On the church year calendar, February 2 is set aside to remember the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord. The selected readings for the day are 1 Samuel 1:21-28; Hebrews 2:14-18; and Luke 2:22-40.
How did you celebrate the birth of your child or grandchild? Fathers sometimes hand out cigars when a baby is born. New parents send out birth announcements to family and friends. And they open their home to welcome family members and close friends to see the new baby. Soon after the birth Lutheran parents have their child baptized. Through the water and the Word, God makes the child His own. Baptisms at the congregation are often followed with a special baptism celebration with family and close friends.
Mary and Joseph also celebrated the birth of Jesus. This included having Him circumcised. As faithful Jewish parents they followed the Law and presented their Child to the Lord so He would serve God. “He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations …” (Genesis 17:12a ESV).
The Law also required that a mother had to wait 40 days after the birth of the child to go to the temple and offer the sacrifice for her purification. If the parents could not afford a lamb and a pigeon then they sacrificed two pigeons or two turtledoves (Leviticus 12:8). The Bible tells us Mary and Joseph sacrificed a pair of turtledoves.
At this time they also dedicated the Child to the Lord in the temple. While there they met Simeon. Simeon, a righteous and devout man, had been waiting a long time to see God’s salvation. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And the Holy Spirit revealed to him that the baby was the promised Messiah. He took the baby in his arms and proclaimed, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32 ESV). Now Simeon could depart in peace.
Simeon then said to Mary, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34b-35 ESV). I’m sure Mary remembered Simeon’s words about opposition.
Jesus grew up and eventually began His ministry. Many people believed in Him. But, others opposed him as Simeon had told Mary they would. They refused to believe He was the promised Messiah and the Son of God. He was beaten, stripped, and mocked. Because of the opposition Jesus was arrested and nailed to a cross to be crucified. There on the cross, He suffered for your sins and mine. Even while He hung on the cross, He was opposed. Some Jewish people opposed the sign that was nailed above Jesus on the cross that read, “This is the King of the Jews” (Luke 23:38). Can you think of other people who opposed Jesus?
Jesus suffered and died. His suffering and death brings us forgiveness and everlasting life in heaven. Three days after Jesus’ death He rose from the dead. He showed Himself to many people during the 40 days He was on earth after the resurrection.
The opposition that followed Jesus continues even today. Do you know that there are over 100 million people in the United States who do not believe in Jesus today? And that that number continues to grow?
Recently, I watched a video sent through Facebook of the group of pro-abortion young adults that disrupted the convention of Students for Life in Washington, DC. The students were trying to begin a worship service and the young adults walked through their midst, holding up signs and chanting loudly “Not the Church, Not the State, Women must decide their fate.” So the worship services couldn’t begin. We must find ways to ask these pro-abortion individuals, “What about the babies that are being killed? We, as people who are for life, must continue to love them, even in the midst of times like this that upset us. And we must continue to pray for them to change their minds about abortion and faith issues.
So, yes, there are still many people today who oppose life and the fact that we are saved through faith in Christ Jesus alone (Acts 4:12). Those that oppose this message often promote death as a way to fix unplanned pregnancies and encourage assisted suicide. And so the opposition that Simeon spoke about to Mary continues even today.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ into our world. He suffered in our place, taking all our sins upon Himself so we could have forgiveness and everlasting life. In Jesus Name. Amen.