After Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary wait one month in Bethlehem before taking Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem.
In the Old Testament, the law requires after thirty days the new parents must travel to the Temple to consecrate their son to the Lord and make a sacrificial offering of two turtledoves. “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be holy unto the Lord” (Exodus 13:2). In Judaism, God claims the oldest son as His, so the parents must complete a ceremony to redeem or “buy back” their child. It is called Pidyon Haben, or Redemption of the Firstborn Son (Numbers18:15-16). This ritual is still practiced today in observant Jewish homes.
Once the ceremony is complete, Joseph presents Jesus and publicly claims his son by calling him “Yeshua ben Yosef,” which means “Jesus, son of Joseph”. There is no doubt, now Joseph is truly a father.
Here is how the story is described in the children’s book, Joseph’s Heart: A Story of Adoption:
After thirty days had passed, Joseph and Mary traveled to the holy temple in Jerusalem to dedicate their son to the Lord. In keeping with tradition, Joseph held up the baby in front of everyone.
He proclaimed the child’s name:
“Here is my son, who shall be known in Israel as Jesus, son of Joseph.”
And Joseph’s heart, so full of love, now filled with pride as he presented his son for all to see.
Text and Illustrations from “Joseph’s Heart: A Story of Adoption” by Mary Clare Evans.