The first place Jesus goes (taken by his parents) after his birth is to church! They go to the temple to fulfill the sacrificial requirements of the Old Testament law. There they are met by Simeon and Anna, who have been in the temple awaiting what God would do. It is in the context of worship that God reveals Jesus’ destiny (declared in the blessing of Simeon). The next story Luke reports is the story of the boy Jesus going again to the temple for Passover, where he astonishes the scribes. Today we rightfully bring children to church, and with Simeon and Anna we can discern how God is at work through Christ.

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About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.