Luke 2:22-24 22And when the days were fulfilled for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb will be called holy to the Lord,” 24and to give a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Luke continues the story of the infant Jesus with another surprising story. Little is known about the early years of Jesus’ life. We only get the brief glimpses supplied by Luke in this chapter. Joseph and Mary followed the law written in Leviticus 12:6 about bringing a child to the temple to be presented to the Lord. The mother was considered ceremonially unclean for the seven days after birth. After a baby boy was circumcised, the mother was to rest at home for 33 more days. On the fortieth day, she was to present the baby to the Lord. In the first century, this took place at the Nicanor Gate on the east of the Court of Women (Leviticus 12:1–8). Mary shows her piety and devotion, along with Joseph, in fulfilling the Law of Moses.
Verse 23 is a quote from Exodus 13:2, 12, 15. In response to God freeing Israel from Egyptian slavery through the tenth plague of the death of the firstborn, in return, Israel was to give God back their firstborn in the form of a dedication. The word holy (hagion) has the sense of set aside to God in a sacred way. God alone is holy, and anything that seeks to be holy is such only as it relates to God. Because something is in relationship to God, it should take on God’s characteristics, which show up in righteous and loving behavior. The expectation is that the firstborn son would live according to God’s laws. There is more behind the story of Jesus’ dedication that simply a pious act fulfilling cultural expectations. Jesus as the only begotten Son fulfilled all of God’s laws and lived without sin. If we want to know what God expects of humans, we should look to Jesus who is holy in all ways and the only one born on earth worthy to be in God’s presence. The New Testament expresses this by acknowledging Jesus’ exaltation to the right hand of God.
The sacrifice of turtledoves and pigeons represented the cleansing of mother Mary and marked the return to normal life for her. Leviticus 12:6 prescribes the sacrifice of a lamb. The offering Joseph and Mary brought is described in Leviticus 12:8, which mentions that if a woman cannot afford a lamb, she can give doves and pigeons. This reference implies that the family was poor. In the timeline of the birth narrative, it may be that the magi from Matthew 2 had not yet visited the baby Jesus, bringing their expensive offerings. The devotion to the law in this story indicates the dedication, sincerity, and devotion Mary and Joseph had towards the things of God. They sought to honor God in all they did. The dedication of an infant to God today follows in this same pattern. Parents will devote their children (not just their firstborn son) to God with the commitment of raising that child to honor God and follow God’s commands.
For older posts, click here.