague sense that I recognized it. There was a strange recollection of familiarity. That gave me comfort and definitely increased the odds of me listening and saying “yes” to you. Robin had a completely different experience with her parents raising her in Godly ways. So we were quite the mixed-marriage when it came to raising our own children. Thank you so much for her parents and her upbringing! I am grateful that you have fathered me all along. And, gave me the opportunity to be a father to our own children. Your grace was more than sufficient!