Dedication

Jesus Presented in the Temple

• Luke 2:22-23 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. [23] The law of the Lord says, "If a woman's first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord."

Old Testament Context

• Exodus 13:1-2 Then the Lord said to Moses, [2] "Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me."
• Deuteronomy 11:18-21 "So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. [19] Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. [20] Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, [21] so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
• Psalm 78:1-8 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, [2] for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past- [3] stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. [4] We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. [5] For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, [6] so the next generation might know them- even the children not yet born- and they in turn will teach their own children. [7] So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. [8] Then they will not be like their ancestors- stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

God is Our Father

• Psalm 103:13-18 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. [14] For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. [15] Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. [16] The wind blows, and we are gone- as though we had never been here. [17] But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children [18] of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!
• Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
• Isaiah 59:15-21 Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The Lord looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. [16] He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him. [17] He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion. [18] He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes. He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth. [19] In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord; in the east, they will glorify him. For he will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the Lord. [20] "The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins," says the Lord. [21] "And this is my covenant with them," says the Lord. "My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Application:

• Romans 12:1-2 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. [2] Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
• Proverbs 14:26 Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children.
• Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
• Proverbs 22:6 Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Jesus Blesses the Children

• Matthew 19:13-15 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. [14] But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." [15] And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.