TESTIMONIES IN THE TEMPLE

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on October 2, 2019 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: October 2, 2019 from 2:21-38

Theme: The ‘infancy stories’ of our Savior in the temple declare to us that He was the long-expected Messiah.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

In our last study, we were shown the stories of what happened when Jesus was born into the world. The angels of heaven declared Him to be the Savior, “who is Christ the Lord” (2:11). They announced His birth to be “good tidings of great joy” for all people (v. 10). And they themselves responded to the news with great and joyous praise (v. 14). And now, Luke shows us the testimonies that were given about Him shortly after He was born—while He was still in His infancy.

Luke is the only Gospel writer who tells us the stories of what happened in Jesus’ childhood. There have been some ancient stories written in some documents—preserved in what is called the New Testament Apocrypha. But none of these stories are historically reliable; and the things they say do not sound like things that would be true of our Lord at all. The only reliable and authoritative stories we have about our Lord’s childhood are the few stories that the Holy Spirit preserved for us in the Gospel of Luke—stories that Luke very probably heard directly from our Lord’s mother Mary—stories that Mary had kept and pondered in her heart over the years (Luke 2:20, 51). And these few stories are important for us to hear; because they tell us what we need to know about our Savior in order to have a whole-hearted faith in Him.

These stories have mainly to do with things that happened to our Lord in the temple in Jerusalem. In our next study, we’ll consider the story of our Lord’s early-teen years; when He discussed truth with the scholars in the temple. But in this study, we will focus on what others said about Him when He was brought into the temple as a baby. Together, these stories testify that He was what His name ‘Jesus’ implies: The Lord our Salvation! They teach us that He came as the long-expected Messiah.

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First, we see that …

1. HE WAS CONFORMED TO GOD’S LAW (vv. 21-22).

This is very important to remember about Jesus; and it was confirmed even in the time of His infancy. He always lived in obedience to the law of His Father. We see this in how—even before He was brought to the temple—He was circumcised. He, in fact, could not have even been brought into the temple until that had happened first.

Way back in Genesis 17, God gave circumcision as a sign to Abraham and to all of his offspring. He told Abraham;

“This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised …” (Genesis 17:10).

And so; Luke tells us in Luke 2:21;

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21).

And so, in accordance with God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:12), our Lord was circumcised on His eighth day. And note too that it was then that He was officially called by the name that God had given to Him through the angel—Jesus. That name means “YHWH Saves”; or “YHWH is Salvation”. It’s wonderful to recognize that His name points both to God’s name (YHWH) and to man’s need (salvation). Both divinity and humanity are brought together in this name; and both the holiness of God and the salvation of people are accomplished in the person of this one Child.

And then, notice how our Lord was brought further into conformity with God’s law. We’re told this, in verses 22-23, about Mary;

Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) (vv. 22-23).

This was in obedience to the commandment that God had given through Moses for the people of Israel in Exodus 13:1—that all firstborn males in Israel were to be set apart (consecrated) as belonging to Him. In verses 11-16, Moses went on to explain;

“And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:11-16).

Our Lord always did the will of the heavenly Father; and was conformed to the law of God in every point. And what’s more, we see that even the offering that was required at the time of His presentation in the temple was also given. We’re told that Joseph and Mary brought Him to present Him to the Lord in obedience to the commandment;

and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:24).

This was an offering that was made specifically for the benefit of Mary. Leviticus 12 tells us that after a woman has given birth to a male child, she was to wait a certain number of days after His circumcision; and then come to the temple and make an offering for cleansing. And there is a very wonderful demonstration of the grace of our Lord Jesus being told to us in this story. The law of Moses commanded that a certain kind of offering be made by the mother;

“And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean” (Leviticus 12:8).

In other words, our Lord was born into a family that could not afford the full offering; and who had to make the offering that was permitted for poor folks. In coming into this world to accomplish our salvation, the Son of God condescended to be born—not into a rich family—but into a poor one. Truly, as the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:9, our Lord “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Then, as we read on, we find that …

2. HE WAS PROPHESIED ABOUT AS THE MESSIAH (vv. 25-35).

Luke goes on to tell us—at the time when Jesus had been brought in to be presented at the temple—that a remarkable event happened:

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him (v. 25).

‘The Consolation of Israel’ was a descriptive name of the Messiah—and of the glorious reign that He will bring about for His people as their King. Perhaps this godly and Spirit-filled man had been a careful student of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Perhaps he had studied the Book of Daniel; and he remembered that Daniel was told by the angel Gabriel, “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city” (Daniel 9:24). Perhaps he remembered that the angel said; “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks …” (Daniel 9:25). Perhaps Simeon realized that the prophetically-promised sixty-nine ‘weeks’ of years (483 years in total) had passed; and that it was time for the Messiah to come.

Luke goes on to tell us;

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God …” (vv. 26-28).

We don’t know whether or not Simeon was an old man—full of years and ready to die; or if perhaps he was ill and knew that he didn’t have much more time on this earth. But just imagine what anticipation he must have felt as he lingered in the temple … and carefully watched … and eagerly waited. It must have been that, at some point, the Holy Spirit drew Simeon’s attention to the infant Jesus, and whispered to his own spirit, “Simeon; do you see those two people? Do you see the baby that they carry? That baby is the promised Messiah. He is the Consolation of Israel.” What joy must have overwhelmed him as he drew near to Mary and Joseph, asked if he might hold the baby, and lifted Him—perhaps with trembling arms and with tears of joy—and said

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,

According to Your word;

For my eyes have seen Your salvation

Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel” (vv. 29-32).

Do you notice that Simeon declared that the baby Jesus was God’s ‘salvation’? He declared Jesus to be both ‘revelation to the Gentiles’ and ‘the glory of Israel’ (see also Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7) It’s good for us to remember what Simeon recognized—that the thing we hope in for salvation is not a set of acts that we must perform, or a set of sacrifices that we must make, but rather a Person whom we must receive! He is Jesus—YHWH Saves!

Now; Mary and Joseph responded to these words with awe. As we’re told by Luke;

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (vv. 33-35).

As the apostle Peter wrote about Him, “’The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’” (1 Peter 2:8-9; see also Luk3 20:17-18). Many have stumbled over Him; but He was also appointed for the rising of may who would believe on Him. Simeon affirmed this to Mary; and then said more; that a sword would even pierce through her own soul. Mary would have felt this piercing later in life when she stood at the foot of the cross and watched as her Son—our Savior—took the punishment for our sins (John 19:25-27). Simeon’s words would have pointed Mary’s thoughts to Psalm 22:16; where the Messiah is prophetically reported to say, “They pierced My hands and My feet” …” Perhaps it would be true to say that our Lord’s piercings were a particular piercing to his mother’s own soul in a way none of us could imagine. But she was saved by those piercings—just as we also are. These words of Simeon in the temple pointed to this Baby as the Messiah—and our atoning sacrifice!

Finally, as we read on of the story of the visit to the temple, we find that …

3. HE WAS SPOKEN OF AS OUR REDEEMER (v. 36-38).

Luke goes on to tell us,

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Emanuel, of the tribe of Ashe. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day (vv. 36-37).

We can’t specify how old Anna was with absolute certainty; but if we can take it that she had been married at about the age 15; and then became a widow at the age of 22; and then lived as a widow for another 84 years, she would have been in her hundreds! One thing is sure; she was of ‘a great age’. Everyone who came to the temple would have known her—especially because she was known as a prophetess; and also because of her great devotion to the temple and its worship. When ‘Granny Anna’ spoke, people listened; because they knew they’d be hearing from someone close to God.

And her timing was certainly of God; because Luke tells us,

And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem (v. 38).

She would have given powerful affirmation to the words of Simeon; and would have encouraged everyone who—liked Simeon—looked for redemption to look upon the tiny infant Jesus.

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We’re told so little about the early life of the Lord Jesus. But we’re told enough to know that He is the sinless Son of God—the Messiah—come into this world to be our Redeemer!

EA