Today we are learning about what happened in the days after Jesus’ birth. First, let’s add on to the memory verse.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light…”
The kids are doing a great job with the memory verses! Only my 6-year-old has the whole thing memorized, but that’s okay! Memorization isn’t really the point. I want them to learn what it means, and by going over it every day they we really solidify it in our minds. I’m learning it too!
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him 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”), 24 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.”
25 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 on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Luke 2:21-26, NIV
What should you teach them?
Here’s what I tell my kids:
- Circumcision is a sign of the covenant God has with his people that goes all the way back to Abraham. However, it wasn’t until God gave the law to Moses that the rules were spelled out in detail. Later on, Jesus would establish a new sign of the covenant, one which we still use today! Do you know what it is? If you said baptism, then you are right!
- Mary and Joseph were part of God’s covenanted people and they did their best to follow the laws that were given to Moses by God. So, they did what the law said and they took Jesus to God’s Temple in Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised, to give the proper offerings and to have him consecrated because he was Mary’s first-born.
- There was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was also one of God’s covenant people. He was a righteous and devout man. Do you remember in our earlier lesson how we learned that everyone who is saved is saved by Jesus? Even the people who lived before he was born? Righteousness comes from being saved by Jesus. So, even though Jesus had not yet died for our sins, Simeon was righteous because of his faith!
- Simeon was waiting for “the consolation of Israel” which is another way of saying that he was waiting for the promised Messiah to come and rescue God’s people. We are also told that the Holy Spirit was on him!
- Simeon had been given a special message by the Holy Spirit. Do you remember when Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and had special knowledge about Mary’s baby, Jesus? Well, something similar happened to Simeon. The Holy Spirit told Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Messiah.
- Have all of God’s promises, whether delivered by angels or the Holy Spirit, been true so far? Now Simeon and Jesus are both in Jerusalem at the same time! Do you think the Holy Spirit’s promise to Simeon will come true? What do you think will happen?
- As always, we close this time with a prayer.