Title: Anna: A Life in Three Verses
Text: Luke 2:36-38
FCF: Like Anna, we too are insignificant until we have been redeemed – and have become something special in the eyes of God.
Intro:
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If you were to go down to Charlottesville and start poking around in some family cemeteries, you might come across a gravestone that reads: April 13th, 1743 – July 4th, 1826;
AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
Author OF THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
While it might catch your eye, you might not initially give it much notice. I mean after all, his crowning achievement appears to be connected with what is only the 2nd best school in Virginia. But then your eye catches the name: Thomas Jefferson.
Third President of the United States. Responsible for the Louisiana Purchase – nearly half of the continental United States. Architect, Statesman, Inventor, Diplomat, would-be Bible editor, and Founding Father. His words have been quoted around the world. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights – that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I could go on and on about William & Mary’s most famous alumnus J but the point I’m making is this. His gravestone seems so simple, so ordinary. So many great details we would never have known had that simple marker been the only record of his life.
Our text this morning reminds me of that gravestone. The verses layout very neatly – they simply tell us who she was, who she met, and how that transformed her. But you know, we don’t even have her words. As a woman, she was that insignificant.
All we know of this woman’s life are a few paltry details that hardly do justice to her. She was a daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She was married young and widowed early. We can pretty much guess what her life was like from those few details. Probably childless, long unmarried, this woman would have been a long forgotten footnote in most people’s book. She wasn’t anything special. I can’t prove this point, but when we read that she stayed in the Temple day and night, I can’t help but wonder if that was because she had nowhere else to go. A homeless old crank who had the misfortune of out-living her limited support network, and was now nothing but the discarded rubbish of Jewish society.
But there is one word that escaped her lips that speaks volumes to me. The word is this: Redemption. After she saw this little baby, just eight days from Christmas, the Bible recorded for the rest of history what she did for the rest of days – She told everyone who would listen about the Redemption of Jerusalem.
Redemption is one of those spiritual words you hear tossed around in church a lot. I guess we figure if we say it right we’ll sound all religious. But it’s just a simple word. Actually, if we thought about it, we should probably be put off by it.
You see, redemption assumes that you start with something basically worthless. It has no value in and of itself. But it can be exchanged for something far more valuable. It has the potential to be something really useful. It can be used for bigger and better things.
Take this gift I got for Christmas. Megan Herndon is a wonderful person, and she gave me a great, great gift. In reality, it’s nothing but a 3 cent piece of construction paper. It probably took her all of a minute to write on it. But the words she put there bring joy to my heart every time I look at: ‘This coupon can be redeemed for a night of babysitting whenever you want. Go take Susan out on the town!” That’s a valuable piece of paper! But intrinsically, it means nothing. Until it is exchanged, it’s worthless.
What would happen if I choose never to redeem this otherwise worthless piece of paper?
Some of you may remember that a dollar bill used to be “Redeemable” for gold or silver at the U.S. Treasury. That’s because these pieces of paper weren’t worth much to most people. They wanted real money – gold. If the paper were worth more than the gold, it would have been foolish not to redeem it. You’d only hold onto to these pieces of paper so they’d fit in your pocket more easily. The real stuff was in the bank vault. But when the paper couldn’t be redeemed, well, you had a run on the bank and no one was happy.
By the way – if you have a penny in your pocket, it is my duty to warn you that the U.S. Mint had to put out a press release last week warning people that it was illegal to melt down coins. You see, last week, copper started getting to be more valuable then the penny itself. You could melt that down and get about 2 cents worth of copper. Redemption inherently must begin with something less valuable – or else people don’t redeem it. They just use it.
Now, you might wonder why I am pressing that point so hard. Ok, Michael, I get it! Why does it matter?
Well, there are a lot of things that can be redeemed – but the key to redeeming them is understanding that the token doesn’t look all that valuable at first. And, if they do look valuable, you’re probably missing out on their real worth. It’s like looking at Jefferson’s gravestone and thinking, “Nice granite.”
I want to briefly look at a few things that Scripture says can be redeemed.
Redeeming our nation
In this text, you’ll see that Anna understood this baby – this screaming little 8 day old boy, was the Redemption of Israel. Israel – or any nation for that matter – can be redeemed.
2 Chronicles 7:14 promises us that if God’s people who are called by God’s name would humble themselves, pray, and seek his face, that he would heal our land. You don’t have to watch Al Gore’s movie to know that our land could use some healing. And, by the way, I will say this to Al Gore’s credit. At the end of his film, he was listing several things you could do to help stop the environmental crisis that we’re facing, and he simply included this word – Pray. It will work.
Redeeming Time
Ephesians 5:16 mentions something else that we can actually redeem. We read it earlier: We are encouraged to redeem the time, because the days are evil.
We all know time is precious – but understand time is only precious if it is put to good use. Ask yourself how precious an extra year of life would be if all you did with it was watch Survivor and MTV. But what if that time spent talking with your children, reading great stories like Daniel or Jonah, or just doing something as simple as helping weigh food at Seven Loaves – it’s different then isn’t it? And yet, even though each of us still has many years left to redeem, how much of it will be invested wisely?
I want to thank you for the investment of time you make each week by coming here. By investing this hour each week, you are, like Anna, I hope, learning more about the God with whom I hope you intend all eternity. Even those days when I preach complete drivel and heresy – and trust me, there have been days – you are still freely giving this precious hour to the God whom you love. And God rewards that. By focusing your heart on him, getting into his Word, choosing to seek his face, you will find the gold that never rusts or decays. Your real treasure of peace – no you’re your real treasure of truth is something that can never be stolen from you. It’s good.
Redeeming Our Souls
But to think that time and country are the only things that can be redeemed would be to miss out on the biggest one of them all. The reason we love Jesus so much, of course, is that he redeemed us.
Last Tuesday’s Post [1/2/07] told a story about a man who was in the business of redemption. He lives in Oak Park, MI and is currently unemployed, but according to the paper is not homeless. Anyway, as I said, the man was in the redemption business – specifically redeeming bottles for the 10 cent deposit you get back at the store. This guy crawls into a dumpster, going after these bottles, and somehow manages to fall asleep. The article does not mention either his sobriety or his place in society, but I think we all know where we’d be placing our bets.
Anyway, this guy falls asleep and doesn’t wake up until he realizes he’s in the back of a garbage truck, and is only alive because the compactor hasn’t been run yet. He pulls out – I’m not kidding – his cell phone and frantically dials 911. He manages to tell them his problem, but then the battery gets knocked loose. Thankfully, they can sort of trace the phone’s location – but it finally boils down to a cop banging on the backs of garbage trucks until finally this guy bangs back.
Had it not been for that cell phone this guy would have literally been put out with the trash, crushed to death amongst smelly diapers and yesterday’s leftovers. His final resting place in the middle of a junkyard. If that isn’t the sorriest picture of how low a person can be valued, I don’t know what is.
But this guy was saved. Tell me that drowning in our sin is any less graphic a picture.
Seven Loaves has all sorts of patrons – and I’m really glad we’ve used that word all along. We’d use the same word for the people who leave large sums of money as we would for those who get groceries. And that’s the way it should be, because in God’s sight, we are the same. We are all loved by the God who created the Universe, and by the same God who would choose to redeem us – literally buy us – by exchanging his only begotten Son for us.
Think about what that means! Even in your sin, God thought you were the most valuable thing around.
Your bank account could be anywhere from Bill Gates to Locked Gates of your apartment, and God would still love you just as much. Your marriage might look something from ‘Family Guy’ (and no, that’s not a compliment). Your moral life could range anywhere from Billy Graham to Ted Haggard, and God would still send his Son for you.
These things will disappear. Look what they will turn into. That broken relationship is nothing but an echo of you as the bride of Christ anyway. And your wallet? It’s a poor substitute for the riches you can lay up for yourself in heaven. And well, the less said about the present state of this Temple [pat the belly] the better.
But remember, we all inwardly groan for the redemption that is coming [Rom 8]. That doesn’t mean we ignore the present – just remember that no matter how bad it gets now, it’s not worthy of being compared to glory that we will have in Christ.
When we talk about being redeemed, we have to understand that right now, we just aren’t inherently that valuable. Like Anna, we’re really just a number. The joke goes, even if you are one in a million that would still mean there’d be about 7,000 of you on the planet today. Yes, you are unique – just like every one else. I know that’s a bit harsh to say, but it’s true: You’re nothing special.
But you know what? That doesn’t mean you aren’t valuable.
You see, it’s not what you currently are that is so valuable to him. It’s what you will be, if only you can see how important you are in His eyes. He will let you realize your full value – but only if you’re willing to be redeemed. If you’re willing to let this present world be exchanged for something far more valuable, he’s ready to do it.
So tell me, are you ready? Let’s pray.
Pulplit Outline
-0 Thomas Jefferson’s Gravestone
o Auth Dec; Statute of Religious Freedom VA; Father UVA
o Our text reminds me…
Anna
o Base details
o Insignificant, except…
Redemption
o Def: Inherently Worthless, Intrinsically valuable if it is exchanged
o Megan’s Coupon
o Dollar Bills and Copper Pennies
Why is this important?
o Value the wrong thing (Nice granite)
Things that can be redeemed:
1. Nation (2 Chron 7:14, Al Gore’s movie)
2. Time (Eph 5:16, Like Anna you invest)
3. Soul
3.1. Dumpster guy
3.2. Seven Loaves & Patrons
3.3. Bank Account, Marriage, Body as a Temple – These are all just faint echoes of what we are to be redeemed for. Keep your eyes on heaven
3.4. One-In-a million
You see, it’s not what you currently are that is so valuable to him. It’s what you will be, if only you can see how important you are in His eyes. He will let you realize your full value – but only if you’re willing to be redeemed. If you’re willing to let this present world be exchanged for something far more valuable, he’s ready to do it.
So tell me, are you ready? Let’s pray.
Long Branch Baptist Church
Halfway, Virginia; est. 1786
Epiphany Sunday, January 7th, 2007
Enter to Worship
Prelude David Witt
Invocation Romans 8:19-23
*Opening Hymn #109
“Blessed Redeemer”
Welcome & Announcements
Morning Prayer
*Hymn [See Insert]
“Our God Reigns”
*Responsive Reading [See Right]
*Offertory Hymn #462
“Love Lifted Me”
Offertory Mr. Witt
*Doxology
Scripture Luke 2:36-38
Sermon
“Anna: Understanding Value”
Invitation Hymn #446
“Redeemed, How I love to Proclaim it”
Benediction
Congregational Response
May the grace of Christ our Savior / And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favor / Rest upon us from above. Amen.
* Congregation, please stand.
Depart To Serve
Responsive Reading
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—
in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to us, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The creation itself waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;
for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it,
in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.
And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
Gal 3:11-14;Rom 8:19-23; Eph 5:15-16; Gal 4:4-7; Luke 1:68
I will be taking a class in Lanham, MD this week. If you need me, or if anything big comes up, please call me at (703)307-0065.
Jesus Presented at the Temple
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.” 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,
29 “ Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:21-38 (ESV)
Prayer List: Cory, Warren, Susan, Martha, Brian, Kathy, Irene
