Simeon Sees Series

Simeon Sees (Luke 2:22-35)

Christmas is a time of surprises. There was a lady who was preparing her Christmas cookies. There was a knock at the door. She went to find a man, his clothes poor, obviously looking for some Christmas odd jobs. He asked her if there was anything he could do. She said, "Can you paint?"

"Yes," he said. "I'm a rather good painter."

"Well," she said, "there are two gallons of green paint there and a brush, and there's a porch out back that needs to be painted. Please do a good job. I'll pay you what the job is worth."

He said, "Fine. I'll be done quickly."

She went back to her cookie making and didn't think much more about it until there was a knock at the door. She went, and it was obvious that he had been painting: he had paint all over his clothes.

She said, "Did you finish the job?"

He said, "Yes."

She said, "Did you do a good job?"

He said, "Yes. But lady, there's one thing I'd like to point out to you. That's not a Porsche back there. That's a Mercedes." (Bruce Thielemann, "Glory to God in the Lowest," Preaching Today, Tape No. 75)

He misunderstood what it was he was supposed to paint. I think the same thing happens to people when they think about Jesus, especially at Christmas. They see Him as a cute little baby in a cute little manger, but they don’t see Him for who he really is.

I’m sure it was the same when Jesus was born. People didn’t see Him for who He really was, but one old man did! Six weeks after Jesus was born, his parents took Him to the temple to dedicate Him to the Lord, as was required by the Mosaic Law. Now, most of the people there just saw a dirt-poor couple with a six-week-old baby, but Simeon saw something far more. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Luke 2, Luke 2, where we see what Simeon saw in Jesus.

Luke 2:22-24 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (ESV).

40 days after a first-born son was born, the Mosaic Law required the parents to bring him to the temple; and there, they were to dedicate him to the Lord and offer a sacrifice.

Luke 2:25-32 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (ESV).

When you look at Jesus this Christmas, see more than just a cute little baby in a cute little manger. See what Simeon saw soon after that first Christmas. 1st of all…

SEE A SACRIFICE.

See someone who gave up everything to come into this world.

Mary and Joseph sacrificed a pair of doves or two young pigeons, because they could not afford a lamb. The Mosaic Law allowed such a sacrifice for those who could not afford the normal one. Jesus was born into abject poverty. He left the splendor and wealth of heaven for a cow pen on His way to a cross. Jesus MADE a great sacrifice to come to this earth.

But not only that, Jesus BECAME a great sacrifice himself. Mary and Joseph brought a sacrifice to the Temple. Actually, the Law required that they bring two sacrifices, according to Leviticus 12. They brought a burnt offering and a sin offering. In this case, they brought two birds. They placed their hands on those birds, signifying the placing of their sins on those birds. Then the priest killed those birds were killed in Mary and Joseph’s place, dying as punishment for their sins. Mary and Joseph BROUGHT a sacrifice, but Jesus Himself BECAME the sacrifice for your sins.