Christmas

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Christmas Reading Plan | Week 3 Day 4

Prayer

Take a moment to be silent and still. In order to be fully present in body and mind, take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Do this three times. Ask God to give you His wisdom today.

Bible Reading: Luke 2:21-24

Read these verses three times slowly.

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, 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.”

Reflection & Questions

Jesus’ coming was all about rescuing us. His rescue was all about being a substitute for us. That He could take the punishment that was ours. To do that He must be a man. But He also must be perfect. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, “I did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them”. By fulfilling the law, he could be a perfect substitute for us. His perfection was essential to being our savior.

Today’s verses are a part of that. The law in Exodus 13:2 required that every first born male be consecrated to the Lord. Consecrate means to be formally dedicated for a divine purpose. Jesus’ parents were giving Him over to God for God’s purposes. Little did they know what that would mean – that God’s purposes were for Jesus’ death. And little did they know that in following the law and offering a sacrifice of two doves (which was a sacrifice that only the poor offered), they were preparing Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for all humanity.

1. Why does a little story like this in Jesus’ timeline make such a big difference?
2. What do you think was the significance that Jesus’ parents offered a sacrifice of two doves instead of a lamb (the poor were allowed to do this)?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?