Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Story: I came across this interesting snippet the other day on the web for the computer buffs among you.
At a recent computer expo, COMDEX, Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the car industry and is reputed to have said:,
"If General Motors kept up with technology in the way that Microsoft has, we would all be driving in cars costing $25.00 with a fuel consumption that was 1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating:
If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the
following characteristics:
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason.
You would then have to
pull over to the side of the road,
close all of the windows,
shut off the car,
restart it and
reopen the windows
before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.
4. Occasionally, executing a manoeuvre, such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "General Protection Fault" warning light or a "You have performed an illegal operation."
7. The airbag system would ask you, "Are you sure?" before inflating.
8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously
lifted the door handle,
turned the key and
grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9. Every time GM introduced a new car, car buyers would have to learn to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.
Today is Candlemas, the day when we celebrate the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
And like the Microsoft car the Ceremony didn’t quite go the way it was expected to go.
Luke in Chapter 2 of his Gospel mentions three Jewish ceremonies –
i) The Circumcision of Christ,
ii) The Purification of Mary (from which the Book of Common Prayer “Churching of Women after childbirth is based) and
iii) The Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
1. Introduction
I would like to look at the third ceremony today, which was known as “The redemption of the firstborn.”
2Luke 2: 2-23. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took (Jesus) to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord)"
To understand this ceremony we need a little background.
"The ceremony, consisted of the formal presentation of the child to the priest, accompanied by two short benedictions
? the first one for the law of redemption
? the other for the gift of a firstborn son,
after which the redemption money was paid."
The basis for the ceremony was that, in the Old Testament, the firstborn were "consecrated" or “holy" – which means set aside for God.
The word in the Greek that is translated as "consecrated" (NIV) in Luke 2:23 is hagios, which means "consecrated to the service of God”.
However their service to God was fulfilled by the Levites. In the book of Numbers we read:
"The Lord … said to Moses, 'I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman.
The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine.
When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.' " (Numbers 3:11-13)
However, since the Levites performed all the Temple duties instead of the firstborn, the parents of the firstborn non-Levites were required to pay a redemption fee, which was set at five shekels. (Numbers 3:46-47; 8:16-18; 18:16; See also Exodus 13; 22:28-29; 34:19-20; 18:15-18; Deuteronomy 15:19-20).
Story: The idea of the redemption fee might at first blush seem a bit strange to us in 21st Century Britain.
We don’t have conscription in the UK (yet!), but we do have it in Switzerland.
Every Swiss male, resident in Switzerland- when he reaches the age of 20, is required to join the Swiss military.
It is one of the obligations of Swiss citizenship - for the defence of the country.
If for any reason, for example due to illness he cannot do his military service, he will pay a yearly fee (called the “Militär Ersatzsteuer”) to support others who carry out his responsibilities towards the defence of the country, in his place.
In a sense, the Militär Ersatzsteuer is a redemption fee for those who do not go into the Swiss Military.
In a similar way, the redemption price paid on all non-Levite firstborn in Jesus’ day was a way of supporting the priesthood to do their service to God, in their place.
2. Why did Jesus have to go through this ceremony.
He certainly didn’t need to be redeemed – for he was totally dedicated to His Father’s service.
But I believe Jesus went through it, because he was a Jew.
He was, as St. Paul put it, “born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Gal 4:4)
In other words, he was subject to the requirements of the Law.
But I think there is a special reason why Jesus was presented in the Temple that day.
Jesus parents thought that they had brought him to “REDEEM HIM” under the Law of Moses.
But God turned this ceremony its head by proclaiming that this little child would REDEEM ALL MANKIND.
Look at what Simeon said:
“Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace; according to Thy word. For mine eyes have seen: Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared: before the face of all people
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of Thy people Israel (Lk 2:29-32)
Words which sum up the Gospel so succinctly that Cranmer adopted them into the Book of Common Prayer – in a canticle that we know better as the Nunc Dimittis.
And at what Anna, the prophetess did when she “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem”
3. Two Witnesses
Why were there two prophetic witnesses, you might ask?
Because in a Jewish Court of Law, Scripture required that any matter of fact had to be established by the testimony of two witnesses.
Here we have two witnesses who testify to what Christ would do.
However in the Jewish Law of the day a woman was not allowed to testify – her word did not
count.
But that was not a Scriptural requirement of the Law. It was a Pharisaic addition to the Law of God.
I wonder if God is making a point here - saying in effect that so far as he is concerned – that man and woman are equal in his eyes.
St Paul puts the matter succinctly when he said:
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you - who were baptized into Christ - have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:26-28)
4. Conclusion
Jesus’ presentation in the Temple is significant in that God spoke about Jesus’ mission in life.
God the Father used the Ceremony of the Redemption of the Firstborn to show that Jesus was coming to be the Redemption for all mankind.
Jesus said most poignantly:” I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me”( Jn 14:6).
And what is our response? Well perhaps that o Anna the prophetess who told those who were open to hear about Jesus and his mission on earth. Christ has left the Church with only one commission. “To make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19).
At this time where parish share consumes a lot of our time and energy, let us not lose sight of the ultimate responsibility of the church – the bring people from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light.
I think our challenge is to pray for and look for opportunities, like Anna did to bring people to know the Redeemer of the World.
