21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. 22 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 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons. ~ Luke 2:21-24
Today's text is technical and minute. It is bent on accuracy. This is why God chose Luke to write it, and it underscores our confidence in its accuracy. In v.21, we read, "On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child..." Mary and Joseph were careful to obey the Law of Moses and the conditions of the covenants. I've often observed that when a couple has a baby, if they are given to faith in the God of the Bible, the instructions of God take on a more important role in their lives. As well they should. We innately know that the truth of God is the best for us and our children. The problem is that most of us lose sight of walking in the definitions of God, and before we know it we are not training our children in the ways of the Lord.
According to v.21, the Lord Jesus was circumcised. This eighth-day circumcision was prescribed by God in the Mosaic law. It was introduced by God to Abraham in Genesis 17 where Abraham was circumcised as an adult. Circumcision has always been God's reminder to those who would be defined by Him of His commitment to them. This activity does not earn God's favor. No, it is like the ring on a married person's finger, it is a reminder of their loved one's commitment to them.
The day of the Lord Jesus' circumcision and naming was on the seventh and final day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The first six days of the feast were for celebrating Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. On the last day of the feast, called Hoshana Rabba, the people would reflect on what God had done for them in times past and all that God had promised to do in the future.
These events prove the Lord Jesus was not born on December 25 as traditionally celebrated, but on the day when the Feast of Tabernacles began. The Feast begins at sunset on Tishrei 15, which, depending on the year, falls in late-September to mid-October.
In the remainder of v.21, we read, "he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived." The Lord Jesus was named by God. I know, it says the angel named Him, but the angel got his orders from God. Subtle here is a valuable lesson about life, and it is: We must be defined by God. And, the more we are defined by God the more we will experience life as God intended us to experience it. In other words, we will be more whole, secure, mature, and satisfied. We will be less defined by the lesser, and we will be less empty, insecure, immature and dissatisfied.
In accordance with the prescriptions of the Law, in v.22-23 Joseph and Mary took the Lord Jesus to the Temple to be dedicated. The rite of purification was a seven day ritual. It also included, according to Leviticus 12:1-4 another thirty-three day waiting period until the mother could return to temple worship. At that time the rite of purification would be done. This rite included an offering of a lamb as a burnt offering and a turtle dove as a sin offering. If they could not afford a lamb, then they, according to Leviticus 12:6-8, would bring two pigeons or two turtle doves for these offerings.
To fulfill this dedication, all baby boys who were born to the tribe of Levi would automatically be a part of the priestly class. For firstborn baby boys from other tribes, parents were required to bring a small offering in place of the service of the priests. This redemption price was five shekels according to Numbers 18:1-16. This law was a result of the tenth plague in Egypt, when God struck dead all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, and any of the firstborn sons of Israel who did not have the blood of the Passover lamb smeared on the door posts of their house. In light of the Passover events, God wanted Israel to set apart all the firstborn animals and all the firstborn males for Himself. According to Leviticus 27, the parents of firstborn males could be bought back by paying five shekels of silver to the Levites for their son.
The point of the Old Testament sacrificial system was to point us to the One who would take away our sinfulness once and for all. His blood didn't just cover our sinfulness, His blood washing our sinfulness. This baby born to Jospeh and Mary was the fulfillment of all the sacrifices ever performed in the Old Testament.
In v.24, Luke returns to the idea of the purification of Mary, by stating that the sacrifice she brought was according to the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” With this statement, Luke reveals that Mary and Joseph were poor. Typically, the purification sacrifice required a lamb and a turtledove or pigeon. But those who were poor could bring two turtledoves or two pigeons instead (Leviticus 5:11; 12:6-8). Mary and Joseph could not afford to bring a lamb for sacrifice.
Mary and Joseph are a picture of us and our inability to pay our debt to God. However, God gave us the Lamb who was born to this couple. They raised Him and He grew up to be the fulfillment of all those Old Testament sacrifices. He is our sacrifice, He paid the price we could not pay.
