Reason for the Season

Exodus 13: And all the first born of man among your sons you shall redeem. So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying “what is this” that you shall say to him “By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out to the house of bondage.

The Lord punished the first born sons of Egypt as the Pharaoh was not letting the Lord’s first born, Israel, out of bondage. But, He protected the first born sons of Israel and hence they belonged to Him. In the above verse, the Lord commands the Israelites to redeem what is rightfully His. There is a tradition even to this date of redeeming the first born followed by Israelites. The father (other than a Kohen) pays 5 silver coins to the Priest and redeems his first born son. This ceremony is called ‘Pidyon Haben’ in Hebrew which means ‘Redemption of the son’. This may be simple ritual as seen by the world but God sees it as an opportunity to share His goodness and His exclusive plan of Redemption to the world.

What is in it for the church? Yes, the church itself stands on this “Pidyon Haben”, “Redemption of the Son”. The Jewish father has to pay just 5 silver coins to redeem his son but our Father in heaven paid a higher price, gave up His only begotten Son to die upon the Cross for the redemption of his lost sons. When Jesus said, “do this in remembrance of Me”, He didn’t intent it to be a mere ritual week on week but an opportunity to share His goodness to someone who may ask why we partake the Holy Communion.

This Christmas season, when the world is busy distributing gifts and glorifying an old dead saint, let us glorify the living God, the ‘reason for the season. For “in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace” Ephesians 1:7

Devotion by Reena