Luke 2:21-40

Jesus…, Salvation For All People
Luke 2:21-40 Triton UBF Post Christmas Message 12/27/09
Key verse 2: 30-32 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
I thank God for this Christmas season. Everything is perfect except for the weather. We were so wet on Christmas Eve. Our basement had some flooding and our power went out. I think God may be slightly hard of hearing. Do you know why? Well, when people were singing, “I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas” he thought we were singing, “I’m Dreaming Of A Wet Christmas.” But seriously folks, this really has been a great Christmas. First, there was the Chicagoland Christmas service at the Reginia Dominican High school. Over 1200 people came to worship our Shepherd King Jesus though a message delivered by our very own Shp Teddy. Last week we further explored the same passage from a different angle, though Shp John Mike’s message concerning the Magi’s act of worship. Today we want to carry on with the Christmas story, discovering what happened in the weeks after Jesus’ birth. Many of us have studied this passage before, but I guarantee you that is from a fresh, new angle. We will be learning about four people who lived in the light of God, Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna. We will be learning about how Jesus is our consolation, our salvation and our light of revelation and why it is important to live and walk in the light of God.
Part 1: People Who Lived In God’s Light. (21-28b; 36-38)
First, Joseph and Mary; a house church that walked in the light of God. They are such an exemplary house church that we want to find out more about them. First, they were obedient to the word of God in the Bible. Verse 21a reads, “On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him,...” Leviticus 12:1-8 sheds some light on this. According to the law, Mary was ceremonially unclean from the birth for seven days. On the eighth day, she was to bring the boy to a servant of God to be circumcised. This might have been performed by the local rabbi in Bethlehem, possibly at the house they were staying at. Then, after another 33 days, Mary would be ceremonially purified from her bleeding and be able to carry though the next stage of the dedication process. Verses 22b-23 read, “…Joseph and Mary took him (Jesus) to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn make is to be consecrated to the Lord.’)” Parents would normally offer a year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. But because Joseph and Mary were poor, they were to bring two doves or two young pigeons. (Luke 2:24) In this way the priest would make atonement for Mary and she would be clean to present the baby Jesus before God in the Temple. To us it may seem tedious and unnecessary for new parents to do this, but Joseph and Mary knew that God had a purpose for directing his people to do these things. It was to help his people be consecrated to him and be holy, distinguishing themselves from the nations around them. (Lev 11:44) Joseph and Mary were willing to submit to God’s way living as outlined by his word.
Second, they devoted their firstborn son to the Lord. (23) Presenting Jesus to the Lord, meant to devote him to serve God’s holy purpose, even from a young age. They knew well that this child was not their own, but that he belonged to God. It was not easy to devote their first born son to the Lord. Like any parents they would want to enjoy his cuteness and have fun together, posting many pictures on Facebook. But now they were given a mission to care for Jesus providing an environment where the he could grow strong, physically, emotionally and spiritually, as well as enjoy his cuteness.
Next, they named him “Jesus” adopting God’s plan for their son. Look at verse 1b. “…he was named Jesus, then name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.” The angel had told Mary to name the baby, “Jesus” in Luke 1:30-33. The angel also told Mary about what Jesus would become. Do you know what Jesus means? Jesus means “Jehovah is Salvation”. Mary and Joseph knew that their little boy was God’s salvation. Though Mary and Joseph knew this incredible will of God, it was still not easy to name him “Jesus”. There was social pressure to name him after a family member or the father. Then Jesus would have been called “Little Joe.” By naming him “Jesus” shows that they were totally on board with God’s hope and plan for their family. They were very happy with what God was doing. (33)
Mary and Joseph were willing to be inconvenienced by God. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, about 7 miles south of Jerusalem. Someone must have taken the young family in. But still, they were not at home. It is hard to live somewhere that is not your home. On Christmas Eve we had a 23 hour power outage and had to move into the Bible house. It was not easy to be away from home. They had to pay some rent money. Maybe Joseph repaired furniture. They intended to stay another 33 days to dedicate Jesus at the Temple. That would mean another month of living in someone else’s’ back room, paying more rent and traveling 7 miles with a newborn all the way to Jerusalem. (There is reason to believe that they relocated to Bethlehem for about 2 years.) Do you get the picture? They could have said, “Let’s skip this…we can do it some other time.” But they were willing to be inconvenienced in order to do things right before God. Nowadays people are so busy trying to survive in this hard world. We have no time to endure any inconveniences. But Joseph and Mary different. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “…If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Allow yourself to be inconvenienced by God sometimes. You will be blessed!
Second, Simeon; A Righteous And Devout Man. Let’s see how this senior citizen walked in the light of God. Verse 25 reads, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” (29b) First, he was righteous. To be righteous means that he had a right relationship with God. He repented of his sins before God, and trusted in the prescribed sacrifices offered at the temple to bring him forgiveness of sins. He was longing for the first coming of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
Next, he was devout. The root of devout is devoted. This man had devoted his life to God, especially his senior years. He must have been like Msn Joseph Chung who recently went to Uganda as a silver missionary. After serving as a Missionary-pediatrician in the USA for 30 years, he dedicated the remaining years of his life to being a Bible teacher and a doctor for children at the Bethesda clinic in Kampala. Msn Joseph is like a modern day Simeon. We have other modern day Simeaon’s among us. Msn Rene, Frank Maietta a couple of them. May God raise up many Simeon’s among American students who can live devoted lives of faith throughout their entire lifetimes.
Simon was a waiting person. Look at verse 25, “…he was waiting for the consolation of Israel…” There are people who have no hope. One senior told me, “I have lived 10 years too long.” Another person told me, “Sometimes I wish I would go to sleep and not get up.” Sad, isn’t it? People suffer a lot with hopelessness and despair, especially in their senior years. But Simeon was full of hope. His heart was alive and vibrant. He was waiting for the Consolation of Israel. God’s hope infused new life into his body and God was going to answer his prayer by introducing him to the baby Jesus.
God could dwell in Simeon through his Holy Spirit. Let’s read verse 26-28. “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God saying…” When the Holy Spirit dwelt in his heart God could communicate to his heart and guide him in life. God gave him insight that this tiny baby was the promised Messiah. He was full of God’s vision, godly obedience, confidence born out of sincere faith, and great joy. They gift of the Holy Spirit greater than any gift that any of you received this Christmas. Why not ask for it. (Luke 11: 13) It’s not too late. Orthodox Christmas is January 7th.
There is another person who walked in the light of God. Her name is Anna. Let’s read verse 36, “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.” First Anna was a prophetess who had an unusually close relationship with God. She interpreted the word of God to the people of her generation, and the next and the next. Second, she held onto faith. Look at 36b and 37a, “…She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage and then was a widow until she was eighty-four….” What a sad story! Jewish girls got married very young. Anna might have been 16 or 17 years old. She lived a dreamy life with her husband until she was 24. Then tragedy struck. Maybe it was a head on collision with a Roman chariot. We don’t know, but her husband died. Anna was all alone. Most women would fall into deep sorrow and blame God for their tragedy. But Anna was different. Look at verse 37b, “…She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.” Her difficulties of life led her closer and closer to God, so much so, that by the end of her life, she lived in almost complete devotion to the Lord. She led daily bread meetings, at the temple every morning and prayer meetings every night.. Third, she preached the Word to any who would listen. Look at verse 38, “Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” She was quick to greet newcomers and speak the Gospel to them. Let’s get back to this practice making sure that new comers feel very welcome. But the greatest quality of Anna is that she was a waiting person, just like Simeon, she was waiting for the redemption of Israel. This refers to Jesus, for Jesus is the one who would lead God’s people out of their slavery to sin and darkness and into the light of God’s word. With this hope she too was full of joy and thanksgiving to God.
Part ll: Who Is Jesus? (25; 29-31; 38)
We have already seen that Jesus was born into a poor family. Though he is God, he is humble, submitting to all the dedication ceremonies. He was very ordinary, being born and dedicated with no inaugural fanfare. After a quick survey of the passage we can see several more descriptions of Jesus. He is the Consolation of Israel; the Lord’s Christ; God’s salvation; A light of revelation to the Gentiles; the Redemption of Israel. Put them all together and you get a more complete picture of who Jesus is. Let’s talk about a few of these aspects of Jesus.
First Jesus is the Consolation of Israel. Look at verse 25 again. Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel. To console is to bring comfort and hope. We tend to think that a person who has suffered some loss in life needs to be consoled. And they do. When I was young I would always get the consolation prize so I wouldn’t feel so bad. But Simeon was waiting for the consolation of the whole nation, Israel. Why did Israel need to be comforted? It had been 400 years since Israel had heard the words of the prophets. They had been suffering for the last 40 year under the Romans. They were being heavily taxed and punished for resistance acts of guerilla warfare. They were poverty stricken. They felt ignored and even punished by God for their sins. Most people were losing all hope that Israel could ever be reconciled to God. But there was one who never lost hope for his people. He was Simeon, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel. Perhaps Simeon held onto the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, … On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him, let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:6-9) The consolation of Israel is Jesus.
Our young people need the Consolation of Israel, Jesus Christ. When they are consoled by God, through faith, Jesus will destroy the shroud that enfolds their hearts. Jesus will swallow up death forever. Jesus will wipe away the tears from their faces; he will remove their disgrace through his forgiveness. Then our young people will say “Surely this is our God; we trusted in Jesus, and he saved us.” Let’s pray that the Consolation of America may come on the Triton Campus and NIU campus.
There is more about Jesus in this passage. Let’s read our key verses 30 -31, all together, ““For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” First, Jesus is our salvation, prepared by God. People without God live in the darkness. It is destructive. It is a darkness of deception and hypo¬crisy that obscures reality. It is also a darkness of ignorance that suppresses the truth and keeps people trapped by their sinful nature, negative emotions, separated from God and from one another. But God had a plan, right from the beginning to send a Savior, who would save people from the darkness of their sins. We heard of God’s plan in last week’s message. Do you remember? Matthew 2:6, “But you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.” The prophet Micah knew of the Christ, the Shepherd King, whom God would prepare, 700 years before Jesus came! The Magi knew of this Savior and sought him out. And Jesus came just as was promised. He came as a tiny baby in manger (soon after Joseph built him a cradle-I hope). When you look the cradle you must also see have spiritual eyes to see the cross and also the crown. Yes, Jesus was born to be our savior. He was born to die on the cross for our sins and be raised from the dead where he reigns forever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Through his life, death and resurrection Jesus rescues us from the dominion of darkness and bring us into the kingdom of Heaven where we will dwell with him forever. He guides our feet in the path of righteousness. The cradle-the cross-the crown. Can your eyes see the Salvation God has prepared for you and me?
Next, Jesus is a light for revelation to us. In John 8:12. Jesus told the people, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in dark¬ness, but will have the light of life.” Spiritually speaking, light refers to God’s revelation that identi¬fies his truth and distinguishes it from falsehood. Light also reveals God’s will and his deeper purposes that are not always obvious to people. Jesus also reveals the light of God’s love and saving grace on sinners. The Gentiles did not know the Gospel. They were separated from God by their ignorance and sins. They had no idea that God loved them and wanted to be their Father also. God wanted them to come to him, repent of their sins and step into the light of God. That is why he sent Jesus. When Jesus shines his light into our hearts we know we are forgiven. We are set free to live a new life with a new beginning as God’s people. The light of Jesus will guide our paths all the way through this world and into the kingdom of God. We will see the glory of God.
Part lll: Jesus Is Your Salvation…Live In Him Today (34b-35b; 39-40)
Choosing to walk in the light of Jesus is not an option. Look at verses 34b-35. “…This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. …” It always amazed me how Jesus reveals what is in peoples’ hearts. You can have two people standing side by side and they appear very similar in their disposition. But when you introduce them to Jesus things become very clear, for how they respond to Jesus reveals their true colors. Jesus simply stands their, being his beautiful self, shedding his wonderful light, and peoples’ hearts are revealed. How they respond to Jesus will determine if they stand or fall spiritually. If we respond to Jesus in repentance and faith and obedience and love for God, we will rise, in this life and all the way to the Kingdom of God. If we refuse to come into the light, we will fall, sometimes forever. Let us not be those who speak against Jesus but be those who make the right response.
God blesses those who respond well to Jesus. Let’s read verses 39 and 40.
“When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” Joseph and Mary were blessed ones. They went back to their quiet, backwoods little hamlet, which recent archeological findings reveal was about 50 homes on 4 acres in the country. For the next thirty years they lived in relative peace enjoying their family, especially their firstborn Jesus whom they marveled at. Jesus got A’s in school. He never cursed; was always kind and helpful. He also helped out on the carpentry shop, lifting the heavy lumber for his aging father. He was great conversationalist and was eager to go to church every Sabbath. And he always talked about the latest things he learned about God. There would be times of suffering however, especially when Jesus was crucified on the cross for our sins and Mary would have to witness that. (35b) Do you want to live a most blessed life? Not a life free from hardships, but a most blessed life? Then decide, by faith, to come to Jesus our Savior and walk in the light of his word. Then the grace of God will be upon you and your family. You will all grow strong and wise together in the Lord. Mostly, you will see God’s salvation and the glory of God.