Every Year to Jerusalem - Luke 2:41

Luke the physician wrote after Joseph and Mary, “performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him”, and in chapter two and verse forty-one of his book Luke shared how Jesus', “parents went to Jerusalem every year” where we read:

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

The verse reads, “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year ...” Luke began with the words, “Now his parents” or “moreover and Jesus' earthly father and mother” “went to Jerusalem” which means “left and departed to the city of Jerusalem which means set you double peace” “every year” or “annually”. Luke shared how Jesus' father and mother traveled to the city of “Jerusalem” “annually”.

The verse goes on to say, “... at the feast of the passover.” Luke continued with the words, “at the feast” which means “at the holy day and festival” “of the passover” or “pertaining to the paschal sacrifice where the Israelites would slay and eat a lamb the on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan (the first month of their year) in memory of the day on which their fathers, preparing to depart from Egypt, were bidden by God to slay and eat a lamb, and to sprinkle their door posts with its blood, that the destroying angel, seeing the blood, might pass over their dwellings”. Luke shared how Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem to participate in the “festival” of the “passover” sacrifice.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn of another event to which Jesus' parents participated every year. The “feast of the passover” was to remind the Jewish people of their deliverance from Egypt. (See Exodus 12). This was a significant “feast” for Jesus to attend because it spoke of the “sacrificial lamb” which was to be offered during this festival. Jesus is the “sacrificial lamb” for all mankind, and when He died upon the cross, He gave His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. God loves people, and because sin separates people from a relationship with God, Jesus died to pay the penalty for those who sin. Now everyone who believes and trusts in God's “sacrificial lamb”, Jesus, will receive forgiveness for their sins and everlasting life with God.

Next time Luke shares what happened when Jesus, “was twelve years old”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".