Jesus Presented in the Temple

Jesus Presented in the Temple

Joseph and Mary presented Jesus to His Heavenly Father in the Temple of Jerusalem forty days after His birth. There was a devout man in Jerusalem called Simeon, waiting in the Temple. He was blessed by the Holy Spirit, took Baby Jesus in his arms with joy.


On this presentation God received a much more glory than He had ever received in the temple from all the sacrifices of the Old Testament. On this day it is His own Son Jesus Who is offered to Him, and Who offers to the Father the unlimited honor of worship, thanksgiving and supplication.


It is from the hands of the Virgin Mary, full of grace, that this offering, so pleasing to God, is received. For Mary is perfect, filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.


Mary had given her consent to offer her Son Jesus to the Father as a sacrifice for the whole world. For she knows that her Son is "The King of Glory".


Luke 2: 21-39


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.

27 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,

28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, 
   you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, 
   and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.

34 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,

35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,

37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.  She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

38 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.

 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.