Day 343: Jesus' Family

Luke 2:21-52; Ezekiel 38-39; Isaiah 61

The way it is written in my text in the Bible, Mary and Joseph were to go to the temple and offer a sacrifice to God for their first born son. The scripture says they had to at least offer two doves or pigeons, and that is what they did. It sounds like Mary and Joseph offered just that, a sacrifice of two birds, and the scripture implies that was the minimum. Why would they offer the minimum? My guess is, they couldn't afford anything else. If this is true, it just means that Jesus Christ came from not just a humble existence, but from a humble family. He wasn't raised in riches and so in addition to his love for the poor and needy, he also understood them from a very human standpoint.

The other thing in these verses that makes me think is that there were other people--Anna and Simeon--who proclaimed who Jesus was. There are a lot of people out there who claim that they are still waiting for the Messiah. But how could an 8 day old baby organize to have these elders prophesy over them, unless he was the real deal? Simeon tells Mary that Jesus will cause some people to fall and others to stand, that she herself will experience incredible suffering, but it will all be for a glorious purpose of salvation. Jesus is definitely the real deal.

God actually sends this crazy army to attack the peaceful villages of Israel. He prepares them for war, pumps them up, and then completely destroys them. Why? Because by human standards, an army of nations against a few unarmed, unprotected villages seems like an obvious win. However, God is going to reveal his power and control and love for his own nation by destroying the crazy foreigners. All so that everyone will know who God is and will be amazed by him. God promises that while he sent his people away to be prisoners, he will round them all up and bless them. He won't leave us as captives, but will restore us and give us peace. That's an awesome thing to look forward to.

In Isaiah, God promises that even though his people may have been in mourning, oppressed, prisoners, he will give them joy, peace, freedom, and blessings. We don't need to live as captives, weighted down with despair; through Christ we are set free and have the power and blessing of God and the Holy Spirit.