What We Can Learn from Jesus’ Nativity: Jesus’ Circumcision and Presentation; Mary’s Purification (Luke 2:21-24)

Luke 2:21-24

When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. ²²And when the day came for them to be purified in keeping with the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord- ²³observing what is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord-²⁴and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is prescribed in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

1.    This passage, read together with Leviticus 12, indicates that the Holy Family was in Bethlehem for at least 41 days (eight days after Jesus’ birth for circumcision and 33 more for purification).

A.   Their life was upended during that time. They were away from their home, Mary’s family, their social supports, routines. That would have been particularly hard if they continued to stay in/at the manger; that would have been at least as challenging as living in a hotel room with a new born. Further, they had few means to soften those hardships. See Luke 2:24 and Leviticus 12:8.

B.   The reason God built that into His plan is not fully knowable from our perspective, but perhaps:

i.     It was to give the Magi time to catch up to the Holy Family. See Matthew 2:1-12.

ii.    It was a time of training/preparation. We see that in the lives of other great servants of God. Moses spent years on the “backside of the desert” learning the terrain/environment he was going to lead the Hebrews through. David was trained in multiple ways during the time Saul was chasing him. The Apostles were trained during the time they travelled with Jesus before His ascension. Maybe Mary was being prepared for the tumult/upheaval/fluid circumstances she would go through during Jesus’ public ministry and after His passion/ascension.

iii.   If those were indeed God’s purposes they are another example of His using something on multiple levels, as discussed at point 8 of What We Can Learn from Jesus' Nativity: The Visitation (Luke 1:39-45).

C.    Whatever God’ s purposes were for this time, Mary and Joseph probably didn’t fully understand them as they were going through it. We see that dynamic elsewhere in Jesus’ infancy narrative and scripture generally. See point 4(C) of What We Can Learn from Jesus’ Nativity: Mary and Joseph’s Journey to Bethlehem and Jesus’ Birth There (Luke 2:1-7).

2.    The circumstances of this particular fulfillment of the Old Testament requirement of redeeming the first-born male truly fulfilled that requirement’s two purposes: to reinforce that every first-born male belongs to God and to commemorate the powerful action God took to redeem His people from bondage. See Exodus 13:11-16. No first born more truly belonged to God than Jesus; He is God’s own son. There has never been a more powerful action to save people from bondage than the sacrifice of that Son for our redemption.

3.    The combined takeaway from the events described here is that those greatly used by God are not in control of their own lives; they are submitted to and lead by God.