First Lesson: Exodus 13:1–3a, 11–15 [The consecration of the firstborn] The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, whether man or animal.” Then Moses said to the people, “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as He promised on oath to you and your forefathers, you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons. “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’

Gospel Lesson: Luke 2:22–40 Jesus Presented in the Temple 22 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 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 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.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

At Christmas, the Manger in Bethlehem becomes the focal point for meeting Jesus, but today we will go to the Temple in Jerusalem where Jesus is met by a couple of special people, Simeon and Anna. Forty days after he was born, Mary and Joseph took the Baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to perform two rituals of the Law of Moses. One was Purification of the Mother Mary after giving birth, and the Second was the Presentation of the Firstborn.

We Christians in our modern society really do not understand either one of these rituals. We basically understand the concept of sin but that is different from ritual uncleanness, however, both exclude a person from the presence of God. Childbirth is not sin, but because of the blood she is ritually unclean for forty days. Then for purification she must take an offering to the temple. The offering is to be a lamb, but if she cannot afford a lamb, then Leviticus 12:8 says she can bring “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Just a footnote: if Mary cannot afford a lamb, then she has not yet received the gold of the Wisemen, who must have arrived later, and not on Christmas Eve. Just an observation: Jesus, the Holy Son of God, comes in the uncleanliness of birth, but his death and resurrection will purify us from sin.

The second ritual that day was the Presentation of the Firstborn. We read about that in the Old Testament Lesson from Exodus 13. The night before the Exodus, the Angel of Death passed through the whole land of Egypt and killed all the firstborn of both man and cattle. The Israelite children were saved only because a lamb had been killed as a sacrifice in place of the child. The blood of the lamb was painted above the door so that the Angel of Death would not enter but rather passover that house. So, the firstborn belonged to God. Parents after presenting the child to God were obligated to buy back their child from God. Just a footnote: The Bible word for “buying back” the child is “to redeem” the child. Since Jesus bought us from the devil with his precious blood shed on the cross, he is our “Redeemer.” Just an observation: Joseph bought Jesus from God his real Father for a ridiculously low price, a pair of pigeons. Jesus bought us (bought us back) from the devil not with silver or gold, but with his holy, precious blood. Another observation: Christian parents today bring their children to God. In Baptism the child joins the family of God and is given the Name of the Triune God. Christian parents then raise the child in the Word and Grace of God.

At the Temple, the Holy Family met Simeon. We call Simeon a prophet because the Holy Spirit spoke to him and he spoke the word of God to others, that is, he prophesized. He was a devote believer and was waiting for the Messiah, the Lord’s Christ, the “consolation of Israel.” And the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And then, on the exact day that Mary and Joseph and Jesus went to the Temple, he was moved by the Holy Spirit to go to the Temple. Somehow, by the Holy Spirit, Simeon knew that when he saw Jesus, he knew that Jesus was the Christ. His parents marveled that Simeon should know this about Jesus without being told by them. Simeon’s heart was opened and he said or sang the song which we call in the liturgy the “Nunc Dimittis,” “Now let us depart.” It is sometimes sung after Holy Communion or at funerals. It is a song that we sing because we too have seen God’s salvation which he has prepared for even Gentiles like us and so it gives us complete peace. A footnote was added by Simeon: This child will upset things in Israel and will be loved by many and hated by many. And Mary will grieve, like a sword piercing her soul, when Jesus is crucified. An observation: On the night that Jesus was born, the Shepherds saw the bright light of the glory of the Lord and heard the Angels singing, “Glory to God in the Highest.” Simeon sang that Jesus would be “32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” This is the glory of salvation. It is the glory of the cross and resurrection of Jesus and it will be the glory when he returns at the end of the world.

Simeon was a prophet and Anna was a prophetess. She was at least 84 years old, but another calculation is that she was about 105 years old. [Married at age 14, widowed 7 years later, and then lived in the temple another 84 years, making her 105 years old.] Perhaps she heard Simeon blessing the Holy Family, but being a prophetess she knew by the Holy Spirit that it was true. A prophet is a person who speaks the word of God. Anna became the first evangelist. “38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” A footnote: Here again we have the word “redemption.” Just like Jesus, the firstborn, was redeemed, bought back from God, Jerusalem too will be redeemed. It is freedom. It is salvation. Will Jerusalem be redeemed from the occupation by the Romans? Which is what many people were looking forward to. Will Jerusalem be redeemed from sin and the Law of God? We too are looking forward to our final redemption. An observation: When Anna met the Christ, she gave thanks to God. We do the same.

The hometown of Mary and Joseph was Nazareth, and they eventually returned there to raise Jesus. But at the age of 12 they took Jesus to Jerusalem. His parents thought he was lost and searched for three days for him only to find him in the temple teaching the elders. At that time he knew where his real home was. He said to his parents, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my father’s house?” And that is where we find Jesus today. He is in the church where the Word and Sacraments are. He is in the people of the church who are like Simeon and Anna who know that Jesus is the Redeemer. He is in the hearts of us who have had the sign of the cross drawn on our foreheads and over our hearts and have been splashed with the water of Baptism.

Amen.