And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. What would it be like to be the mother of Jesus? What must have been going through Mary's mind as she ran (with her other grown children) to see Christ, after he was charged with casting out devils through Beelzebub? (Matthew 12:46). What anguish did she experience as she stood by the cross where her child of 33 years hung? How could she bear listening to the priests' and peoples' reviling as she watched her son hang in agony. (John 19:26). Surely the Holy Ghost was with Mary in these moments. Surely there were angels round about her, supporting her. Yet she must have felt exquisite pain as she helplessly watched her innocent son. No wonder Simeon prophesies, three decades prior, that a "large barbaric sword" should pierce Mary's soul. (See http://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/2-35.htm.) And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. I have great respect for widows and older, unmarried people who serve in the temple. Their faith is almost tangible. I have learned from their examples. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet. Christ's coming into the world was monumental. It was foretold by prophets since the days of Adam and Eve. Kings feared him. Stars obeyed him. Wise men sought him.
Wise men and women still seek him today.
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They brought [Jesus] to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; ... and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. The King of Kings was born in humble poverty. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explains, "These two [Mary and Joseph] were desperately poor. At the purification offering which the parents made after the child’s birth, a turtledove was substituted for the required lamb, a substitution the Lord had allowed in the Law of Moses to ease the burden of the truly impoverished. (See https://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/12/maybe-christmas-doesnt-come-from-a-store?lang=eng.)
Christ was always humble. He relied on his Heavenly Father for everything. "I seek not to mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me" (John 5:30). I need to submit my will to the Lord. I can have what I want, or something better. (See https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/i-am-a-child-of-god?lang=eng&_r=1.) It all depends on how I humbly submit to the Lord's will, and the Lord's timing. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. Jesus had a humble, loving step-father. Before the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, and told him that "that which is conceived of [Mary] is of the Holy Ghost," Joseph desired to "put her away privily," without specifying the cause. Joseph did not want to make a public example out of Mary, or put her to shame. (See http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/1-19.htm.) His name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Jesus' mortal life was part of a much larger plan. Jesus Christ is central to the Plan of Salvation. He was prepared from the beginning to perform the Atonement. Just as God had a specific plan for Jesus Christ (down to a predetermined name), God too has a detailed plan for my life. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord. Jesus had a devoutly obedient mother. She followed all applicable laws (circumcision, purification) with respect to the birth of her son. I too should follow civil and eternal laws.
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For anyone interested, I have a professional blog titled The Instructional Designer's Toolkit where I share tools and inspiration for instructional designers and e-learning developers.
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