Presentation To God

by MITCHELL, D. | Category: N/a | Jan 2005

Christ's presentation to God

'Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord' (Luke 2:22).

The Lord Jesus was circumcised at just eight days old and it was thirty-three days later when His parents presented Him to the Lord, with two young pigeons for an offering, which indeed spoke of Him. There's a sense in which He never left this position, for He always presented Himself before the Lord, ultimately presenting Himself upon the cross of Calvary as a pleasing sacrifice, fulfilling the promise of those two young pigeons. The word 'present' in Luke 2 is the Greek word 'paristemi', meaning in various contexts 'to offer, to stand something beside, to yield' and we see all these aspects in the life of Christ.

Christ, spotless, offered Thee Himself,

O what a gift divine!

The believer's presentation to Christ

'And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight' (Col.1:21,22).

The One who was Himself presented now presents us, as part of the joy that was set before Him.

This word 'present' is the same Greek word as in Luke 2. A further meaning of the word can mean 'to place beside', and this is the thought we have as Christ presents us. We are 'accepted in the Beloved' because we stand beside Him. When Christ was presented as a young baby He was placed beside His parents when the two young pigeons were offered. Give thanks that that boy was a pleasing sacrifice, and now the pigeons are no more, but placed beside Christ is His purchased possession. As the pigeons spoke of Christ then, so we should speak of Christ now, for we should be imitators of Him.

Were it left to us to present ourselves in the presence of God, how would we respond? We would surely attempt to dress as smartly as possible and co-ordinate our clothes as a church so that He might accept us as a people, being pleasing to the eye.

We must therefore be grateful that when He presents us He has already provided the garments of righteousness that we are to wear, being 'clothed in His perfections'. The Lord Jesus knows the standards of His Father, and it is the joy of our Lord that He might perfect us in the presence of the Almighty, in order that the Father might be pleased. What a great assurance that we are 'above shame in His sight' for this 'Presenter' of ours is 'not ashamed to call (us) brethren' (Heb.2:11).

The disciple's self-presentation

'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service' (Romans 12:1).

Knowing first the self-presentation of Christ, and then the presentation of His people, surely presenting ourselves must be forefront in our minds.

It has been helpfully commented, 'In contrast to the slain unreasonable beasts which were offered on the altar, the offering here is living, holy and acceptable to God. There can be or ought to be no withdrawing of what has been given to God, what has been sacrificed to Him, for the offerer's own use thereafter. ... The believer is not his own property; he is a purchased slave, and therefore he is to glorify God in His body.' (J.Miller, 'Notes on the Epistles').

What a 'call to arms' the apostle Paul is making! The one who presented Himself, and who presents us holy and blameless, also wants us to present ourselves living, holy and acceptable, and that can only be done through Him.

Recently, a 'Training for Service' group were excited to learn that when we are asked to present ourselves, we are really being asked to 'stand beside' the Lord Jesus. What a difference that makes in our witness! That statement gives us so much confidence when we approach people who need to hear about our Saviour. The Lord is saying, "You don't need to be frightened. I'm already here, just come and stand beside Me." Yet more than that, when we kneel to pray to our Father, we are placing ourselves beside the altogether lovely One. God wouldn't have us appear anywhere else, than right next to His Son.

MITCHELL, D. | Jan 2005
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