Advent: December 16

Luke 21 tells us that at the end of eight days Jesus was circumcised and given his name which followed Jewish tradition. It is likely that the couple stayed in Bethlehem where they were for the next 40 days as Mary would have been ritually unclean. The purification process was dependent on the gender of the child. If the child was of male gender, the mother was impure for seven days followed by 33 days of purification. If the child was a female, the mother was unclean for double the time(14 days with 66 days of purification.) 

It is important to note that the terms clean and unclean are not synonymous with sinless and sinful. Being clean or unclean was about one’s ability to enter into the temple. The temple was where God‘s presence once rested, it was to be treated with great respect, and there were rules as to who could enter and when. 

The purity laws were in some ways Israel’s way of regulating when someone was able to enter into the presence of God. These laws are found in Leviticus and Numbers and dealt often in the themes of life and death.

Since Jesus was Mary’s first-born son, we know that it would’ve taken 40 days for her purification to be complete. This is the point at which Mary and Joseph would have brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. Jerusalem would have been just north of Bethlehem. So it is likely that they would have stopped in to make their sacrifices while they were on their way home. 

When a couple’s first born was a son a special kind of sacrifice was offered. As you may have guessed, this sacrifice was traditionally a lamb.  

However, here in Luke 2: 23-24, it says that the sacrifice is a pair of turtledoves or two pigeons. This sacrifice actually shows how poor Joseph and Mary are. In cases where one could not afford a lamb for this sacrifice a couple of turtle doves or two pigeons was the accepted replacement.

While they are at the temple, the family meets Simeon, a righteous and devout man who prophesied over Jesus, and a prophetess, Anna. 

Anna is an 84 year old woman who has been widowed after being married only 7 years. Scripture says she did not depart from the temple but would fast and pray, day and night. The fact that her age is mentioned may seem strange, but the number would been seen as a multiple and ment as a sign. 12×7 = 84  Numbers in the Bible often have special meanings. 12 in the Bible is often symbolic of God’s people because Israel is the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob, or Israel, as he was later named by God. This said, it can also appear in places that are related to God‘s covenant with Israel. 

Seven represents holiness, it is considered the perfect number, it can refer to the Sabbath(because God rested on the seventh day), fullness, or completeness. 

As the number 12 represents Israel, often the number 7 can represent Gentiles or non-Jews. As 12 can represent the old covenant made with Israel, seven represents the new covenant through Christ. (Deut. 7:1-2, Acts13:19, acts 6:1-6, Matt. 16:9-11.) I don’t want to get too far off the topic here but it certainly seems that God was doing something new! 

Though we are not given Simeon‘s age, it seems very likely that He also would be older in years. We have heard the saying, "I can now die happy," but Simeon saying it seems more sincerely felt. I love that God includes these wise and seasoned worshipers in the presentation of his son at the temple. How gracious of Him to invite this man and woman to meet his son! 

After the couple does everything to fulfill the Law of God with Jesus at the temple they return home to their own town in Nazareth.  

Luke 2:39-40

"And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him."

So, we leave the story with Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus settling in at home. Joseph would be working to support the young family, Mary would be nursing and learning the ins and outs of taking care of her first child, while family would be coming to see the new baby and bring with them their congratulations!