The Boy Who Is Lord By Mark DriscollSample

Jesus presented at the temple

Have you ever sat in church and seen a beaming couple stand up front and dedicate their chubby little blessing to the Lord? Something like that happened to the baby Jesus.

According to the customs prescribed in the Old Testament, Mary and Joseph brought their son, Jesus, to the temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated. The child was still very young at the time, perhaps about six weeks old or so.

As part of the journey, at the base of the temple there would have been places for ceremonial cleansing and washing, all foreshadowing work that Jesus would eventually accomplish on the cross, cleansing us from unrighteousness and washing away our sins. To show that they desired this atoning sacrifice, pilgrims to Jerusalem would wear white. They would not talk about “going” to the temple but “ascending” to the temple. As they were physically climbing the steps, spiritually they were to lift their soul in praise and adoration and thanksgiving to God. Often, they would even sing the Psalms of ascent in the Bible meant for pilgrims as they went to meet with God.

This is the process that Joseph and Mary undertook with their newborn child. They would have been traveling from Nazareth to Jerusalem, about 140 miles. This would have taken them roughly one week, so we know that this is a very serious, devout family that greatly loves God. Luke tells us that they did “according to what is said in the Law of the Lord” (Luke 2:24). When this phrase appears in Luke, it emphasizes a deep devotion to God.

Joseph and Mary took great pains to travel to Jerusalem, make a sacrifice, and dedicate Jesus at the temple. They did so out of loving obedience to God, not religious obligation. When it comes to giving, serving, and attending church, how is your heart?