Daily Bible Reading 29th March 2026 // Luke 2:21-40
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons”. 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marvelled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him.
These verses (21-24) tell of the circumcision of Jesus, the purification of his mother Mary, according to the law, and His being presented to the Lord in the temple, with the attendant sacrifices, according to the law. This has a message for us at the outset, and it is clear and unequivocal: it is sometimes maintained that Jesus was a revolutionary, and His support is sometimes claimed by revolutionaries of modern days, who are intent on kicking over the traces and jettisoning law and order and all kinds of convention. But the Jesus of the New Testament was in fact very different. From His infancy, He conformed to Jewish law, and right through His life and ministry He honoured that law and faithfully observed it. 'Thus it becomes us', He said, 'to fulfil all righteousness'. True, His gospel is a revolutionary power, but it is a revolution of love, not violence, and its principle of operation is through weakness and foolishness, not power and might. It is very impressive in this regard to realise that Christ was to accomplish His salvation in the world within the structure of the 'status-quo' and the establishment and that He was content that it should be so. He does not need revolution to bring in His kingdom, as men today think of revolution. He speaks of faith as a mustard seed, of leaven being hidden in measures of meal. It is the 'hiddenness' of His kingdom that is so impressive, and that excludes the possibility of violent overthrow - as Simon the Zealot had later perforce to learn. 'Not that way', said Jesus to him - and He says it today also.