The Old Testament Law of Moses is clear. Concerning the first born, it states:
The LORD said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” (Exodus 13:1–2, ESV)

During the final plague in Egypt God had sent the angel of death to slaughter the first born of every man and animal in the land of Egypt. The angel of death only spared those households that had the sign of the blood of the lamb painted on their doorposts. From that moment on, God claimed the firstborn of every man and animal in Israel. As Jesus was Mary’s firstborn, they had to keep this law. That law required Mary and Joseph to bring Jesus to the temple and consecrate Him to the Lord and offer a sacrifice, shedding blood in order to redeem. Even as Jesus had given of His blood earlier in His circumcision.

Also, according to the law, mothers who had just given birth were ceremonially unclean for forty days after giving birth to boys and eighty days after giving birth to girls. At the end of that time they had to present themselves for purification. This was a blessing in disguise. In many ways it was like maternity leave. You see, anyone who was unclean was forbidden from participating in the normal routine of the community. For a woman, this included normal household duties. The indirect result was that she was forced to rest up for forty days, or eighty days in the case of a baby girl, before she could rejoin the community and resume her normal duties.

So, we have one reason for Joseph to take Jesus to the temple, and another reason to take Mary to the temple.  The simple thing was to kill two birds with one stone … perform the presentation of the firstborn and the purification of the mother on the same day. That is why in today’s Gospel Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus came to Jerusalem: to keep the Law.

Let’s just stop right here and consider this. Remember who this little child is. This little child is the Word made flesh. He is God incarnate. This temple in Jerusalem is His temple. The sacrifices in this temple are made to Him. Now, He, through Joseph, is placing Himself under the law to keep it Himself. In other words, the consecration of Jesus is kind of like He is being consecrated to Himself.

The temple itself was in the Old Testament, to be the special place where God would dwell with His people. However, Mary and Joseph carry into the stone temple a baby who is even more the presence of God, the truer temple, the living temple of flesh and blood: Immanuel, God with Us: Jesus Christ, the infant true temple and the greatest priest who was already beginning the redemption and salvation of all who were waiting for Him and all those who believed on His name in the future.

The two Old Testament saints waiting for Jesus at the temple: Simeon and Anna, represent all the Old testament believers who had been waiting for the age of the Messiah, the truer Passover lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. The Holy Spirit had given Simeon a special promise by revelation: that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Anna was also ready for the Christ as we are told “she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.”

People often wonder about the faithful who live at the time of Jesus. The Old Testament Christians were saved by faith in God’s promises in the Christ who would come sometime in the future. New Testament Christians are saved by faith in the Christ who has already come in the past. But what about the faithful people who lived between the time Jesus was born and the time He ascended? What were they to believe?

Simeon and Anna provide one answer to that question. They too were saved by faith in the One who was fulfilling God’s promise. Simeon and Anna were special, much like the Shepherds, and later the wise men, in that it was revealed to them earlier than for most that the messianic age had arrived and that God was beginning to fulfill His salvation promise in Christ Jesus. Until His crucifixion, salvation was still based faith in the promise because it hadn’t yet been fulfilled. After Christ’s ministry, salvation came by faith specifically in Jesus Christ as He had fulfilled the promise of God by paying for sin in Himself. The sacrifice long awaited had been accomplished so that all believers could be declared clean, pure, and free from the slavery to sin.

The reaction of Simeon to the presence of the Christ-child is marvelous. Mary and Joseph must not have minded, but Simeon scooped up Jesus in His arms.

Simeon knew exactly who he enfolded in his embrace.  As he looked down into the face of this infant, he prayed, not to the heavens, but to the baby in his arms, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Simeon’s faith was in the baby who laid in his arms.

I can almost imagine that Simeon might have been reluctant to give the infant back to Mary and Joseph, but as he did, he had a word for them as well.  Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Even in this account from Jesus’ infancy, we already see God preparing Mary for the road ahead. It was not going to be all popularity, with shepherds worshiping or later magi worshiping and bringing gifts. No there will be pain and grief, for this Jesus and for those who love Him. The Holy Spirit spoke through the mouth of Simeon to begin preparing Mary for that day when she would look upon this son as He hung on a cross paying for the sins of the world. When Mary saw that her innocent Son had been condemned and was crucified, it must have cut through her heart like a sword piercing it. When all sinners look upon the crucified Christ and observe the price God paid to redeem them from sin, it too can pierce our hearts with grief over our sin even as we give thanks to God. It is this sign (the sign of the cross) upon which people will rise or fall. Raised to life eternal by faith and the forgiveness of sins or fall in condemnation by their unbelief.

The events of today’s Gospel finally came to a close as Luke once again reminds us that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus had done everything according to the law. Jesus did this as part of His salvation for you and me. So that we too could recognize, by faith, our redeemer and salvation in Jesus Christ and be saved from our sins in repentance and faith.

So, in Baptism God swoops in and gathers us in His arms, and washed us and declares us clean for Christ’s sake. As we are raised in His Word and hear the cross of Christ applied to us, faith can continue for us and our children as by His Word and blessing we can grow and become strong, and be filled with wisdom. As the favor of God is upon us here where He promises to be. As the fleshly temple of God’s presence in Jesus Christ descends to us in His Word and sacrament, we are encouraged, we are strengthened to see God’s grace and mercy. Just as the Holy Spirit worked in Simeon to bring him into the temple to see the Lord’s Salvation, so also the Lord gives us His Holy Spirit to gather us where He is, has given us His sacrament so that we may also see the Lord’s salvation as we eat His body and drink His blood.

Therefore, the church today joins Simeon and Anna as we too celebrate the coming of the Lord to His people. Today and every Divine Service, we and Christians everywhere join in Simeon’s song as He comes to us in His body and blood and we too by faith recognize Him as our Savior and even taste the Lord’s salvation of that which is yet to be fully revealed. 

We end the old calendar year and begin a new one able to rejoice that He keeps His promises and will never leave or forsake His people who continue to gather by faith to pray and receive His gifts. So it is that the Lord will always dwell with His people and bring about the rising and salvation of many through the message of Jesus Christ crucified and raised, who forgives our sins and gives us faith and eternal life in His name.  Amen

Pr. Aaron Kangas