The Presentation Of Jesus

The Presentation of Jesus

Luke 2:20-40

We now come to the first Sunday after Christmas. This Sunday often sees a lull in attendance as people rest after all their Christmas preparations and celebrations. Christmas is but the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life. All the life of Jesus on earth is important for us to study. This morning, we will learn about two special people who got to see the baby Jesus. There is not much written about the early life of Jesus. Matthew records the Magi and the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt and their return to Nazareth. Mark and John start with the ministry of John the Baptist when Jesus was around 30 years of age. Of all the gospels, only Luke records several events from the early life of Jesus.

The presentation of Jesus on the 40th day is usually celebrated in early February, 40 days from the date we celebrate as Christmas. (We do not really know on what calendar date Jesus was actually born, however.) This is known as Candelmas in some Christian traditions. So it seems odd that the lectionary selection for this Sunday seems out of place. Be that as it may, let us now take a closer look at the passage.

It is interesting that Luke 2:21 has been out of the selection. The text for Christmas ends with verse 20, and the text today begins with verse 22. This verse tells us that Jesus Christ was circumcised on the eighth day according to the Law of Moses. It was necessary that Jesus fulfill every aspect of the Law. But this is the only verse in the Bible which actually refers that Jesus was circumcised. What makes this more interesting is that Luke is traditionally thought to have been written to the Gentiles who were uncircumcised. As Luke was a companion to Paul who fought against the circumcision of the Gentiles, it seems odd that the circumcision of Jesus is mentioned in Luke and not at all in Matthew who is traditionally thought as being written to Jewish-Christians. Instead, Matthew records the visit of the Gentile Magi. Luke records the circumcision and presentation of Jesus on the 40th day according to the Law of Moses. We should really take some time to ponder this. What was the purpose of the Holy Spirit who is the author of Scripture in reversing expectations? Could it be that our expectations are wrong? Maybe Matthew wasn’t written to “Jewish” Christians at all but to the New Israel, the Church. Perhaps the presentation of Jesus being recorded in Luke was written to remind Gentiles that the Gospel they had been given to the Jew first and then to them. This would serve to keep the Gentiles from boasting of their receiving the word of salvation at the expense of the Jews. This is especially relevant when one considers the large number of Jews who had rejected the Gospel.

Mary and Joseph were Jews. As Jews, they were required not only to circumcise Jesus on the 8th day but also to present Him before the LORD on the 40th day when Mary’s days of purification were completed. As this presentation was to be done in the Temple, it involved a days hike from Bethlehem where they were staying. This also shows that the Magi did not come until later as the family had to flee to Egypt because of Herod. Jesus, being the firstborn son placed additional requirements on the family. When one goes back to the Torah, Exodus 13:2 states that all firstborn of man and beast were holy to the LORD. Numbers 3 records that the tribe of Levi was to take the place of all the firstborn of Israel and were dedicated to the service of the Tabernacle and altar. There were a few more firstborn in Israel at that time than Levites, so a monetary redemption of five shekels of silver was required of the surplus. Added to this was the requirements of Mary’s purification demanded that either a lamb be presented, or if the family was impoverished, two turtledoves according to Leviticus 11. So the King of the Jews, the Son of David, was indeed a king who knew earthly poverty.

The text goes on to introduce a man named Simeon. He takes the baby Jesus into His arms and blesses and prophesies over Him. We cannot know anything about Simeon for sure. Tradition says that he was the son of the famous Rabbi Hillel and the father of the equally famous Gamaliel who was the tutor of Paul. However, there is very little if any evidence to support the tradition. There is a possibility that he was a priest as he took up Jesus in his arms. This is a greater possibility, but we are not sure. He probably was elderly and had been waiting on the Messiah for a long time. What we do know is that he was a devout man who was waiting on the consolation of Israel. We also know that he had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the LORD’s Christ. This shows us that even though the Word of God to the nation had been silent for 400 years, since the days of Malachi, that the LORD still spoke to certain individuals in Israel. The Words of Yahweh had recently returned to the Israeli public in the words of Zachariah at the birth of John the Baptist. But it also seems that the LORD had made this promise to Simeon many years earlier. How long did Simeon yearn for this day?