Luke 2:21

Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

Three ceremonies took place after the birth of Jesus, just as they did for every Jewish baby boy. Firstly, he was circumcised. This practice dates right back to the time of Abraham and was a sign of the covenant between God and his people. It was absolutely essential for every little Jewish boy to be circumcised. A failure to do so was believed to lead to the extinction of the soul and the denial of a share in the life to come. It was such an important ceremony that it could take place on any day of the week, including the Sabbath.

The Jews believed that every firstborn male, whether human or cattle, was sacred to God. They belonged to him, so they needed to be bought back from God. This was done for the cost of five shekels and could not be paid sooner than 31 days after the birth of the child.

The third ceremony was the purification of the mother. In Jewish law, a woman who had given birth to a boy was ritually unclean for 40 days, and if she gave birth to a girl, she was unclean for 80 days. At the end of that time, the mother needed to present an offering to the Lord in the form of a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon for a sin offering. That was reasonably expensive, so if the parents had limited means, they were able to bring two pigeons, and that was known as The Offering of the Poor. That was the offering that Mary brought and is a very clear indication of the poverty that Jesus experienced as a child.

These ceremonies may seem very strange to us, but they underline the fact that children are a precious gift from God. The responsibility to care for a child is an awesome privilege and one which needs God’s constant strength and guidance.

Question

Why do you think it was necessary for Jesus, the Son of God, to go through these ceremonies?

Prayer

Lord God, I thank you for the gift of children. I pray today for all parents, asking that they will reach out to you and find your strength. Amen