THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 2:21-24
“Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” (Luke 2:22)
Jesus was Jewish, or an Israeli.
His first days included Jewish practices: circumcision, dedication, purification, sacrifice.
Circumcision is the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his children (Genesis 17:1-14).
Firstborn sons were dedicated to recall the death of Egypt’s firtborn sons (Exodus 13:14-16).
Sacrifices were offered for purifying the mother after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8).
These practices seem barbaric today, but they were normal in those times.
God used the cultural practices of the day to reach and teach the people.
He accommodates His timeless truth with our temporal cultural practices.
He comes down to our level, that He might bring us up to His.
Hence, Jesus was Jewish, born in time, in culture, in tradition and story.
He becomes like us (culture, time, tradition-bound) that He might help us back to God.
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” (Galatians 4:4-5)
We are not bound by these laws and traditions, we are not expected to become Jewish.
But like Jesus, we are to become servants within our cultures, to help people back to God.
We live in culture, but we do not live for culture… we live for God! for Jesus!
Within the dominion of Canada, I dedicate myself to the kingdom of God.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, help me be a good citizen of Your kingdom by being a good citizen of this nation. May this nation be blessed by Your kingdom goodness.
Observations/Application
Jesus came down to earth. He was and is God’s Son and yet He was man among men. He was given the name Jesus – God saves – the name before He was. And when He came a man He was born into a culture and was obedient to the practices of that culture at that time following the rituals. He was consecrated to the Lord also by His earthly parents.
And I/we too choose meaningful names within our culture and presented our children to the Lord. They are not ours, but His, given for a short time to be raised in His Kingdom service.
No greater joy do parents have than their children living for Jesus. And every day still, while we/I have breath, we pray for our children that they may walk in His SonShine, in the Light of the Way, serving Him in all they do and say. And as Mary, we too keep all these things in our hearts.
Lead me, guide me along the way
For if You lead me I cannot stray
Lord just open mine eyes that I may see
Lead me oh Lord, won’t You lead me
I am lost if You take Your hand from me
I am blind without Thy light to see
Lord just always let me Thy servant be
Lead me oh Lord, won’t You lead me