I never provided the final Presentation of Jesus notes so here they are. It is important to note the comment in the 3rd paragraph that connects the Presentation to the Pentecost, the 2 bookends of Jesus' mission.
The Presentation takes place 40 days after Jesus’ birth because that was the ritual purification period of any mother giving birth. This means the date of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple also marks the date of the Purification of Mary. This was a ritual purification, not a moral one. No one – man or woman – who was losing any bodily fluids could enter the Temple grounds until going through this ritual period.
The Presentation at the Temple may seem like a rather humdrum event in the life of Christ, but its meaning was significant in first century Israel. God had not been present in the Temple since the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple by the Babylonians in 587 BC.
You may recall in the desert during the Exodus, the LORD came to the Tabernacle in a fiery cloud, whereupon He made his presence with them known (it was called the “indwelling” of the LORD). Once the Jews entered the Promised Land and Solomon built the first Temple, the fiery cloud of the LORD came there as well (2Chr 6-7). However, the Jewish kings began breaking all the commandments after Solomon and finally the LORD left the Temple around 590 BC (Ezekiel 10-11). Then the Babylonians came, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiled the Jews. Although a smaller temple was built when the Jews returned, the presence of the LORD did not return, although the LORD sent word through the prophets that He would return; i.e., “And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord who you seek, the Messenger of the Covenant” (Mal 3:1). The fulfillment of these long-awaited prophesies finally begins with the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. The LORD’s “indwelling” is completed when the fiery wind of the Holy Spirit comes to the Apostles on Pentecost. Note: when Jesus said beforehand that ‘the Father and I will make our home with you’ (John 14:23), he was alluding to the indwelling of God being in the people going forward (no longer just the Temple).
As for the historic event of the Presentation, the prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna are on hand to herald the event. It’s hard to image the emotion in Mary and Joseph as they walked up the grand staircase of the Temple, only to be intercepted by Simeon and Anna who proceed to make incredible pronouncements about Jesus.
Finally, you may have heard of “Candlemas,” where everyone is given small candles to light in the church. Although this earlier church practice is not followed much these days, it purpose was to signify Jesus as the Light being given to the world.
Question: if Jesus is the Light of the World, then why is he telling his disciples in this week's reading to be the salt and the light to the world? Is this a conflict? We will discuss Tuesday night!
Ron
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