Question 1

Why was Jesus circumcised on the eighth day if he was without sin?

Accepted Answer

Jesus did not need circumcision to remove any sin or impurity, because he was completely holy. Yet he was circumcised on the eighth day to share fully in the life of Abraham’s descendants and to stand under the same law they were under. Circumcision marked a boy as part of God’s covenant people and also made him a debtor to keep the whole law. By accepting this sign in his own flesh, Jesus showed that he truly took on our human nature, entered our place as sinners, and would later shed his own blood to free his people from the law’s curse.

Question 2

What is the meaning of the name Jesus being given at his circumcision?

Accepted Answer

The name Jesus, which means “Saviour,” was not chosen at random by his parents. It was the name given before his conception by God’s messenger, so it came from heaven. The name was then formally given at his circumcision, which was the common time for naming a Jewish boy. This shows that God spoke first about who his Son would be, and Joseph and Mary simply obeyed. Jesus is not named for earthly status or power but for his work of bringing salvation. His very name tells us his mission is to save his people from their sins.

Question 3

Why did Mary need days of purification after Jesus’ birth?

Accepted Answer

According to the law, a woman who had given birth was counted as unclean for a set time and then had to go through a rite of purification. This law reminded Israel that sin and corruption mark human life from birth. In this passage, most readers understand the wording to include both Mary and Jesus in the purification, even though he was perfectly pure and she had not sinned by bearing him. He willingly shared in this law as one who would be counted unclean for our sake. The whole ceremony pointed to the need for God’s grace to wash away the defilement all people inherit from Adam.

Question 4

What does it mean that every male who opens the womb is holy to the Lord?

Accepted Answer

The phrase “every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord” goes back to God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt. When the firstborn of Egypt were struck down and the firstborn of Israel were spared, God claimed the firstborn males of Israel as his own. They were to be presented to him and then redeemed with a set price. Being “holy” here means set apart to belong to God in a special way. By being presented as the firstborn, Jesus shows both that he shares Israel’s story and that he, more than any other, truly belongs to God and will later present himself fully in service to his Father.

Question 5

Why did Joseph and Mary offer a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons?

Accepted Answer

The law said that a woman after childbirth should bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a bird for a sin offering. But if she was too poor to afford a lamb, she could bring two birds instead, one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering. Joseph and Mary bring the poorer person’s offering, which shows their humble condition. They did not suddenly become wealthy. This simple sacrifice also teaches that in coming to God we both give thanks and confess our sins. Even though Jesus was not born in sin, his family kept the law’s command, because he had chosen to live under that law on behalf of his people.

Question 6

What is the significance of Jesus being presented to the Lord in the temple?

Accepted Answer

As the firstborn son, Jesus was brought to the temple to be presented to the Lord, just as the law required. This act remembered how God had spared Israel’s firstborn in Egypt and claimed them as his. On one level, his presentation was like that of any other firstborn boy, showing his real place within Israel’s story. At a deeper level, it hints at his lifelong work. The one presented as holy to the Lord here will later fully present himself to God as the mediator for his people. From the very start of his life, he is set apart for his Father’s service.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about Jesus being made under the law?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows in a very concrete way that Jesus did not stand above God’s law in his human life but placed himself under it. He is circumcised, counted in the purification rite, presented as the firstborn, and redeemed according to the set price. These were not empty acts. By taking on these obligations, he took the position of a servant who must obey in every detail. This is part of how he would later free those who were under the law’s demands and judgment. He kept what we failed to keep, starting already in his infancy, so that his people could share in the freedom he won.

Question 8

How does Jesus sharing in poor and humble offerings speak to believers today?

Accepted Answer

Jesus’ parents could only bring the offering allowed for the poor, which shows that he was born into real poverty, not comfort and ease. He did not distance himself from ordinary people but entered their situation. For believers today, this is a comfort. The Saviour knows life from the bottom up, not just from above. It also reminds us that God does not despise small or simple offerings. The law itself made room for those who had little. What mattered was obedience and a heart turned toward God, not the size of the gift. In Jesus, God meets us where we truly are.

Question 9

Why does this short story about Jesus’ infancy matter for faith?

Accepted Answer

This short scene might seem like a small detail, but it shows key truths about who Jesus is and what he came to do. It shows that his saving work did not begin only at the cross; from his earliest days he was already taking our place, stepping into our obligations, and sharing in our condition. He fully joined the covenant people, bore the sign of the law, and went through rites meant for sinners, though he was sinless. This encourages faith by showing that our Saviour did not hold back at any point. He went the whole way into our need so that we could be brought the whole way into God’s favor.

Luke 2:21

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

Cross References

Luke 2:21

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

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Jesus Presented at the Temple

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