Bobservations Column - "The Token and the Presentation"

In the gospel of Luke, the writer, Luke, has recorded his divinely inspired account of the birth of the Savior, the Son of the Most High God, the Lord Christ.  And with that birth, redemptive action, redemptive purpose, redemptive accomplishment is initiated because the Savior of the world, the Messiah, the Lord, the King has arrived. From verse 21 down to verse 39, brings into his account the testimony of three witnesses: The parents of Jesus, an old man named Simeon and an old woman named Anna. The testimonies these would bear great weight on the credibility of Luke's gospel. Beginning in verse 21, eight days after Jesus was born, Luke presents the scene of circumcision.  Jesus underwent the covenantal custom of circumcision (v. 21; cf. Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:1–3). **Circumcision of the Flesh - Circumcision of the HeartIn Romans 2:29, Paul discusses the idea of the circumcision of the heart and the role of the Old Testament Law as it relates to Christianity. He argues that Jewish circumcision is only an outward sign of being set apart to God. However, if the heart is sinful, then physical circumcision is of no avail. A circumcised body and a sinful heart are at odds with each other. Rather than focus on external rites, Paul focuses on the condition of the heart. Using circumcision as a metaphor, he says that only the Holy Spirit can purify a heart and set us apart to God. Ultimately, circumcision cannot make a person right with God; the Law is not enough. A person’s heart must change. Paul calls this change “circumcision of the heart.”