The Gospel Project® for Adults
Leader Guide CSB, Unit 19, Session 2
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21 When the eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus— the name given by the angel before he was conceived.
22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished,
they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord)
24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord,
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons).
Jesus grew up from a baby to boyhood to manhood
like any other man
(the bold words fill in
Jesus’s Humanity:
In addition to being fully divine,
the Bible also affirms that Jesus is fully human.
Not only does the Old Testament affirm
that the Promised One (Messiah) would be a man
Isaiah 7:14
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son,
and she will call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:6
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Eternal Father,
Prince of Peace.
Micah 5:3:3
Therefore He will give them up until
the time When she who is in labor
has borne a child.
Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.
but the New Testament also affirms
that Jesus’s earthly life bore all the marks of being a human.
He experienced the circumstances common
to living as a human being,
such as hunger
Matthew 4:2
And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights,
He then became hungry.
thirst
John 19:28
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished,
to fulfill the Scripture, said,
"I am thirsty."
weariness
Matthew 8:24
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea,
so that the boat was being covered with the waves;
but Jesus Himself was asleep.
sorrow
John 11:35
Jesus wept.
and pain (the crucifixion).
bold words fill in
Mary and Joseph were faithful to fulfill the law of Moses in raising Jesus,
and thus, everything about Jesus was a fulfillment of the law.
Since Jesus’s life was faithful to fulfill the law,
He demonstrated Himself to be God,
and as God, He is able to bring salvation to anyone anywhere.
Verse 21 / Luke presented Mary and Joseph as obedient and faithful to the law of Moses. They waited the appropriate number of days to have their son circumcised. Even though Jesus is God, He also was human and needed to be circumcised according to the law. His physicality reminds us of His humanity. And though He was a child, we’re reminded that everything about Him fulfilled the law.
What’s also important is the giving of the name. Much more than in our day and culture, the name given to a child in biblical times denoted something important about the circumstances of the child’s birth, his family heritage, or the parents’ trust in God and prayer for their child. Throughout the Old Testament, names played a significant role in confirming God’s blessing and promises. Many times, a significant change in a person’s life that was brought about by God’s power was signified by changing the person’s name (think Abram to Abraham or Sarai to Sarah). There was no more important child ever born than the eternal Son of God, so surely His name would be of great significance. And it was. The name “Jesus” means “the Lord saves,” and that’s what Jesus would do—save people from their sins. Luke described the interaction between the angel and Mary this way:
Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. (Luke 1:31-33)
These were significant promises dripping with the language of fulfillment. They show that this promised Messiah, this Jesus, is the outworking of the plan of God to save sinners and fix the world.
But it’s also worth noting that the giving of the name was significant because it demonstrated the obedience of Mary and Joseph. They did what the angel told them to do. You might imagine that this was a difficult decision. It was enough to have to try to explain that you got pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and then to name the child based on a promise that He was going to save people from their sins. Talk about big shoes to fill.
Verses 22-24 / Verses 22-24 feel almost commonplace for a Gospel account. Why include the fact that Jesus’s parents dedicated Him to the Lord and offered some sacrifices? Mainly to point to the fact that Jesus’s parents were Jews who honored the law and honored God by their obedience.
Mary and Joseph obeyed the laws prescribed for them in three different ways in this passage: “the purification of a woman forty days after the birth of a child (Lev. 12:2-4,6), the presentation of the firstborn to God (Ex. 13:2,12,16; 34:19; Num. 18:15-16), and the dedication of the firstborn into the Lord’s service (1 Sam. 1–2).” 1
Everything surrounding Jesus was honoring to God, even in His early years. As Mary and Joseph followed the law in all that they did to raise Jesus, no one could say that He didn’t fulfill the law completely. His parents were committed, diligent, and faithful to obey God to the fullest and to raise Jesus in obedience to God’s laws. Thus, Jesus in His humanity and divinity was able to fulfill the law in His growing-up years as well as in His three years of ministry to the people.
No other person was like Jesus in this way. No one could claim that Jesus was not perfect in His humanity and divinity. The obedience of Mary and Joseph and Jesus’s own obedience points to His perfection. And this perfection characterizes the Lamb without blemish who would one day be the perfect and sufficient sacrifice needed for the restoration and salvation of humankind.