December 21, 2022

Luke 2:21-24  (HCSB)
The Circumcision and Presentation of Jesus
21 When the eight days were completed for His circumcision, He was named Jesus —the name given by the angel before He was conceived. 22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord) 24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons).

Luis Lopez, Associate Vice President of Hispanic Relations - SBC Executive Committee               Nothing like obedience. Here, we find two examples of how Jesus obeyed the law and came to fulfill it. He was born of a woman (Gal.4:4) and being the son of a daughter of Abraham, he was subject to the law of Moses. First, he was circumcised eight days later, at the right time. Even though the procedure was painful, his parents obeyed the law and put him through it. His parents named him Jesus. They gave him the name the angel had told them. These parents chose to obey in faith. Jesus was circumcised to be recognized as a descendent of Abraham to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Him. That is obedience!  Second, Jesus was brought to the temple at the right time when the law required it. His parents presented him to the Lord. Since Jesus entered this world, he gave himself as an offering to God surrendering his divine privileges. He took the position of a slave and was born as a human being. That is obedience!