The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." … And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' - Exodus 13:1-2, 14-15 (ESV)
Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple to present Him before the Lord (Luke 2:22). Here the parents are partaking of a consecration ceremony where the firstborn son is about to be redeemed. This particular ceremony is interesting for two reasons. First of all, who needs the redemption? Is it Jesus? No it is Mary & Joseph, the priests in the temple, the whole world – Jesus is the one who came to redeem us (1 Cor 1:30). Secondly, what will become of Jesus? Well, He will be the sacrifice for our sins (Heb 7:27, 9:11-14). God’s strong hand of deliverance means the death of His firstborn Son. As Mary and Joseph dutifully perform what God required, we are reminded of what the Lord has done for us.
