JESUS PRESENTED TO THE LORD

“When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” We have again remembered the birth of the Lord Jesus, and the events that followed. He was laid in a manger, circumcised on the eighth day, and then the Bible tells us of His presentation. According to the law a mother who received a son was afterwards unclean for seven days. During those seven days she was not allowed to touch any holy thing; during the following thirty-three days she was also unclean, but not as strictly. She must wait forty days before she was allowed to enter the temple. These days were now accomplished. This institution of the law taught each Israelite, and teaches us also, that we are unclean from the moment of our birth. Our catechism also shows very clearly that we are conceived in sin and born in iniquity. When we may see this, then such a Mediator becomes necessary, Who with His innocence and perfect holiness covers also these sins.

Now Joseph and Mary went with the child Jesus to Jerusalem, because the days of purification were ended. To purify means to free from guilt, or to free from moral or ceremonial blemish. But how could Mary become unclean? Jesus is not born of the will of man, but by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Highest came over her, and she was promised that a holy child, the Son of God, would be born of her. Although the Lord Jesus is without original and actual sin, still He must be presented as an ordinary child. He is without sin, but the sins of the whole human race are laid to His account. He is made a curse for His church. This is not so clear in our Bible, because it speaks of HER purification; Luke wrote the pronoun in the plural and makes it apply both to Mary and to Christ --literally: the purification of THEM.

In the light of God’s Word we know that, in order to wash away our stains, the fountain of purity chose to be reckoned unclean. What a humiliation Jesus underwent already at this moment. It teaches us not only that sin must be punished, but also that there is deliverance in Him Who fulfilled the law. There is a way by which we may escape the righteous punishment and again be received into favor. How blessed is this fortieth day of Jesus’ life; now poor sinners may come to Him, Who fulfilled the law which we did not keep. He bore the wrath of God against sin. Whenever your heart is depressed because of the guilt and pollution of sin, whenever your sinful heart becomes ashamed before God, then this is the way of salvation, namely, the mediatorial work of Christ. Although He remained pure before the eyes of God, He took upon Himself our misery in the house of God, under the hands of the priest of God and according to the law of God, that He might be the complete Savior.

Before His presentation certain sacrifices had to be brought, namely, a sin offering to bridge the gap with God, as Mary was unclean by the birth of this child, and a burnt offering also to again join with the Lord. For the sin offering, in order to bring reconciliation, a turtledove or young pigeon was given, and the burnt offering according to the law was a lamb of one year without blemish, or, if they were poor, a dove. Mary brought the sacrifice of the poor. Jesus could say, “Gold and silver is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills”, but in the days of His humiliation He was very poor. Born of a poor virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger, He was now presented in the temple with the offering of the poor. Paul says of Him, “Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” A rich Jesus became poor in order to make poor sinners rich. In our days many speak and preach of poverty, but they never became poor; others speak of a rich Jesus, but they have never felt themselves wretched, miserable, blind and naked. Such richness is also in vain. The Lord must be the first in our life and then we will see our poverty. We became poor through sin, so that now we miss the Lord and have nothing for eternity. He who by Word and Spirit may learn to know his poverty is blessed - “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their’s is the kingdom of heaven”. Have we ever seen our poverty? May the Lord open our eyes for our state and condition so that we may flee to Him Who became poor.

The sacrificial animal was offered and the atonement was made. Now Mary may lay her son in the hands of the priest and the presentation may take place. The origin of this ceremony is known to us - “Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”. Then we remember that terrible night in Egypt when all the firstborn of the Egyptians died, but none of the Israelite children because they were safe behind the blood of the lamb. Nevertheless the firstborn belonged to the Lord, and therefore, if the firstborn were a son, then he must serve in the temple. This institution of the Lord was changed when all Israel with the exception of the tribe of Levi danced around the golden calf; after this the tribe of Levi was appointed to serve in the temple. However, the oldest son remained the possession of the Lord, and therefore he must be presented to the Lord and afterwards redeemed.

Mary gave her firstborn to the priest in charge and he presented the child to the Lord, which testified: “This child belongs to Thee, O Lord; it is consecrated to Thy service.” The ceremony ended with the redeeming of the child for five shekels of silver, or about one ounce. (To redeem is to buy back.) Now Jesus is free from the service in the temple in Jerusalem. We know that this ceremony has a deeper meaning. Chrsit testified of His willingness to redeem His people, even as He had already done in the Counsel of Peace; now He testified, “As Son I belong to Thee, but as Mediator I present Myself in the stead of My church. They cannot sanctify themselves, but I will fulfill Thy will.”

Christ did not serve in the temple and yet He was Priest, but a Priest after the order of Melchisedec. He merited all that we need to salvation. The spouse says of Him, “He is white and ruddy”. White reveals His holy life in that He came under the Law and has fulfilled the whole Law; He is ruddy, as He shed His blood to pay the price for the redemption of the elect.

When our guilt and debt have been discovered, and we learn that it is impossible to purchase our salvation by our own works, the cry will be born for another way. How desirable then the Mediator becomes. His Name is Jesus - that is, Savior; He can and will deliver His people from the greatest evil and bring them to the highest good, into the communion with a Triune God. What rich blessings are revealed in Christ for time and eternity. That we may learn to know Him as our Redeemer!

Norwich, Canada

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