To Fulfill the Law

    "On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived. 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."                                  -Luke 2:21-24 NIV

Jewish families went through several ceremonies after a baby was born. 1) After 8 days old, every boy was circumcised and named. Circumcision separated the Jews from the Gentiles and represented their relationship with God. 2) After one month old, the first born son was presented to God so that the parents would acknowledge that the child belonged to God who has the power to give life. Very much in the same way as baby dedications are done today. 3)For 40 days after the birth of a boy and 80 days after the birth of a girl, the mother was considered to be ceremonially unclean and must undergo a purification sacrifice before she could enter the temple again. After her purification time, the parents would take a lamb and a dove or  pigeons as a burnt offering to God. The priest would then sacrifice these animals and declare her clean again.

Mary and Joseph performed these same ceremonies after Jesus was born. Jesus was God's son but His family still had to uphold God's law. Jesus was not born above the law, but instead came To Fulfill  The Law!             (information provided by niv study notes)

I am so grateful that our savior came to earth as our perfect example. He wasn't too good for His own laws, but followed them just as He expected others to do. I am also so very grateful that He came to fulfill the law and to be the very last living sacrifice for All of our sins.

Thank you Father,  for loving us so much that you would send your son as one of us, to live as we live, to be the perfect example to us. I pray that we will follow His example and bring glory to your name. In Jesus name, amen.                       

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
With God's Love,
Christian