It is important to know after eight days after Jesus birth his parents followed the law of the Old Testament and Temple at that time and called his name Jesus. They went and offered the sacrifices for Mary for her purification from giving birth as well as the sacrifices for Baby Jesus. It important to know they gave a sacrifice of a poor man. Now whether or not Joseph and Mary was poor it hard to say, after all the wise men would soon or had already given them gold. Do not know exact date of the wise men arrival. The sacrifices are performed with the law.

Two thing happens when one goes to church is sacrifices are made through tithe and offerings unto God and the second thing is time of testimony and praises. However I always picture this scene just inside the temple doors or in entrance way of a man name Simeon waited for the consolation of the Lord. Meaning he wait to see the Savior. He was old in years and it had been revealed by the Holy Spirit he would see the Messiah before his death. No clue if Simeon died soon after seeing baby Jesus, but we know he praise the Lord and lifted baby Jesus up in his arms and blessed God. The light of Gentiles was revealed for Jesus would be a light to the Gentiles and glory to Israel. Simeon blessed the Baby Jesus, and beheld him and told the Lord let his servant depart in peace, meaning he was ready to die.

We have a widow, an a prophetess named Anna who also prophecy about Jesus in the temple, she was about 84 years of age. and served God with fasting and prayers. And she gave thanks to the Lord and spake of him to everyone in the temple about the redeemption of Jerusalem. Family returned to Galilee, I suspect now by normal route because at some point Matthew covers the Exodus of Christ to Egypt, so I suspect that this story brought them away from Bethlehem and then to Egypt and then to Galilee to Nazareth to live.

The reason why i bring up the time frame confusion is its important for facts to be given and confusion dispelled. You and i go about our daily lives and land up in many place only to get back to where we started. Though foot and donkey travel would of been much slower then cars, we know that journey would of been part of the story. Part of Jesus early years as people rejoiced in Jerusalem, Jerusalem is not Bethlehem, so i suspect the house they were staying in after Jesus birth is the location he went to after a short trip to the temple to perform the duties as a believer. Luke short his story to say Galilee and leaves out the Exodus only to get to the place where Jesus would grow up. And with that comes only one other story in scripture of Christ childhood. Another lesson not for today.

Trump has vetoed the stimulus package once more, not surprising but why? Well check online and you see why, many little things put in the package that was not for American public necessarily. The story goes President got to be the Grinch with common sense because the real grinches were in the congress. There is point there is two sides to every tale and every tale as a different reflection on the situation at hand. The story of Messiah has different point of view in four books in the Bible that are called the Gospels and each start at a different place and is told based on the people that the authors were writing. It is their part of the story that is important, but for believers we want to know as much as we can in modern times. We want to know how prophecy is fulfilled and if prophecy from scripture is fullfilled and what is around the corner for the world of our day and time. No one in five years will care about the stimulus package. Yet people will care about Jesus in five years still though his story been told for centuries and centuries of prophecy.

What is important about the prophecies by Anna and Simeon, the little speech about Mary heart being broken and Jesus being a light to the Gentiles. Jesus in a since took over his cousins ministry when he was in jailed and then beheaded. However what we do not realize he had been ministering to both Jews and Gentiles. The awaking to a group of people to the Messiah to the redeemer as well as to the hope of Israel, as a redeemer. Yet few understood what the redeemer was or what his ministery would be to two groups of people.

As teacher he broke down walls of not understanding to the Gentiles and to the Jews he spoke truth in a language that could be repeat when deal with gentiles. Jesus was breaking down the walls of separation in worship of God. In that process he was drawing many people to him as a teacher. As a healer he was drawing people to be healed of their diseases. By demonstrating of his power when feeding of the five thousand and so forth with a few fish and few loaves of bread with plenty left over. All these things would cause a commotion that would cause the people of Israel to shout crucify. No doubt not understanding Jesus would rise again Mary very heart was broken. The prophecy fullfilled with his death. Though no doubt joy came on seeing Christ rise from the dead, the initial shock and horror seen in what the world did to her son. In this devotion today we go from joy of a new baby to the horrow of death of a son. Doesn't seem right, and yet it how the story goes with understanding of the Prophetess Anna words to Mary. Mary must of pondering these thing in her heart, wondering about those words spoken or did she understand the prophecies of Isaiah concerning what would befall the Messiah.

When we go through a struggle in life we only see our own struggle and maybe the struggle of a friend or neighbor in relation to ourselves, unless we grab the helicopter and take a ride to see the total devastation of a situation. The whoa it not only my problem, no it universal problem. Communication about Christ is a universal problem that needs rectification. The story of Jesus is not just about a baby and a man that did good deeds, but he was also a man that was able to pay the price for the sins of the world. Universal sin that caused our separation from God starting with the first Adam. The need for light to be shined so the Gentiles could see, and glorification that would be given to Israel to bring a group of people that needed the hope of faith. The knowledge they were not uncasted from God if they would only believe

Israel needed a redeemer too. The Lord is their redeemer and the Christ child is the redeemer of all man kind. Christ being the word of God that became flesh. Word being universal, but the flesh making it personal being that He personally came to teach us. With Christ in Mary arms Jesus was still taken to the temple. Nothing changed at his birth in sacrfices, only with Christ death and resurrection did the sacrificial law change. Did the ways of God change, did his law change only with the new covenant that came through the resurrection of Jesus and day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles. Coming of the Holy Spirit meant God was still with us despite our sin of crucifying Jesus. It is like all the fake news is often forgiven, yet it often crucifies a few politicians and anyone else caught in the gossip world.

Jesus came with a message of peace, his story retold for centuries to come, and prophecies of old and prophecies of his day by others being fullfilled much like the story of Anna and Simeon. Though Jesus came in peace the story does not end until the victory of Christ returns. God's people scattered but not forsaken. Cov-19 and political world have tried to scatter the church even more with closing of churches, only force to allow them to reopen their doors. What does it say about our nation and their leaders. Protection or anarchy. Guidelines for protection, and advisories as well, use common since this Christmas. If you meet for midnight services or earlier services consider this wear you mask, because it time to celebrate Christ Birth, the message of peace and hope. Yet the story is not all of peace, but it is all of hope. Let us not deny God's gift this Christmas as being the best gift anyone could ever receive. Jesus paid the price for our sin, and He forgives us, so receive his gift today. Just till God you are not perfect today and need his free gift of salvation. Want to be saved, read the how to be saved page, button at the bottom of page and the top.

Dear Heavenly Father, as we praise you for the gift of your Son, the gift of eternal life through your Son, let us gain the gift of hope and peace this Christmas in our hearts. May Peace rest this Christmas as we gather with family and friends, or stay at home because of a pandemic. Make your choice today. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Romans 15:8-13 KJV
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.