The Baby is Named

Chuckle: "A despondent man came to his pastor's study. He was a traveling man and had been away for six months. He had sent a telegram every week to the girl he was going to marry. Last week she married the Western Union boy!"

Quote: "What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life." --Alfred, Lord Tennyson

THE BABY IS NAMED Jesus!

    "Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for the purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, 'If a woman's first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord,' So they offered a sacrifice according to what was required in the law of the Lord -- 'either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.' " (Luke 2:21-24 NLT).

This passage is often called the "Presentation." Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth as required by Jewish law (Lev. 12:3). Each baby boy was circumcised and named during the ceremony. The circumcision symbolized the Jews' separation from the gentiles and their unique relationship to God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, his parents carried out all the ceremonial requirements for every other newborn son according to God's law. It's important to note that Jesus was not above the law; instead, he fulfilled every aspect of the law perfectly. Later, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus would declare this truth. "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17 NLT).

The firstborn son in a family was dedicated to God ceremonially. The ceremony also included "buying back" the son from God. This was done through a sacrificial offering. By this offering, the parents acknowledged that the baby belonged to God, who alone has the power to give and take life. The pair of doves represented the gift to the Lord by poor families. What a beautiful picture of love and obedience is painted for us in the words of Luke.

"Jesus" was no ordinary name. It is equivalent to the Old Testament name, "Joshua," which means "the Lord saves." Just as Joshua had led God's people into the Promised Land, so Jesus would lead his people into the promised eternal life. Later in Jesus' ministry, his name became a powerful force, and people were healed, demons were defeated, and sins were forgiven in his name. Paul emphasizes the power of Jesus' name in Philippians 2:9-10 NLT. "Because of this (Jesus dying for us), God raised him to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Love, Jerry & Dotse