THE EARLY YEARS

REDEEMING THE REDEEMER

When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, 
Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law 
of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in 
keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."  (Lk. 
2:22-24).

Have you ever felt connected and disconnected at the same time?  I have felt that way often while 
researching my family's genealogical history.  Recently, I stopped by the cemetery where my great, 
great grandfather is buried.  He was in the Confederate cavalry during the Civil War and settled in 
North Mississippi following the conflict.  We have the same last name, but our worlds are so far apart 
and so different.

As I reflect on the childhood of Jesus, I feel the same way.  I wear my Savior's name, but our worlds 
are so far apart and so different.  My gentile heritage makes it difficult to get into Jesus' Jewish 
upbringing.  A few insights are noteworthy, however.

It is obvious from Luke's Gospel that Joseph and Mary are determined to be obedient to the Law of 
Moses.  While the birth of Jesus was unorthodox in every sense of the word, the rearing of Jesus 
would be as orthodox as any other Jewish child of the first century.

First, Mary and Joseph spent the first forty days following Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, awaiting the 
purification of Mary.  Leviticus 12:3-4 gave these instructions, "Say to the Israelites: `A woman who 
becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just 
as she is unclean during her monthly period.  On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.  
Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not 
touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over."  
Following the forty-day period, the woman was to offer two sacrifices, "When the days of her 
purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the 
Tent of Meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin 
offering" (Lev. 12:6).  Little did Mary and Joseph realize that the ultimate sin offering was the baby 
Mary carried in her arms, not the animals purchased in the Temple courts.

In addition to Mary's purification, Joseph and his wife went to the Temple to redeem their firstborn 
son.  A tradition dating back to the time of the exodus from Egypt, God had spared the firstborn of all 
of Israel during the last of the Ten Plagues.  The firstborn, therefore, belonged to God.  All firstborn 
animals were to be sacrificed to God.  All firstborn sons were to be redeemed.  Moses had written, 
"But you must redeem every firstborn son ...  When they are a month old, you must redeem 
them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, 
which weighs twenty gerahs" (Num. 18:15-16).  What an amazing site—Joseph and Mary 
redeeming from God with five silver coins the REDEEMER of the world!

I am always amazed at the insights gained from the most insignificant of Biblical details.  Scripture is 
truly a well from which we can drink deeply and whose waters refresh us spiritually.  Take a few 
moments this week and enjoy a large glass of God's Word.

See you next week!