Christian Reflection and Prayer

"Jesus Goes Up To God's House"

2014 Advent

Read Luke 2:21-24.
They brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.
Luke 2:22B

Our Nativity scene has the baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and
the angel and shepherds. The only figures left in my collection
are the wise men. But they weren't part of the first Christmas
gathering. In fact, at the moment the shepherds were hurrying
to find the baby, the wise men were just first seeing the star in
their own countries. They still had to gather their provisions and
set out on their long journey to meet the King of the Jews.

So on Christmas morning I like to put my wise men on the
opposite side of the room from the Nativity scene, and slowly
move them closer and closer each day through the twelve days
of Christmas until they arrive at Jesus' feet on Epiphany Day,
January 6. Since today is the second day of Christmas, they
still have a long way to go.

In the meantime, during these twelve days of Christmas, we will
be looking at two events that occurred in the life of the infant
Jesus before the wise men arrived. On New Year's Eve and New
Year's Day we will speak about His circumcision and naming,
which occurred when Jesus was eight days old. But in the
meantime we will jump ahead to a special event that occurred
when Jesus was 40 days old.

Forty days after an Israelite woman gave birth to a son, she was
to be purified and her firstborn male child was to be presented to
the Lord. This set Jesus apart for a life of service to God-a
service that would include living a perfect life and require His
suffering and death to take the curse of sin, death, and hell away
from us forever.

In our Baptism God joined us together with Jesus and set each
of us apart for lives of service to Him. He forgives our sins for
Jesus' sake. He gives us Jesus' own righteousness, makes us
His own children, and fills us with His Holy Spirit. Like Jesus, we
dedicate our lives to serving others and telling them the joyful
news of the eternal Kingdom Jesus won for us all through His life,
death, and resurrection. When our earthly lives reach their end,
Jesus Himself will present us to our Heavenly Father, and
welcome us into our eternal home.

THE PRAYER:

Jesus, by Your presentation, When they blessed You, weak and
poor, Make us see Your great salvation, Seal us with Your
promise sure; And present us in Your glory To Your Father,
cleansed and pure. Amen

(Lutheran Hour Ministrie)