Sharrington 02-02-03
Presentation of Christ in the Temple
With all the festivities around Christmas and Epiphany, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that Jesus was an Orthodox Jew.
Story: When I was younger, I used to wonder what, on earth, possessed Matthew and Luke to record the genealogies of Christ. Until I met Gideon Miller.
Gideon Miller was an extraordinary man. He was about5’6” and had size 16 shoes. He was married to a German lady who had been a member of the Hitler Youth. Which was astounding because Gideon had been born a Jew.
After the Second World War, he had been granted a gambling licence in Las Vegas, which in those days was a licence to print money.
But Gideon had a drinking problem and soon lost everything. When he eventually realised that he had a problem he started going to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous that used to meet in the crypt of a church.
One evening he arrived a bit too early and so looked round for something to read. He picked up a New Testament and started reading Matthew’s Gospel.
As he read the genealogy of Jesus, he suddenly realised that Jesus wasn’t a Christian he was a Jew!!
So he went out and bought a New Testament and began reading it regularly. And eventually he decided to give his life to Christ.
The genealogy of Christ was instrumental in bringing Gideon to know Jesus.
And this morning’s Gospel reading reminds us how Jewish Jesus was.
And why was that important?. Because God had revealed in the Old Testament Scripture that the Messiah would be a Jew born in the line of King David.
Luke, in Chapter 2 of his Gospel, mentions three Jewish ceremonies that mother and child were involved in–
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 Redemption of the Firstborn – or as we know it – 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.”
22When 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 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"
To understand the significance of 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
n the first one for the law of redemption
n 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, every firstborn son born to a Jewish woman was considered "consecrated for the service" of God.
That’s the actual meaning of the Greek word hagios, which is translated as “consecrated” (NIV) or “holy” (KJV) in Luke 2:23.
However that 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 do National Service for 17 weeks. Our oldest son, Jonny starts on military service next week!
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 tax (called the “Militär Ersatzsteuer”) to support others who carry out, in his place, his responsibilities towards the defence of the country.
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 another 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. That is to say he would be the Saviour of the World.
Jesus goes from REDEEMED to REDEEMER.
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)
These words sum up the Gospel so succinctly that Thomas Cranmer adopted them into the Book of Common Prayer – in a canticle that we know better as the Nunc Dimittis.
And look at what Anna, the prophetess did. She gave thanks to God and “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? Wouldn’t one do?
Again we see the Jewishness of Jesus
In a Jewish Court of Law, the Old Testament Law required that any fact had to be established by the testimony of at least two witnesses.
Here we have two witnesses who testify to the role of Jesus in the world.
However in first Century 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 man-made 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, believe it or not, was a first Century Women’s Lib Advocate. Listen to what he says in the Epistle to the Galatians:
26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you - who were baptized into Christ - have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:26-28)
They were radical words in a patriarchal society
4. Conclusion
Jesus’ presentation in the Temple is significant in
that God presented His Son to the world and spoke about Jesus’ mission in life.
I believe God used the Jewish Ceremony of the “Redemption of the Firstborn” to show to the world 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).
In other words, there is no salvation except through Christ.
And so what should my response should be to that?
Well perhaps that of Anna the prophetess. She praised God and told those - who were open to hear about Jesus and his mission on earth – about Jesus.
Christ has left the Church with only one commission. “To make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19).
At this time where parish share rightly consumes a lot of our time and energy,
let us not lose sight of the ultimate responsibility of the church – which is to 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 introduce people to the Redeemer of the World.
