Christmas and the New Creationনমুনা

The Firstborn of God

The birth of Jesus reached its fulfillment in His presentation at the temple, as recorded in Luke 2:21–24. Joseph and Mary faithfully obeyed two key commands of the Law: circumcision — which symbolized God’s covenant with His people, established with Abraham — and the consecration of the firstborn to the Lord, as prescribed in Exodus 13.

The law of consecration was rooted in Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. In the final plague, God spared the firstborn sons of Israel when He saw the blood of the lamb on the doorframes of their houses — the night of the first Passover. For that reason, every firstborn son in Israel belonged to God and had to be redeemed (Exodus 13:13). Because Joseph and Mary were poor, they brought the humble offering of two doves or two young pigeons, as the Law allowed.

Yet this simple act revealed a profound truth. The Child being redeemed that day was, in fact, the Redeemer Himself — the very Lamb of God. The Law permitted an animal to die in the place of a son, but Jesus, the Firstborn of God — the spotless Lamb — would soon not be spared. He would be sacrificed on the cross, not for His own sins, for He was sinless, but for the sins of the whole world.

This moment reminds us that God is still deeply involved with His creation, with time, and with history. Circumcision and consecration both show that the material world is not an obstacle to grace but the very stage upon which God’s covenant unfolds. The Son of God did not come to abolish the world but to consecrate it. Christmas, then, is not merely a remembrance of a birth but the beginning of a new humanity. We are welcomed as sons and daughters because we bear the mark of the blood of Christ, the true Firstborn.

Today, recognize in Jesus — the spotless Lamb, the Firstborn of God — the One who has redeemed you. Invite Him to be first in every area of your life, dedicating to Him your time, your gifts, and your vision of the world, so that your life may reflect the mark of His redemption and the beauty of the New Humanity.