While the story of Jesus’s birth and the first Christmas is one of the most-told stories and most-celebrated traditions in the world, many often forget an important part of the story of the first Christmas: Jesus’ naming ceremony and the many great things that were told and foreseen about his life.
Jesus’ naming ceremony was a very important part of the Jewish faith at the time and is still a widely celebrated ceremonial tradition today.
Though the story of the naming ceremony is less-told than the story of the first Christmas, this ceremony is a huge part of Jesus’s early life.
This ceremony is something that all Jewish babies receive in order to be recognized as a member of the faith and without a doubt played a role in Jesus’s faith life as he was growing up.
The Bible Story – Luke 2:21-38 – https://www.bible.com/bible/compare/LUK.2.21-40
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons.’
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.
When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.
And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
The History of the Christmas Story
Jewish religious tradition requires male circumcision as part of any baby’s naming ceremony. This tradition is still the case, even today.
The reason behind this tradition is to remind members of the Jewish faith of God’s promise with Abraham, from the Old Testament.
Typically, This traditional ceremony occurs 8 days after the birth of the baby and This is also When the baby officially receives and assumes its name.
One month, approximately 31 days after the birth of Jesus, it was time for Mary and Jesus to arrive at the temple in Jerusalem for Jesus to be officially recognized by the church.
The Purity Service
This purity service was the church’s way of welcoming the child as a gift from God and proclaiming that the baby is a child of God and will walk in the faith throughout his life.
As part of the ceremony, the parents “buy” the baby back from God and pay the amount of sixty grams of silver.
Mary attended the purification service, which symbolically washed her clean of the blood she shed during childbirth.
To bring purity and cleansing, the ceremony calls for the sacrifice of a dove or other bird as well as a lamb.
In Mary’s case, She was a poor woman; therefore two doves were sacrificed in place of the lamb, as was a tradition for those who could not afford a lamb.
Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple where two church elders cared for him before the service had begun.
While some anxiously awaited the sight of Jesus to behold the sight of a mighty king, others scorned his arrival as that of a false prophet and doubted his true holiness.
These that awaited Jesus were known as the Quiet in the Land, as they were known to wait quietly for the arrival of God and prayed and worshiped each day in anticipation of the arrival of his chosen savior.
Simeon And Anna were two of these such members of the faith.
The moment they laid eyes On the Holy baby, they knew that He was the one sent from God, and they rejoiced at his arrival.
News traveled quickly as those who sold sacrificial lambs and doves caught wind of the arrival of the Messiah.
Simeon and Anna heard through word of mouth and quickly rushed to the temple to behold the arrival of God’s new king.
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Main Points About Jesus as a New Born
- Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea. His mother was the virgin, Mary and father was Joseph the carpenter.
- Joseph who is a descendant of King David is not considered the biological father of Jesus since Jesus was conceived by divine intervention.
- When Jesus was a baby, an angel visited Joseph and Mary and told them that King Herod will attempt to kill baby Jesus. They fled to Egypt.
- On the eighth day after Jesus’ birth, he was circumcised and named. Although he had been named by the angels before he was conceived.
- Thirty-one days after his birth, his parents presented him at the temple in Jerusalem.
On the eighth day after Christ was born, he was circumcised and given the name Jesus.
To circumcise baby boys was Jewish law and still is as part of the naming ceremony.
Mary and Joseph then took him to Jerusalem so he could be presented to the Lord.
Simeon and Anna, two old people of the Quiet of the Land, welcomed him and recognized him at the son of God.
Word Cloud for Jesus as a New Born
The following is a collection of the most used terms in this article on Jesus as a New Born. This should help in recalling related terms as used in this article at a later stage for you.