Last Sunday we celebrated "Candlemas", aka The Presentation of Christ in the
Temple, aka The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
1. THE PURIFICATION OF MARY THE HANDMAID OF GOD
On the 8th day a Jewish mother came briefly out of confinement for the
circumcision of her boy child (Lev 12). Then after 33 more days, 40 days in
all (e.g. 25 Dec through 2 Feb), she would end her confinement, and come
bringing either a lamb and a pigeon, or two pigeons, to worship God:
a. One Dove (or Lamb) for a Burnt Offering for Complete Consecration.
As an unrich non-shepherd, Joseph thankfully availed himself of the pauper's
option. Be it bird or beast, a Burnt-offering was a sacrifice wholly dedicated
to the LORD, because it wholly belongs to Him. The Burnt Offering speaks of
Complete Consecration. As mother of our Lord, Mary was already completely
consecrated unto God (Luke 1:38).
b. One Dove for a Sin Offering for Continuing Cleansing.
The Sin-offering was a dramatisation of a sinner's guilt being transferred to
an innocent substitute. The victim then either died the death penalty attached
to the sin, or else "took it away" by flying or running off bearing it on its
head (the Scapegoat). The sin was then considered "atoned" or "covered". The
Sin Offering speaks of Continuing Cleansing. Like us, Mary knew she needed it:
"My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:46).
[There is a third category : the Peace Offering, which speaks of Cloudless
Communion.]
2. THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS THE FIRSTBORN OF GOD
a. Christ is the Firstborn before every Creature (Colossians 1:15).
The creed says he was "begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father".
Before anything was made, Christ already existed (John 1:1). As God He was the
Firstborn of His Father God; as Man He was the Firstborn of His mother Mary.
Either way, He uniquely belonged to God and had to be presented to Him.
b. Christ is the Firstborn from the Dead (Colossians 1:18).
The Passover was a token judgment on sin. One person in every household would
die; but for the believing Israelites, a lamb could be offered instead (Exodus
13:2,13,15). Thus the Israelites literally received their firstborn back from
the dead! Thereafter said God: "All the firstborn are mine; for on the day
that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the
firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD"
(Numbers 3:13). Thus all firstborn had to be sacrificed (animals) or redeemed
(humans). When it came to baby Jesus, He was already the Lamb of God; so was
redeemed with the pigeon option. When later He died on the Cross to take away
our sin, He rose from the tomb: "now is Christ risen from the dead, and become
the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20).
3. THE PERFECTION OF US THE TWICEBORN OF GOD
a. We are Redeemed by the Christ, the Lamb of God.
"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). He has both
carried away our sin, and died its death penalty for us on the Cross. Thus our
conviction and sentence of death are quashed, so we are redeemed!
b. We are Regenerated by the Spirit, the Dove of God.
When God judged the world in Noah's day by a flood, the Dove returned to Noah
in the Ark with an olive sprig, symbolic of peace with God after the judgment
of the Flood. Both the oil-olive and the dove are symbols of the Holy Spirit.
He is "the LORD and the Giver of Life" (Creed). He gave us human life when we
were "generated" by our parents; now He gives us divine life when we are
"regenerated" and made God's children. Thus our mortal life is made immortal,
so we are regenerated!
We have a Holy Lamb of God who has taken away our sin. We have a Holy Spirit
of God who has put new life within. Hallelujah!
____________________________________________________________________________
In Christ,
Ben
--
Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
