Add a headingLENT BLOG SERIES: Preparing Jesus
 
Lent 5: 17th March: Born a Jew 


Twenty Eight years ago was 1996.

That is how much of Jesus’ life we know almost nothing about.

We know of his birth, his dedication at the temple, that he stayed at the temple while a young boy and next thing we hear was that he was baptised by John aged 30.
Almost nothing until then, apart from the escape to Egypt, is captured.

We know that he was prepared from the beginning as befits his eternal existence, by his lineage in David’s line and by the word of God that was fulfilled by his coming in flesh.

Mark’s immediate Gospel, makes no reference to anything earlier than John’s ministry near the Jordan and Jesus’ baptism. Matthew and Luke fill in some few earlier details.

And what they have in common is to show some form of religiosity, some ritual of significance. They are marks of a believer. To mention these rituals above all the other life details that would be of interest about the “God made man” shows the significance of these Jewish practices in Jesus’ preparation for ministry.


How do you view the sacraments? When the water of baptism falls do we rejoice? Do the baptismal vows we take inform how we see ourselves, how we see God, how we see the world? How significant is it that we meet in God’s house with God’s people, in his “house of prayer”? How much do we relish discussing and devouring God’s word?
As we will see, of all the events in Jesus’ life, they were rituals that the evangelists believed important enough to include in their narratives.

Jesus presented in the temple

“Joseph and Mary took him (Jesus) to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’[b])”
This was a requirement of the law of Moses that the first born be dedicated at the temple. This was a Jewish family obediently following the law of Moses to dedicate and consecrate their Jewish son to God. This is an important first step in Jesus’ young life. Not unique to him. It associated him as a boy of God’s people.

It was an ordinary step that was to lead to not one but two extraordinary encounters.

Firstly, Simeon. He is described by Luke as “righteous and devout”.  He was also an old man who had waited patiently all his life for “the consolation of Israel”. As with many in these early New Testament stories, we are told that “the Holy Spirit was on him”.

Simeon had been convicted by the Holy Spirit that he would see the messiah before he died. It was that same Holy Spirit that led him to the Temple courts that day.  He met the family of Joseph and knew.  Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms, and praised God. The Holy Spirit’s promise was fulfilled. He had met with the Messiah. Delighted, he said to the Lord:

29 ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.’


We know this hope filled prayer as the Nunc Dimmitis and it forms part of daily Evening Prayer and is used to bring a funeral to a close. It is the prayer of an old man, whose life’s patience has been fulfilled, who can die happy in the knowledge that after many centuries, God had provided the anointed one to bring salvation to the whole world, light to the Gentiles and glory to the Jews.

I wonder if we can truly feel the exultation in Simeon’s tired old voice after such a long wait for the promise to come true?

Simeon went on to say, ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. He could see the transformation Jesus would bring as well as the opposition he would face.

Anna, the Prophet, was also very old and had long been a widow. We are told that “She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying”. She gossiped Jesus to anyone who would listen and was waiting for the Messiah. He was just what she had been waiting and praying for. In that dedicated ritual, he was spotted by two faithful people and great things were prophesied. “40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.”

Jesus was preparing all the days of his life for what was to come.

Jesus at the temple

About 12 years later we see one more story of his childhood. Returning from Jerusalem after the Passover feast, Joseph and Mary “did a Home Alone”! They travelled 3 days before spotting that the child, Jesus, was not with them. When they returned they found him in the Temple courts. He was listening to the teachers and asking questions and giving amazing answers.  Mum and Dad were understandably anxious and challenged Jesus about his behaviour. Jesus questioned them back:

49 ‘Why were you searching for me?’ ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’[f]


Jesus was destined for ministry, for a life of teaching, of revealing the true nature of god and the meaning of the scriptures, the law and the prophets. He was preparing for this from an early age. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man”.

His parents didn’t fully understand. But he knew.

Jesus’ baptism

The next time we see Jesus is at his baptism. John refused, believing that Jesus should baptise him! Baptism was a shocking thing to offer Jewish believers. It was reserved for non-Jews who needed to be cleansed before being acceptable to enter into a life of belief in Yahweh. For John to cry “repent and be baptised” to Jewish believers was outrageous.

So, for the “teacher with authority” it was out of the question.

Jesus insisted, backed up by the argument that it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.’ His baptism was key to his humanity, to his indwelling of flesh and to associate with those he came to save. He had no sin to repent of and he had no unrighteousness to be cleansed of. But by doing it anyway he gave a sign and a symbol not only of the importance of dying to an old life but also as a model that we should do the same to follow him.

We then see the trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in all its glory, together, as he came up out of the water

heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’

The rituals throughout his life, his Jewish life, had prepared him for what was to come.

How do we view the rituals we follow now? As chores? As experiences? As tasks? Or as preparation for what God has laid before us?

Jesus was thrust from his baptism, by the Holy Spirit, into a fast and temptation – but that’s another story…

Doug

LENT BLOG SERIES: Preparing Jesus
Lent 4: 10th March: PREPARING JESUS - As was written in the scriptures