Jesus the Infant: Decidedly Jewish

In deed, Jesus was a Jew his whole life.

Happy second day of Christmas! Christmas is a season.

So Mary & Joseph have a new baby boy. He’s circumcised at the right time and named. It’s interesting to note that Jesus’ name wasn’t given until circumcision. We might wonder if Mary or Joseph had previously told anyone about his name.

After probably around 40 days, they took the infant Jesus for the first time to Jerusalem. Thankfully, Bethlehem is a lot closer to Jerusalem (~6 miles) than the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem would have been (~90 miles).

And there, several things happen. In today’s passage, the right sacrifices were made according to their socioeconomic status (see Leviticus 12:6-8). Those who had the means would have had a lamb sacrificed. Joseph and Mary could not afford that, so the birds sufficed.

We don’t know which kind of birds and we also don’t know the name of the priest who would have carried out the sacrifice, but these are fun things to ponder about. Would that priest ever come to know of the significance of this child?

Regardless, each of these things: circumcision on day eight and ritual purification some 32 days later are Luke’s emphasis that Jesus was born a Jew.

Luke 2:21-24

When eight days had passed, Jesus’ parents circumcised him and gave him the name Jesus. This was the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived. When the time came for their ritual cleansing, in accordance with the Law from Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. (It’s written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord.”) They offered a sacrifice in keeping with what’s stated in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

Isaiah 49:5-6

And now the Lord has decided—the one who formed me from the womb as his servant— to restore Jacob to God, so that Israel might return to him. Moreover, I’m honored in the Lord’s eyes; my God has become my strength. He said: It is not enough, since you are my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the survivors of Israel. Hence, I will also appoint you as light to the nations so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

Prayer

God,

Thank you for sending Jesus as a baby. While it’s remarkably mysterious in some ways, it also really grounds your entrance into our lives for me. I’m still pretty focused on the notion that Jesus was ever a baby. What was it like for Joseph and Mary in those first weeks? Sure, I might imagine Mary to be the perfect mother, all prepared for the ins and outs of being a first-time parent with a first-born child. But I’d rather think she had some of those quirky nerves and learning curvature that all new parents deal with. Ima go with that.

Regardless, thank you for sending him. Help me to understand my humanity within his.

By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.