90. Christ's Presentation in the Temple and John's Baptism

Subscribe in Podcast App | Download Transcript

Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Presentation in the Temple #

Two Precepts of the Law:

• General precept: When days of mother’s purification completed, sacrifice offered for son or daughter (both for expiation of sin in conception/birth and consecration/presentation)
• Special precept: Every firstborn, whether male among men or beasts, was dedicated to the Lord (commemorating liberation of Israel when Egyptian firstborn were struck)

The Objections:

1. Christ didn’t open the womb (born of virgin)
2. He was always united to God in person, so no need to present him to the temple
3. Christ is the true victim, so no other victim should be offered
4. Why turtle doves and not a lamb?

Thomas’s Solutions:

• The precept about “opening the womb” is fulfilled spiritually in Christ’s unique manner (Gregory of Nyssa): he alone opened the virginal womb without violating its integrity (inviolably preserved)
• Presentation was for our instruction in humility and obedience, not Christ’s need
• The figure (Old Law sacrifices) must be shown to the truth (Christ) and confirmed by it; Christ chose the offering of the poor (turtle doves) to demonstrate his voluntary poverty making us wealthy

Mary’s Purification #

The Problem: Why should the Immaculate Virgin undergo purification from uncleanliness?

The Answer: Not from necessity or obligation, but from humility and obedience to the law. Just as Christ underwent circumcision and law’s burdens though not obligated, Mary fulfilled the purification observance to show humility and give example of obedience.

Key Principle: “The fullness of grace from Christ was to her mother. So it was fitting that the mother be conformed to the humility.” Grace is given to the humble (James 4:6).

Textual Note: Luke 1:22 says “when the time for their purification” (plural), which Thomas interprets as including both mother and child, or the Vulgate singular tradition uses “purificationis eius” (her purification).

Symbolism of the Offerings #

Turtle Dove (Turtur):

• Talkative bird → signifies preaching and confession of faith
• Chaste animal → signifies chastity
• Solitary animal → signifies contemplation
• Moaning animal → signifies tears of prayer (private/solitary prayer)

Dove (Columba):

• Mild and simple animal → signifies mildness and simplicity
• Congregating animal → signifies active life and public prayer of the church
• Moaning animal → signifies public prayers of the church

Both offered double: Holiness must be in both soul and body (Psalm reference: “O God, you are my God; in my flesh I pine and my soul thirsts”)

John the Baptist’s Baptism #

The Question: Was it suitable for John to baptize?

Objections:

1. Every sacramental rite pertains to some law; John introduced no new law, so shouldn’t introduce new rite
2. John was a prophet; prophets exhorted observation of legal rites, not new ones (Malachi: “Be mindful of the law of Moses”)
3. Jews already had excess of baptisms (Pharisaic washings); adding more is superfluous

Four Reasons for Suitability (Thomas’s answer):

1. Necessary for Christ to be baptized by John to consecrate baptism (Augustine: “He more sanctified the water than the water sanctified him”)
2. To make Christ known to Israel (John 1: “that he might be made known to Israel; for this reason I have come baptizing in water”)
3. To accustom men to the rite of Christian baptism (Gregory: following the order of John coming before Christ in birth, he also comes before in baptizing)
4. To lead men to penance, preparing them for worthy reception of Christ’s baptism (Bede: John’s baptism prepared men just as catechumens are instructed before baptism)

Nature of John’s Baptism:

• Not a sacrament but a sacramental (preparing for sacraments, not conferring grace)
• Pertains to the law of Christ, not the law of Moses (it disposed for Christ’s law)
• Ordered to spiritual cleansing through penance (“repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”)
• Cleansed only from bodily/fleshly uncleanness, not from guilt (which requires grace)

Key Arguments #

On the Presentation Precepts #

Argument for special precept about firstborn:

• God acquired every firstborn through deliverance from Egypt (Egyptian firstborn struck, Israelite firstborn preserved)
• Prefigured in Christ as “primogenet” and “firstborn among many” (Romans 8)
• Only Luke emphasizes this, fitting his emphasis on Christ’s priesthood (temple appearances begin and end his Gospel)

The Exagorean Way of Naming Things: Things are named by what they have most of. Luke is classified as emphasizing priesthood because he has more of temple/priestly language than others. Market economy has government influence but is called “market” because that predominates. Similarly:

• Divinity present in all Gospels, but John emphasizes it more
• Humanity present in all Gospels, but others emphasize it more
• This classification method is necessary because things aren’t always sharply separated

On Mary’s Purification #

Objection: Legal sacraments of Old Law didn’t confer grace; they only purged bodily uncleanness. Mary had no uncleanness. So why undergo purification?

Response: Mary fulfilled the observance not from need (she had no uncleanliness to purge) but from precept of the law, voluntarily, for example of humility and obedience, following Christ’s model.

Important Definitions #

• Sacramental (sacramentale): Sacred rite that prepares for or disposes toward grace without conferring grace itself (distinguished from sacrament, which is instituted by Christ and confers grace)
• Onerah: Burdens (of the law)
• Loquax: Talkative
• Turtur: Turtle dove
• Columba: Dove/pigeon
• Primogenet: Firstborn
• Exagorean way: Method of naming things by what they have most of (or more of in comparison to others)
• Purification (purgatio): In Old Law, cleansing from uncleanliness, both physical and spiritual dimensions

Examples & Illustrations #

The Exagorean Principle Applied:

• A market economy is called “market” though government has some influence, because market character predominates
• Luke’s Gospel called priestly/temple-focused even though divinity/humanity/all themes present, because he emphasizes priesthood more (begins with temple, ends with temple and praise)
• Psalms classified as prayers/praise though prophecy also present, because prayer/praise character predominates
• The dove and turtle dove distinction shows how one offering symbolizes contemplation (solitary) while the other symbolizes active community life (congregating)

The Symbolic Value of the Poor Man’s Offering:

• Christ chose turtle doves (offering of poor) rather than lamb (offering of wealthy) to demonstrate his voluntary poverty enriching us
• Just as he was wrapped in linens and placed in animal’s manger at birth, showing identification with poverty
• The dual offering (both birds offered) signifies holiness in both soul and body

Notable Quotes #

“He more sanctified the water than the water sanctified him” — Augustine, explaining that Christ’s presence sanctified baptismal water rather than being sanctified by it

“The fullness of grace from Christ was to her mother. So it was fitting that the mother be conformed to the humility.” — Thomas Aquinas (as presented by Berquist), explaining Mary’s voluntary purification

“That observing the order of his running before, who came before Christ in being born, might also come before in baptizing” — Gregory, explaining why John’s prior baptism of others was fitting before Christ’s baptism

“Just as the Son of God was not made man on account of himself… but that us, through grace, he might make God’s… Thus, on account of us, the Lord was [presented to the temple]” — Thomas, on Christ’s voluntary submission to law for our instruction

Questions Addressed #

Why did Christ need to be presented in the temple if born of virgin (and thus didn’t “open the womb”)?

• The precept about opening the womb is fulfilled uniquely in Christ: he alone opened the virginal womb supernaturally without violating its integrity, signifying his singular manner of fulfilling the law

Why should Mary undergo purification when she had no uncleanliness?

• Not from necessity but from humility and obedience to the law, following Christ’s example of voluntary submission though not obligated

Why offer turtle doves instead of a lamb?

• Christ chose the offering of the poor to demonstrate his voluntary poverty making us wealthy, and because the birds’ characteristics (talkative, chaste, solitary, congregating, moaning) better prefigured different aspects of Christ and spiritual life

Was it suitable for John to introduce a new baptism?

• Yes, for four reasons: (1) to consecrate baptism through Christ’s baptism, (2) to make Christ known in Israel, (3) to accustom men to Christian baptism, (4) to prepare men through penance for worthy reception of Christ’s baptism

What type of rite was John’s baptism?

• A sacramental (not a sacrament), pertaining to the law of Christ, disposing for grace through teaching faith, practicing the rite, and inducing penance—but not conferring grace itself