God With Us Sermon V: Blessed Be God Our Father's Confirmation Of His Promise Series

BLESSED BE GOD OUR FATHER’S CONFIRMATION OF HIS PROMISE FULFILLED IN JESUS

For some of us, New Year’s Resolutions are a thing of the past. Instead of making resolutions, we make doctors’ appointments - an important one of these being that annual physical which checks out every part of us from head to toe, plus an extensive profile of the blood that flows through our veins.

Medical Science has come a long way in our lifetime!

Two thousand years ago, in the absence of modern technology, doctors relied on their own investigations and research for diagnosing illnesses and for prescribing treatments. One such doctor was Luke, author of the gospel that bears his name – a disciple whose unique distinction it was to be the only non-Jewish New Testament writer.

If an honest inquirer wished to authenticate the events surrounding Jesus’ miraculous birth, what better source would there be than a medical doctor who was experienced in the science of research? As someone said: “A minister sees persons at their best; a lawyer sees persons at their worst; but a doctor sees persons as they are.”

Luke saw persons as they were and loved them all”. Thus, for Gentiles, there can be no better book on The Birth and Life of Christ than the one Luke wrote!

In his introduction to the Gospel, Dr. Luke said to his inquirer Theophilus: “I made up my mind to carry out a careful investigation of all these things from the beginning and to write to you an orderly account.” So:

Luke proceeded to tell about a Son promised . . . a Son prophesied . . . the birth of a Son foretold to Mary . . . miracle birth of John the forerunner . . . divine confirmation to Zacharias of the role of his and Elizabeth’s son John . . . divine confirmation to Joseph of his role as father of Jesus . . . Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem . . . announcement by angels to shepherds . . . discovery by the shepherds of Mary and Joseph “and the Babe lying in a manger” . . . joyful shepherds spreading the message conveyed to them about this child . . . the amazement of all who heard it . . . everybody glorifying and praising God!

As if his authentication of events surrounding the birth of Jesus needed yet another piece of major evidence to clinch his argument, Dr. Luke then focused on God’s confirmation of His promise fulfilled in Jesus -- attested to by Simeon when Mary and Joseph carried Jesus to the Temple for his ceremonial consecration - Luke 2:21-24 . . .

Strange old ceremonies! Yet, a reminder to Christians that Jesus was a Jew, as were of course his parents Mary and Joseph – of the strictest Jewish upbringing! Within the context of that tradition of observing Jewish laws, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day after birth and was given the name Jesus. Thirty-one days later, Jesus was carried to the Temple by his parents for the family’s observance of two Jewish rituals: after-birth purification of the mother and the formal presentation of the firstborn son to God.

Both rituals prescribed by God highlight the value God places on the birth of children! “A child is not given outright to parents but only lent by God”. Let me tweak that saying a little bit: “Of all God’s gifts, there is none for which we shall be so answerable as the gift of a child!”

Within the context of doing what people ordinarily do, the Spirit of God moved in and through their situation to set the stage for God’s confirmation of His Promise Fulfilled in Jesus. The Spirit brought together Baby Jesus, his parents, and two elderly folks who, like so many others, had waited and prayed for a long time for the coming of the promised Messiah – Luke 2:25-35 . . .

Blessed be God our Father’s confirmation of His promise fulfilled in Jesus!

Simeon stands as a testimony to the usefulness of righteous, God-fearing, Spirit-led “saints” whose top priority at the beginning, during, at the end of any year is: to be where God wants them to be, and to do what God wants them to do.

“Waiting” is a big part of everyone’s life . . . “with expectation” is better . . . “looking forward to” is a positive expression of hope. What greater blessing do we have to “look forward to” than the actual realization of a promise guaranteed by the Spirit of God.

Simeon beheld “the Lord’s Christ” before he died - as promised! News flash: Believers in Christ will behold the Lord’s Christ after we die - as promised!

“Moved by the Spirit”, Simeon met the Holy Family in the Temple Court – not by accident or mere coincidence! Neither was your first encounter with Jesus . . . ! Nor when you and I see Him face to face in the hereafter! God’s Spirit is moving in and through our situations and circumstances to fulfill His promise! Because of God’s confirmation of His promise fulfilled in Jesus, we look forward with Hope – as did Simeon!