The Life of Christ

The natural father performed the circumcision. The Talmud says that a father has four responsibilities toward his son:

Circumcision (Gen. 17:12-13)

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• Redeem him back from God if he is the firstborn (Num. 8:15-16)

Find him a wife (Gen. 24:4)

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Teach him a trade

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SECTION 15

Lk. 2:22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.

In Lev. 12:1-8 God commanded that every mother who bore a son be considered unclean for the first seven days.

• On the eighth day circumcision would occur, and the mother would continue her uncleanness for 33 more days.

In all, she was unclean for 40 days.

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• During the days after circumcision her uncleanness prevented her from coming into the temple or touching any hallowed thing (Lev. 12:4).

• Incidentally, if the baby were a girl, the mother would be unclean for 80 days (Lev. 12:5). But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days" (Lev. 12:5) Lk. 2:23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “EVERY first-born MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”),

This verse fulfills Ex. 13:2,12 which says, "Sanctify unto Me all the firstborn, whatsoever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, for it is Mine.”

• Every first-born child carried a particular ownership to God — especially this One.

• The offering of animals served as the currency used to buy one’s child back from God.

Lk. 2:24 “…and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, ‘A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES, OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.’”

At the end of the 40 or 80-day purification period, the woman had to offer a sacrifice for a sin offering and a burnt offering (Lev. 12:6-8).

• Many have asked, ‟What was the nature of her sin” ?

• The Rabbis discussed this question at great length and finally arrived at the following conclusion:

• “During the delivery, the mother vowed that she would never go through this again, but when the precious little baby was born, she realized she had vowed a vow which she could never keep.”

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