Read: Luke 2:22–24
When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
Luke 2:22
Maybe your church has child dedications or baptisms during a special Sunday service in December. Jesus, too, is dedicated via presentation at the Jewish temple. The time has come for “the purification rites required by the Law of Moses.” What Luke’s account is referring to here is spelled out in Leviticus 12.
According to Levitical law, a woman was ceremonially unclean for seven days after giving birth to a son. The child was then to be circumcised on the eighth day, so Mary and Joseph are being obedient to this command, as we’ve already seen. The mother of a newborn male required another 33 days “to be purified from her bleeding” (Leviticus 12:4). So, it was after this period of time that Jesus’ parents take Him on the six-mile journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, bring Him to the priest, and offer a specific sacrifice at the temple.
Mary and Joseph are poor—at least at the time around Jesus’ birth—so this part of the modern-day narrative is accurate. How do we know this is true? At the temple, they can only afford to sacrifice two small birds instead of the standard lamb. This option for the less fortunate is indicated in the Leviticus passage. The purpose of sacrificing the pair of birds is for Mary’s benefit and for this reason: “one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean” (Leviticus 12:8).
This sacrifice for Mary is an important fact that can be easily overlooked. As mentioned, there are certain segments of believers today that overly revere and worship Mary. She is a human tarnished by sin, and so she requires the sin offering just like every other Jew of her day.
There is another interesting aspect to the life of baby Jesus contained in this brief mention. God made it clear to Moses that every firstborn male was to be consecrated to Him (Exodus 13:1–16). Mary and Joseph are obedient to this command by going to the temple (Luke 2:23). Even at a young age, Jesus is demonstrating that He has come to fulfill the law of the day, not abolish it.
This is not to say that every child isn’t special in the eyes of the Lord. It is standard in the Jewish culture, as well as in many other cultures today, that the oldest son is the family heir and, therefore, carries special responsibilities in life.
Once our lives are dedicated to the Lord, we, too, need to present ourselves to Him as an offering. We need to give Him control of our lives. Paul urges us all “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). During this Christmas season, let’s pledge our lives anew to the Lord as an offering, for Him to use us for His will and for His glory.