Candlemas

Next Sunday 2^nd February – Candlemas

The presentation of Christ in the Temple, also known as Candlemas, marks the end of the Christmas/Epiphany season. Afterwards we mark Sundays as “Before Lent”. Ash Wednesday is on 26^th February.

Malachi 3: 1-5. Malachi means “messenger” or “angel” in Hebrew and a messenger is to be sent to Israel to purify society. It starts in the Temple (which should know better) and then spreads to the social sphere. A worthy cult and a just society go together. It is arguable that although this reading is selected to accompany Christ’s presentation in the Temple, the incident which mirrors this prophecy best in Christ’s ministry is Christ clearing the Temple of the money changers.

Hebrews 2: 14-18. An unequivocal statement that Jesus was human in every way. This is important when assessing the chances of our own resurrection from the dead. He shares our humanity so we can share in his resurrection. He was tested so he can intercede for us, who are being tested

Luke 2: 22-40. Actually, the presentation of the first-born son entailed no visit to the Temple. What Luke is really describing is the purification of Mary. Luke wants to present Jesus as being very much a full part of Jewish ritual and tradition. Jesus is presented as the focus of faith in whom one finds salvation.  

Whatever inaccuracies about Jewish rituals are contained in Luke’s account of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple – what he describes appears actually to be the purification of Mary – one thing is in no doubt.

Luke presents Jesus as the sole object of faith and hope, in whom one finds salvation.

Addressing God, holding Jesus in his arms he proclaims;

Jesus is our salvation, a light for the whole world, who will also bring glory to Israel.

Jesus is very much a fully human, Jewish child and it is his very humanness that concentrates the mind of the author of the letter to the Hebrews.

So why is it so important to stress the humanity of Jesus and why ever since has it been important to stress the full humanity of Jesus alongside his divinity?

In expressing the will of God and expressing God’s character Jesus was fully divine but this divinity was expressed in a human mind and body exactly like yours and mine.

This means frankly that he can completely identify with every human soul in our trials temptations and sorrows making him perfect in representing us in front of his Father.

Whatever you are suffering, Jesus suffered too and can identify with you as a friend and brother. He knows what it’s like to live a life.

His humanity, his flesh and blood becomes even more important when we consider his resurrection.

The resurrection is a mystery but the reason we say we believe in the resurrection of the body is that Jesus appeared bodily to the disciples after he had been crucified. Jesus had a flesh and blood body and appeared as a resurrected body.

Therefore, we believe that our flesh and blood bodies can be resurrected bodies also.

Jesus, because he was human, is our model for what lies in store for us.

It is too easy to say that Jesus was resurrected because he was different – he was special – but I can’t believe that could happen to me! Paul encountered people saying just that in is time. Listen to Paul speaking to the Corinthians;

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 

¹² Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; ¹⁴ and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. ¹⁵ We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷ If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have died^[a] in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

As I have said, Jesus is our model here for what will happen to us also.

In his resurrection Jesus retained his personality. He remained who he was. This is the basis for the Christian hope that we retain our sense of personhood after death.

Hindu’s believe just by way of contrast that when you die, your personality dies with you and you dissolve into the one great soul – Brahma.

The Christian hope based on the resurrection stories is that we remain essentially differentiated and will therefore be able to recognise and communicate with others as separate beings just as Jesus did.

This is why it is so important to retain that sense of the human Jesus alongside any sense of his divinity.

Yes, Jesus is Lord and King and Son of God, but he is also our friend and brother who because he was fully human could be our saviour and model of our future.

Amen.