Many believe that after Jesus’s birth we are under the New Testament of Grace and are not bound under the Old Testament laws or the laws given through Moses. There is also a belief the Old Testament Laws were given to the people who lived before Jesus and are not applicable or relevant to us and that the Gospels were given to the people who lived in Jesus’ time and the New Testament of grace was given to the people after the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is true that we are living only by the grace of God and He is gracious and compassionate. Although Jesus Christ came into this world as the Son of God, died for our sins and redeemed us with His precious blood, He always followed the laws, both the Old Testament laws and the government laws. Jesus’s parents fulfilled the laws given by the Lord through Moses. Jesus also fulfilled the commandments and laws given through Moses. In Matthew 5:17&18 He said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”.
The New Testament laws are derived from the Old Testament Laws and are comparatively more stringent. Let us compare a few laws from the Old and New Testaments:
- Deuteronomy 5:18 says, “Neither shalt thou commit adultery”. Leviticus 20:10 says, “the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death”. The New Testament Law about this in Matthew 5:28 says, “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”.
- According to the Old testament, the one who murder should be murdered. Matthew 5:22 says, “whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire”.
- God gave ten commandments through Moses. But in Mark 12:29-31 Jesus gave two commandments: “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
From these examples, we can understand that the New Testament laws are more stringent than those of the Old Testament.
The topic for today’s meditation is ‘The Presentation of Christ in the Temple’ which is based on our Gospel reading, the Gospel according to St. Luke, chapter 2 and verses from 22 to 40. Luke 2:22 says, “when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord”. Jesus’s parents presented Him in the temple according to the Law given through Moses. We read the law in Leviticus 12:2–8. Let us have a look at the laws that they followed.
Another commandment given to the mothers was about the purifying time. In Leviticus 12: 4-6 we read about the number of days for purification and bringing burnt offering to the priest. In Luke 2:22, we read that Joseph and Mary followed this commandment and they took Jesus to the temple of God to offer sacrifices.
In Exodus 13:2 we read “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine” This is one of the important laws that was given to the Israelites. In Luke 2:23 we read that Jesus’s parents brought Jesus to the temple following this law. Jesus was Mary’s first-born son and His parents presented Jesus in the temple of God with offerings.
Jesus’s parents followed one law in particular when they presented Jesus in the temple. Leviticus 12:3 says ‘in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.’ In Luke 2:21, we read that Joseph and Mary followed this commandment given through Moses. However, circumcision was not a new commandment given to Moses. The Almighty God made a covenant with Abraham regarding circumcision and asked him to keep the covenant throughout the generations. We read about the covenant in Genesis 17:10–12. When God gave the commandments for the Israelites to Moses, He included His covenant with Abraham in the commandments. The reason was because God wanted His chosen people to be differentiated from other people.
God gave the Old Testament Laws through Moses to the Jewish people. According to Genesis 17:13, the Old Testament circumcision was physically done on the flesh. But according to Romans 2:29 circumcision needs to be done in the heart. The Old Testament circumcision was based on law, but the New Testament circumcision is based on conviction of the Holy Spirit. According to Romans, the Old Testament circumcision was a seal of Abraham’s faith but Ephesians 1:13 says that the circumcision of the heart is a seal of our faith through Jesus. According to Genesis 17:11, only the flesh of the foreskin was removed by hand but according to Colossians 2:11, the sinful body is removed and made as a whole body by Christ.
When Jesus was presented in the temple, Jesus was circumcised. Today we do not need to be physically circumcised according to the law given through Moses. When we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, we need to circumcise our hearts which involves repenting of our sins.
When Jesus was presented in the temple, His parents offered sacrifices. Today, we do not need to offer any sacrifice because Jesus sacrificed Himself on the Cross and shed His blood for us. Our sinful bodies should be washed with the blood of the Lamb of God. We only have to open our hearts to invite Him in to have a relationship with Him by surrendering ourselves and putting our trust on Jesus.
On this day that we remember the Presentation of the Christ in the temple, let us remember our Lord’s expectation on us with regard to circumcision. Deuteronomy 10:16 says “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.” If the Holy Spirit is speaking in our hearts today and we are convicted of something, let us present ourselves to be circumcised. When we are spiritually circumcised, we will become the children of Abraham by faith. Just as God made a covenant with Abraham, “it shall be a token of the covenant” between us and God.
Let us pray!
Heavenly Father, thank you for your words today. Thank you for speaking to us. We present ourselves to be circumcised by the Holy Spirit and pray that You would create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen!