Issue 1322 – At the Temple – Part 1 – December 15, 2023

Good morning

With this being the Advent season, much attention gets paid to angels, shepherds, wise men (magi) and their gifts, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, the manger and Mary’s donkey (if she had one). 

All those are essential parts of the nativity narrative. They are part of proclaiming the truth of “Immanuel, God with us.” Without the birth of Jesus and what followed through His life and death, all of us would be still dead in our sins and trespasses.

Some events that happened soon after the birth scene are also crucial in proclaiming Christ. Jesus was Jewish. 

Jesus was never a Christian. He had no sin to repent of, so He never needed to repent and trust in Himself by faith. Ergo, He could never be a Christian. A Christian is someone who, by definition, has recognized their sin, repented and trusted in God’s promised salvation by faith in Jesus, by God’s grace alone. 

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:21

In accordance with Mosaic Law, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, confirming His Jewish lineage and the words the prophets foretold about His lineage in great detail.

Everyone expected that Jesus would be circumcised. Still, what comes next is, I believe, more significant.

It will take several days to talk about entirely, but we will start this morning.

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,

“Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:22-35

Thirty-three days following His circumcision, Jesus was escorted to the temple to partake in the purification rite, complying with the customary Law for His mother. One might assume that carrying the Son of God would exempt her from such rituals. However, Jesus was committed to fulfilling every aspect of the Law. Despite His divine nature, He was also fully human, bound by the Law from the moment of His birth.

This event reveals the modest means of Mary and Joseph. They offered two doves, the sacrifice designated for those unable to afford a lamb. That was the price for someone who could not afford a lamb. Some prosperity gospel teachers claim that since Jesus was a king, He lived a life of opulence and wealth when he was here; nothing could be further from the truth.

We know Joseph was a tradesman. I have read that the Greek word typically translated as “carpenter” can also be translated as a stone worker or mason. In any event, he was a working man, not a wealthy man of leisure.

We see the law fulfilled. Then, Mary and Joseph encounter two extraordinary characters. I introduce one in today’s reading and will bring the other later.

We meet Simeon, a devout and holy man to whom the Holy Spirit had promised that he would meet Messiah before he died. Now, numerous Simeons are listed in the Bible; it was a common name. Simeon was the name of the disciple we usually call Simon (another variant) Peter. We don’t know anything from Scripture about this particular Simeon other than what we have in our text.

Some scholars suggest the possibility of him being the father of the esteemed Rabbi Hillel or a once-prominent scholar in Jerusalem. However, these are conjectures without concrete evidence.

We know that Simeon was devout and given a special blessing by the Holy Spirit, which we shall look at tomorrow.

Until next time, as you anticipate the anniversary of the first coming of Messiah, may you also be preparing for His second coming.

Be blessed. 

Hallelu Yah 

Praise God 

Kevin

 Gleanings From The Word

 Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV). 

“Simeon with Jesus” 

Image artist unknown – believed to be public domain.

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