The Life of Jesus of Nazareth (Continued)

The Redemption of the Christ Child

The court of prayer where the rite of purification took place
and where the redemption money was paid.

There were three requirements at the birth of the firstborn son, which applied to Jesus since he was a son of Abraham and a son of David. He would need to be circumcised at least seven full days after the birth – Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, the day when he received his angel-given name of Jesus (Yeshua). This signified an acceptance of the privileges and obligations of the Abrahamic        covenant.  Then there was the payment of the redemption money – that would be at least thirty full days after the birth. In addition, Mary would need to attend at the Temple for the rite of purification. This could not take place until at least forty full days had elapsed  after the birth. So some six weeks after the shepherds had seen the Shekinah glory of God, the mother and step-father of the baby,     identified by heaven as the Messiah, went up to the Temple to fulfil their obligations - the offering of sacrifice for the purification of the mother, and the payment of money for the redemption of the first-born. Luke records: “And when the days of her purification … were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)” (2:22,23) This was done for the first-born but not for the children born afterward. And it was not done for all first-born unless ‘the first-born were fit for a priest’.  In Jewish writings (Berakhot 8:1) they distinguish between ‘a first-born fit for inheritance’ and ‘a first-born fit for a priest’. That is, if the first-born should be in any ways maimed, or defective in any of his parts, or had any kind of spot or blemish in him, this laid no bar for his  inheriting but yet made him unfit and incapable of being consecrated to God. The infant Jesus was physically without blemish and without spot. It is likely that the purification of Mary would take place first.  

She must have enquired the price of pigeons (the offering of the poor) and made the payment by depositing the sum in the appropriate chest in the Treasury.

Then, at the time of the evening offering (3.00 p.m.) Mary attended at the platform in front of the Nicanor door where the priest (after     having offered the appropriate number of sacrifices) would sprinkle each of the attendees with water into which had been mixed the   ashes of the red heifer. About that time a godly man, Simeon, entered the court of prayer, held the child in His arms and declared the baby to be God’s Messiah.  This man was not only a student of the     Scriptures and therefore aware of the timing of the coming of Christ, but also a godly man who had received an  indication from God that he would not die until he saw Him (Luke 2:25,26).  Standing in the court that held the four giant menorahs, He took up the Holy Infant in his arms and prayed, ““Lord, now You are letting Your servant     depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring       revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”” (Luke 2:29–32) In the shadow of the Temple furniture that was designed to represent the light and glory of God, Simeon declared that Jesus was to be the ‘light of the world’ and the ‘glory of Israel’. The prophetess, Anna, likewise declared Him to be her Messiah.

The centre gate is the gate of the firstborn

Exiting the court of prayer and walking along the side of the Temple buildings, they made their way to the gate of the first-born. There  Jesus was formally presented to the priest. Two benedictions were said – one for the law of redemption and one for the gift of a firstborn son. Then the redemption money was paid acknowledging God’s claim over the firstborn of Israel. In this way the ‘parents’ of the Messiah had come to the Temple and offered Him to the LORD and received Him back again. Mary had fulfilled the requirement of the Law and was now ceremonially clean and so could partake again of the sacred offerings, and the Messiah had been identified as the    Redeemer to all who would look to Him – both Jew and Gentile.

 More Next Time