Scripture to Read: Luke 2:21–24
MERRY CHRISTMAS! What a glorious day to know that because of Christ, every day is a day to celebrate our new life in Him. We read today about our Lord in Luke 2:21–24, “And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, ‘A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’” The eighth day was significant because of God’s command to Abraham in Genesis 17:12. Then, God told Moses, concerning every male child, in Leviticus 12:3, “On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” We must remember that Jesus was “born of a woman, born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4), so Joseph and Mary knew this was a must to be obedient to God’s command. They brought Him to Jerusalem to the temple because of God’s command in Exodus 13:2, Exodus 13:11–12, Numbers 3:13, and Numbers 8:17. The descendants of Abraham followed this command, remembering how God delivered them from bondage in Egypt, but Christ came to deliver all from the bondage of sin.
Challenge & Application
Since we are called “holy” because of Christ in us through His Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:9), how are you walking in holiness each day?
Since Christ has delivered you from the bondage of sin, how are you honoring Him through your life?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!