Why did Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple after His birth?

Mary went to the temple 40 days after Jesus was born for the rite of purification after childbirth. This is separate from Jesus being circumcised, which was done on the eighth day of His birth. According to Leviticus 12, a sacrifice was to be offered, “a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering” (v. 6 ESV). We assume that Mary and Joseph didn’t have enough money for a lamb because they presented two turtledoves instead, which was allowed, “if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves” (v. 8 ESV).

Theologians have said that the sacrifice that really mattered was not the two turtledoves that Mary brought for her purification, but was Jesus Himself. His sacrifice on the Cross ended the need to offer sacrifices to cover our sins. Hebrews 9:28 (ESV) says it this way, “so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Jesus has dealt with sin once and for all!

To learn more about the “The Purification of Mary and Presentation of Our Lord,” please tune into our Worship Anew program on Feb. 2 to hear Rev. Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer preach about “Live in the Light.”

What types of sacrifices were offered in the Bible?

Here is a succinct description of Old Testament sacrifices from the Indiana District LCMS:

“Old Testament sacrifices were usually offered to God in a specific order. First, the sin (or guilt) offering would be sacrificed; forgiveness is what a believer needs first and foremost. Second, the burnt offering would be sacrificed, for flowing from forgiveness God creates sanctification. Third, the peace offering would be offered to God, and its main activity was the communion meal, identifying fellowship with God and one another.”

We can see how the order of these sacrifices follows our needs regarding sin. When we try to address sin with our neighbor without recognizing our need to be forgiven, we tend to gloss over our actions or justify our bad behavior. We need the complete healing that Jesus offers in giving us real forgiveness before we can have a restored relationship with God and with others. This is the peace that Jesus describes in John 14:27, a peace that the world cannot give, but a peace that actually heals our troubled hearts. Thanks be to God!