It was just last week that we celebrated Jesus’ baptism. Now, that happened when Jesus was like 30 years old. 

So we have to keep our timeline correct here. Today, this Sunday, which we don’t usually celebrate on a Sunday, 

We celebrate what happened in the very beginning right after his birth when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be presented in the temple. What a great celebration that we get to celebrate together today. 

In many ways, this is more of a celebration of, I would say, Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph being a faith-filled mom and dad. Mary and Joseph being good, Jewish, righteous followers of God and Moses’ law. They did what was prescribed for them to do, which is take their firstborn son to the temple. And so today, I really want to acknowledge Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ parents, who because of their fidelity, because of their faithfulness, did what the law prescribed, took Jesus to the temple. 

I want to also acknowledge the fact that if we hold together this celebration of the presentation of Jesus and last Sunday’s celebration of baptism, we realize that these days we actually do it the opposite way. So in Jesus’ time, he was presented through his parents. And then when he was older, 30, he chose to be baptized by John the baptizer. But these days, we do it a little bit different. These days, our parents bring us for baptism when we’re infants, right? And then when we’re about 14 or 15, we choose to confirm our faith in Jesus through confirmation, right? 

So it’s a little bit backwards the way we do it today. The good news is that I want to celebrate and remember parents, you parents, all parents who brought your children to baptism. I want to remember you today because you brought your children to Jesus. And I want to give you homework. I want to ask you parents, who are watching. 

If you ever brought a child for baptism, tell your children why you baptized them. Tell your kids that you wanted your children to be connected to Jesus for the rest of their lives so that the promises made in baptism of everlasting life might be theirs. That you have a relationship with Jesus, parents, and that you wanted your children to have a relationship with Jesus, too. That baptism was something important to you when you were 

Growing up and you wanted that for your children as well. Can you talk to your kids about that? They need to hear that because there’s so much noise out there in the world. They’re not hearing it, but from you, they can hear your hope and your desire that they know Jesus very deeply. 

Good old Simeon was in the temple when Jesus was there and a promise was made to Simeon and that promise was foretold. Before Simeon died, he saw the savior, the messiah, the anointed one. He saw Jesus and held him in his hands. Friends, we too are promised something at baptism, everlasting life. Jesus is faithful to his promises. 

We have to remember that and share that with those we love, all that we know about Jesus’ love, his promises, and his hope. Can we share that with our kids? I think we’re called to today. 

It was just last week that we celebrated Jesus’ baptism. Now, that happened when Jesus was like 30 years old. 

So we have to keep our timeline correct here. Today, this Sunday, which we don’t usually celebrate on a Sunday, 

We celebrate what happened in the very beginning right after his birth when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be presented in the temple. What a great celebration that we get to celebrate together today. 

In many ways, this is more of a celebration of, I would say, Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph being a faith-filled mom and dad. Mary and Joseph being good, Jewish, righteous followers of God and Moses’ law. They did what was prescribed for them to do, which is take their firstborn son to the temple. And so today, I really want to acknowledge Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ parents, who because of their fidelity, because of their faithfulness, did what the law prescribed, took Jesus to the temple. 

I want to also acknowledge the fact that if we hold together this celebration of the presentation of Jesus and last Sunday’s celebration of baptism, we realize that these days we actually do it the opposite way. So in Jesus’ time, he was presented through his parents. And then when he was older, 30, he chose to be baptized by John the baptizer. But these days, we do it a little bit different. These days, our parents bring us for baptism when we’re infants, right? And then when we’re about 14 or 15, we choose to confirm our faith in Jesus through confirmation, right? 

So it’s a little bit backwards the way we do it today. The good news is that I want to celebrate and remember parents, you parents, all parents who brought your children to baptism. I want to remember you today because you brought your children to Jesus. And I want to give you homework. I want to ask you parents, who are watching. 

If you ever brought a child for baptism, tell your children why you baptized them. Tell your kids that you wanted your children to be connected to Jesus for the rest of their lives so that the promises made in baptism of everlasting life might be theirs. That you have a relationship with Jesus, parents, and that you wanted your children to have a relationship with Jesus, too. That baptism was something important to you when you were 

Growing up and you wanted that for your children as well. Can you talk to your kids about that? They need to hear that because there’s so much noise out there in the world. They’re not hearing it, but from you, they can hear your hope and your desire that they know Jesus very deeply. 

Good old Simeon was in the temple when Jesus was there and a promise was made to Simeon and that promise was foretold. Before Simeon died, he saw the savior, the messiah, the anointed one. He saw Jesus and held him in his hands. Friends, we too are promised something at baptism, everlasting life. Jesus is faithful to his promises. 

We have to remember that and share that with those we love, all that we know about Jesus’ love, his promises, and his hope. Can we share that with our kids? I think we’re called to today. 

It was just last week that we celebrated Jesus’ baptism. Now, that happened when Jesus was like 30 years old. 

So we have to keep our timeline correct here. Today, this Sunday, which we don’t usually celebrate on a Sunday, 

We celebrate what happened in the very beginning right after his birth when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be presented in the temple. What a great celebration that we get to celebrate together today. 

In many ways, this is more of a celebration of, I would say, Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph being a faith-filled mom and dad. Mary and Joseph being good, Jewish, righteous followers of God and Moses’ law. They did what was prescribed for them to do, which is take their firstborn son to the temple. And so today, I really want to acknowledge Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ parents, who because of their fidelity, because of their faithfulness, did what the law prescribed, took Jesus to the temple. 

I want to also acknowledge the fact that if we hold together this celebration of the presentation of Jesus and last Sunday’s celebration of baptism, we realize that these days we actually do it the opposite way. So in Jesus’ time, he was presented through his parents. And then when he was older, 30, he chose to be baptized by John the baptizer. But these days, we do it a little bit different. These days, our parents bring us for baptism when we’re infants, right? And then when we’re about 14 or 15, we choose to confirm our faith in Jesus through confirmation, right? 

So it’s a little bit backwards the way we do it today. The good news is that I want to celebrate and remember parents, you parents, all parents who brought your children to baptism. I want to remember you today because you brought your children to Jesus. And I want to give you homework. I want to ask you parents, who are watching. 

If you ever brought a child for baptism, tell your children why you baptized them. Tell your kids that you wanted your children to be connected to Jesus for the rest of their lives so that the promises made in baptism of everlasting life might be theirs. That you have a relationship with Jesus, parents, and that you wanted your children to have a relationship with Jesus, too. That baptism was something important to you when you were 

Growing up and you wanted that for your children as well. Can you talk to your kids about that? They need to hear that because there’s so much noise out there in the world. They’re not hearing it, but from you, they can hear your hope and your desire that they know Jesus very deeply. 

Good old Simeon was in the temple when Jesus was there and a promise was made to Simeon and that promise was foretold. Before Simeon died, he saw the savior, the messiah, the anointed one. He saw Jesus and held him in his hands. Friends, we too are promised something at baptism, everlasting life. Jesus is faithful to his promises. 

We have to remember that and share that with those we love, all that we know about Jesus’ love, his promises, and his hope. Can we share that with our kids? I think we’re called to today. 

It was just last week that we celebrated Jesus’ baptism. Now, that happened when Jesus was like 30 years old. 

So we have to keep our timeline correct here. Today, this Sunday, which we don’t usually celebrate on a Sunday, 

We celebrate what happened in the very beginning right after his birth when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be presented in the temple. What a great celebration that we get to celebrate together today. 

In many ways, this is more of a celebration of, I would say, Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph being a faith-filled mom and dad. Mary and Joseph being good, Jewish, righteous followers of God and Moses’ law. They did what was prescribed for them to do, which is take their firstborn son to the temple. And so today, I really want to acknowledge Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ parents, who because of their fidelity, because of their faithfulness, did what the law prescribed, took Jesus to the temple. 

I want to also acknowledge the fact that if we hold together this celebration of the presentation of Jesus and last Sunday’s celebration of baptism, we realize that these days we actually do it the opposite way. So in Jesus’ time, he was presented through his parents. And then when he was older, 30, he chose to be baptized by John the baptizer. But these days, we do it a little bit different. These days, our parents bring us for baptism when we’re infants, right? And then when we’re about 14 or 15, we choose to confirm our faith in Jesus through confirmation, right? 

So it’s a little bit backwards the way we do it today. The good news is that I want to celebrate and remember parents, you parents, all parents who brought your children to baptism. I want to remember you today because you brought your children to Jesus. And I want to give you homework. I want to ask you parents, who are watching. 

If you ever brought a child for baptism, tell your children why you baptized them. Tell your kids that you wanted your children to be connected to Jesus for the rest of their lives so that the promises made in baptism of everlasting life might be theirs. That you have a relationship with Jesus, parents, and that you wanted your children to have a relationship with Jesus, too. That baptism was something important to you when you were 

Growing up and you wanted that for your children as well. Can you talk to your kids about that? They need to hear that because there’s so much noise out there in the world. They’re not hearing it, but from you, they can hear your hope and your desire that they know Jesus very deeply. 

Good old Simeon was in the temple when Jesus was there and a promise was made to Simeon and that promise was foretold. Before Simeon died, he saw the savior, the messiah, the anointed one. He saw Jesus and held him in his hands. Friends, we too are promised something at baptism, everlasting life. Jesus is faithful to his promises. 

We have to remember that and share that with those we love, all that we know about Jesus’ love, his promises, and his hope. Can we share that with our kids? I think we’re called to today.