We can read of the Presentation of our Lord at the Temple at Jerusalem in the Gospel of Luke. Luke:2:22-40.
Under the Old Covenant a woman was considered to be ceremonially unclean for 40 days after giving birth, in which case she was unable to enter the Temple and join in the worship of God. At the end of this period she would come to the Temple and and be declared "purified"and again be able to join in the community worship. This is part of what we are reading about here when Joseph and Mary come to the Temple, with Jesus.
Purified
and Presented
But in the Gospel
account we see more than just the completion of Mary's purification. Joseph and
Mary have brought Jesus with them, Jesus, being the Firstborn is to be dedicated
to the service of God under the terms of the Old Covenant. "Because all the Firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the Firstborn of the Land of Egypt I hallowed to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal, they will be mine: I AM the Lord" Number:3:13
"Consecrate to me every firstborn male; the Firstborn of every womb among Israel belong to me, man or animal" Exodus: 13:2
What we witness, through Luke’s account, is two events, Mary’s “Purification” which allows for her to be readmitted into the Worship in the Temple. She now, due to the purification offering, has the right to be there in the Temple, and along with her purification we see the dedication of Jesus who is the Firstborn of all firstborn and His consecration, 40 days after His birth, to be a servant of the Most High God.
The Consecration scarifies and the presentation of the firstborn, were conducted at the Temple in Jerusalem.
“And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] 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.” Luke: 2:22
Law Fulfilled by Jesus
Even His circumcision on the eighth day, we see Jesus, shedding His blood, looking ahead to the Cross still 33 years in His future. Now the presentation on the 40th day, when Jesus enters first enters the Temple He is fulfilling the Law of God on our behalf.
This Jesus did, and continued to do all His life right up to the cross. But Jesus’ life, in way every way fulfilled the Law the way it was meant to be, even as an infant. Jesus makes sure that we all are "purified" and able to join in the community worship of the Great God, it is all through Him we are made pure, and able to approach the Great God.
“so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault” Philippians:2:15a
“But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians: 2:13
The Consecration
The Israelites, whose homes were marked with the blood of the lamb, were spared and the angel of death passed over them. The firstborn of Israel were spared. Because of that, from that time forward all the firstborn sons of Israel now were to be set apart, holy, consecrated to the service of the Lord. This law applied to all tribes of Israel. The firstborn sons of all twelve tribes were to be set aside e to the Lord’s service.
The Priesthood
The priesthood came from the tribe of Levi. But for the firstborn sons from all the other tribes, the parents would offer up a sacrifice at the Temple so that released their sons from that obligation.
This part of what Joseph and Mary were doing at the Temple for their firstborn son, since they were not Levites but from the tribe of Judah. From which of Judah kings came. Jesus was born from the tribe of Judah; however He also is a firstborn, which means He is consecrated to the service of God, at His presentation at the Temple on the 40th day.
Jesus the Priest of God
Jesus’ life was consecrated to Lord’s service even in His infancy.
Jesus offers the greatest priestly service of all, for all, when he offered up His own life as the perfect sacrifice for all sin. His body and His blood are the offering, whole and holy and complete.
When we see Jesus is presented at the Temple, on the 40th day, as the firstborn , this is a foreshadowing of His entire priestly service for all of us.
33 years later, on Calvary, Jesus would shed His blood on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for all humanity, fulfilling the Law in our stead, bring forgiveness and salvation us.
Death passes over us because we are marked with the blood Jesus the Lamb of God. All this is taking place when this Jesus firstborn son is presented at the Temple of God at Jerusalem.
Simeon and Anna
Not only is Jesus the great High Priest, greater than any from the tribe of Levi, He is also the great King from the tribe of Judah, the Messiah, the Christ. Simeon and Anna can see this. This truth was revealed to Simeon and Anna by a special work of the Holy Spirit. They see Jesus, and they recognize the Savior, the fulfillment of what they had been waiting for.
“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. . . .” Luke: 2:25-28
Jesus is the great High Priest, above any from the tribe of Levi; He is also the promised King from the tribe of Judah, the Messiah, and the Christ. Simeon and Anna see this.
Simeon was waiting for the “Consolation of Israel.” “Consolation” is a word means “comfort.”
Isaiah 40:2- “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, and that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
Simeon had been watching and waiting for, looking for, longing for. The Lord had showed that Simeon that he would not die until he saw the consolation come in the person of Jesus, the Messiah. Now here was that One, finally, Simeon sees Him, in the person of the infant Jesus now brought into the Temple courts, the long awaited Messiah!
Then Simeon with, Jesus in his arms and exclaims: “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.” Luke: 2:29-32
Nunc Dimittis
Often this Hymn is sung it after the sharing of the Communion after we encounter the Lord Jesus, when we take Him into our arms, that is embrace Him personally, we can now to depart in peace just as Simeon declared he was able to do, we have now no fear, even departing this life. When we come to believe in Jesus, our lives have accomplished everything a human life was intended to accomplish.
Simeon held Jesus in his arms and beheld with his own eyes, the Lord’s salvation in the person of the Jesus. When we come to believe in Jesus, we express it though sharing the Lord’s Supper, the Communion, we are truly ready and able “to depart in peace”.
Simeon declared openly that this child is the salvation God has prepared “in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
For all peoples, all nations, not just Israel, will be blessed in and by Jesus’ coming. Gentiles will come to see the light.
Darkness of the Cross
Simeon tells Mary she will have grief, “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: 2:34-25
Jesus faced great opposition in His ministry. He will be spoken against by the religious leaders of the day the Scribe and Pharisee and Sadducees, the Chief Priest and Elders of people. They conspired against Jesus to stop and to have Him killed.
The death of Jesus, her firstborn son, was like a sword piercing Mary’s soul, bring great grief, as she stood at the cross and sees Jesus dying.
This is the only way that our salvation could be accomplished for us. It would take the death of God’s only begotten Son come in the flesh, Mary’s firstborn son, to accomplish it for us.
Only Jesus’ holy blood alone. Only He as the great High Priest, His priestly service of offering up the perfect sacrifice Himself would accomplish it. His life could never have ended any other way.
The Cross is the logical conclusion to a life based on complete conformity to the will of God; the Cross declares that Jesus would rather die, than found outside the will of God. Jesus’ sacrifice was not just one day at Calvary, but rather Jesus scarified His whole life, His Whole life. All His Life, All His Life. He was fully consecrated to His Father. That day at the Temple only shows what has always been true.
His Sacrifice is more than enough, to accomplish our salvation. We are saved from eternal death and condemnation. We are saved for life and peace with God and eternal life beyond the confines of this world in Eternity. This is the consolation of Israel that Simeon and all of us are waiting for it found in Jesus alone.
The power of the blood is found in the value of the life that it sustains, the blood of Jesus sustained the life of God in the flesh, therefore His life as fully God, is more valued then the sum total of all humanity , but being fully human Jesus could die for all humanity.John:1:1-3,14, and Colssians:2:9
Now Anna
Anna as well sees our Redeemer, our liberator, in the child Jesus. Jesus Christ is our Lord who has redeemed all of us lost and condemned humanity, purchased and won for us freeing us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.
He brought this redeeming by His holy blood and His perfect innocent suffering and death. This redemption He has won for us is, eternal life in the kingdom of God. Like Anna, we too will begin to give praise and thanks to God and to speak to others about Jesus.
Consolation and redemption, salvation and peace. All of these Jesus brought with Him when He enters the Temple for His Presentation. He is the firstborn, the High Priest, and the Messiah. In the Temple, even in the Church, the People of God, His Temple, we still find the same Jesus and so we receive His blessings.
In Jesus Christ we find our consolation and our redemption, our comfort and freedom. In Jesus Christ, we find salvation, peace, eternal life and forgiveness. Jesus is here in the Church ,the Temple, that the firstborn Son is still being presented to and for us, and so we all can sing the Hymn Nunc Dimittis with Simeon
.
“Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation.” Amen.
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
Washington, Pennsylvania
Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP
Radio 1710 & 1670 AM in Washington, Pa.and 1710 AM in Bentleyville ,
Pa. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
No comments:
Post a Comment