"Purified Through the Gospel and Not the Law"

          Luke 2:22–24      ²² When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

          Jesus was born under the law, He was a Jew, and He came to redeem those who were under the law.  Some call them customs, others call them laws; either way they are rules handed down by God from generation to generation and these laws must be obeyed. 

When the rules become custom we obey them like a habit, this we see in the way we worship when we worship the same way each Sunday repeating the words that have lost their meaning on our lips and no longer effect our hearts.  We make worship a law, instead of a gospel. 

It's like this law is something you have to do, and the gospel is something you get to do.  Law says you follow it or pay the consequences for not.  Gospel says this is a privilege, a gift not earned and it is freely given to those God has chosen to be His children.  We like to make law and try very hard to turn the gospel into law as something we think we have to earn.  But, here it is, we cannot earn the Gospel, but we can enjoy the privilege.  And worship is a privilege that comes from the gospel.

Under the law Jesus the son of God is going through the purification ceremony that was described through the Lord's laws given to Moses.  Joseph and Mary are following the Jewish laws for those who were first born.  Jesus is being welcomed into the world under the law, purified to be a holy first born male child, a visual to the Jewish populace.  Here the son of God is made holy through the law with the sacrifice of two turtle doves to show all people that He was purified to fulfill the law.

Luke 2:29–32      ²⁹“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; ³⁰for my eyes have seen your salvation ³¹that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

          The Lord's Christ, the Lord's Messiah, the Lord's Savior, has now been purified through the law.  Jesus is made holy and is to take the role of the first born son and carry on the Father's business.  The business of God is gifting His Son's holiness through salvation to those who believe.  Even as Jesus was already holy because He is the Son of God, He did not need to be purified except to show us that He came to fulfill the law and to purify each of us, not through the law but through the Gospel.   

Luke 2:33b–32 “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

A foretelling again of one who will be pierced for our transgressions.  Though Christ reveals our thoughts and hearts, both good and bad, He also prepares the way for our salvation through repentance and forgiveness.  To us a child, the gospel, is born bringing His salvation to each believer and paving the way for others to believe too. 

Galatians 4:4–7 ⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

          Our inheritance is willed to us by the mighty and awesome will of our God through Jesus Christ our Savior.  It is our Christ who works through the Holy Spirit and His word to sanctify us, purify us, making us holy for everlasting life and eternal relationship with our Abba, Father who loves us first.  Amen.