Redeemed and Purified

Luke 2:22-24
It was time to head to Jerusalem. Jesus was 40 days old and the first born son of his mother. The law of Moses said that such children belonged to the Lord, on account of God having saved them from death during the days of the Exodus from Egypt. First born animals, like sheep and goats were used as sacrifices, but that wasn’t going to work for human beings. They had to be redeemed by their parents: “bought back” from the Lord
(Exodus 13).

Mary was also there for another reason – for purification after childbirth. To get back into ordinary life she needed to make an offering. Usually this would be a lamb and a bird, but for poorer women it could be two birds – a pair of doves or pigeons. (Lev. 12) Mary and Joseph brought birds for this offering, which tells us they weren’t wealthy. Once the offerings were completed, the young family could head home – everyone safely redeemed and purified, ready to begin their new life together. The offerings made the difference.

And that’s what we need as well. We need purification. We need to be made clean and ready for a new life. We also need redemption. We need to be bought back, ransomed, and set free to live that new life. Only then can we begin life as a family – the family of God.

But where is our offering? It’s right there – the baby Jesus himself. God sent his own Son to become our offering, to redeem us and make us pure by his own self- offering on the cross. The minute details of God’s Law are not just trivia; they point us to something real and wonderful about Jesus. He is our offering. Because of Him, we too begin a new life in the family of God. (from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Pastor Darryl

Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash