What Are You Waiting For?
Luke 2:25-38 25 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. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 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, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 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.
-Kids (and probably some adults) have a hard time waiting for Christmas. Here are some letters that were written to Santa:
-Dear Santa: One x-mas eve I saw one of your elves in my living room looking to see if all kids were asleep before you came in. [please tell your elves to be careful this year as to not be seen by any other kids. - Matthew, 11, Elk Grove, California.
-Santa I think you’re the best person in the whole wide world and I love you so much. I’m glad thet you and Jesus get along so well. - Cody, 7, Evans, Georgia.
-I may be Jewish but I still love Santa Claus! Happy Hannukkah!!! Vanessa, 9
-Santa, I’m gonna leave you milk & cookies. But can you leave me 1 so we can share?
-My Daddy said if I am not good that you will have to give my toys to a little boy who is good. I think the little boy is going to get a lot of toys this year. Bryan, 5, Tacoma
-Dear Santa, (From a 4-year-old) I’ll take anything because I haven’t been that good.
-What are you waiting for this Christmas? Are you longing for anything? What are you expecting to receive? Are you looking forward to anything special this Christmas?
-In the Gospel of Luke, we find two people who appear in the closing scenes of the Christmas drama. One is a man named Simeon; the other is a woman named Anna. They don’t appear in nativity scenes or in many Christmas cards, but they are significant players in the first Christmas pageant. Both of these individuals were waiting for something -- actually, they were waiting for someone.
-Luke uses a Greek word of anticipation that identifies them as waiting with expectation for the coming of the Messiah, or Savior. It literally means that they were “alert to His appearance, and ready to welcome Him.” We see this word in Luke 2:25 in reference to Simeon where we read that “He was waiting...” and in 2:38 to describe a woman named Anna who was, “...looking forward to...”
-TS: Let’s take a look at what they were waiting for and see if it was worth the wait.
I. Simeon -- Waiting For Comfort
-Enter Simeon in Luke 2:25. “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.” Simeon was righteous before people, and he was devout in His relationship with God.
-Things weren’t going that great for the nation of Israel in the first century. They hadn’t heard from God for around 400 years and were under Roman rule. They had lost their political independence and were living in fear of the evil King Herod, and many were wondering if the Messiah would ever come.
-Verse 26 shows us that Simeon had good reason for his hope and anticipation: “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
-Simeon’s expectation focused on the comfort that Christ would bring. Among Jews of Simeon’s day one of the popular titles of Messiah was Comforter. Like some of the Christmas songs we sing, they were longing for the Messiah to come and bring His comfort to them. Isaiah says that the Messiah’s name will be called Wonderful Counselor, The Father Who Lasts Forever (and never leaves), The Prince of Peace. These descriptive names stir up hope for me when I hear them. Why? Is it because my life is such a miserable mess? Not really. But I find that I need comfort on a daily basis.
-You know, the desire to be comforted is a universal human need. We all struggle with loneliness, emptiness, insecurity, and inner turmoil. In fact, the Christmas season is one of the major crisis times of the year for depression and suicide.
-The Holy Spirit prompted Simeon to go to the temple courts at just the right time on just the right day that Joseph and Mary were bringing their infant to the Temple. When Simeon looked at the baby Jesus, now about 6 weeks old, he knew that God’s promise had been kept. Here was Immanuel, “God With Us,” to make everything right, to provide significance by His presence, and to eliminate rejection, fear, and loneliness.
-Luke 2:28 says that Simeon reached down and took Jesus out of Mary’s arms and began to praise God. As he praised, he acknowledged that God had not only fulfilled the individual promise to him, but also the promises of the prophets to send the Anointed One – The Messiah to comfort both Jews and Gentiles.
II. Anna -- Waiting for Forgiveness
-The other Christmas character waiting with anticipation was Anna. After her husband had died, she had dedicated herself to fasting and praying in the temple. In fact, the Bible says that she never left the temple ¬ but worshipped day and night.
-She was looking forward to the same person as Simeon was, but with a different orientation. Instead of looking for comfort, Anna was looking for forgiveness. Take a 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.”
-The word redemption is related to the idea of captivity. The Old Testament Passover and the release of Israel from Egyptian slavery stood in Anna’s day as the ultimate redemption and the symbol of God’s power to release captives. Ultimately, Passover pointed ahead to that day when God would provide deliverance from the slavery of sin.
-When Anna saw Jesus, she gave thanks to God and spoke of Him to all who were waiting for redemption. Here, at last, was the One who would save His people from their sins.
-Can you relate with either of these needs- comfort… forgiveness? Do you find yourself wishing for some comfort from the struggles of this life? Do you need comfort from worries over the economy or politics or war? Do you need comfort because you are grieving on the inside? The Prince of Peace, Jesus, brings comfort and help to those who ask Him. Maybe the comfort you need relates to the need for forgiveness. Maybe you need to forgive someone else and just let it go. Or maybe you need to ask God to forgive you for something you’ve done against Him. Whatever it is, God is willing to forgive you because of what Jesus did on the cross. Comfort and forgiveness are part of the package of God’s grace wrapped up in the person of Jesus.
-Many years ago, there was a very wealthy man who shared a passion for art collecting with his son. They had priceless works by Picasso and Van Gogh adorning the walls of their family estate.
-As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His son had died.
-Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season had vanished with the death of his son.
-On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hands who said, “I was a friend of your son. I was was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you.”
-The soldier mentioned that he was an artist and then gave the old man the package. The paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man’s son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man’s face in striking detail. Overcome with emotion, the man hung the portrait over the fireplace, pushing aside millions of dollars worth of art. His task completed, the old man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given.
-The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces of art for which museums around the world clamored.
-The following spring, the old man died. The art world waited with anticipation for the upcoming auction. According to the will of the old man, all the art works would be auctioned on Christmas Day, the day he had received the greatest gift.
-The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled that day.
-The auction began with a painting that was not on anyone’s museum list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid, but the room was silent. “Who will open the bidding with $100?” No one spoke. Finally someone said, “Who cares about that painting. It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s move on to the good stuff.”
-The auctioneer responded, “No, we have to sell this one first. Now, who will take the son?” Finally, a neighbor of the old man offered $10 dollars. “That’s all I have. I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it.”
-The auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice…gone.” The gavel fell.
-Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, “Now we can bid on the real treasures!”
-The auctioneer looked at the room filled with people and announced that the auction was over. Everyone was stunned. Someone spoke up and said, “What do you mean, it’s over? We didn’t come here for a painting of someone’s son. There are millions of dollars worth of art here! What’s going on?”
-The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the will of the Father, whoever takes the son…gets it all.”
-Are you getting it? The message is the same this Christmas. Because of the Father’s love…whoever takes the Son gets it all – comfort, forgiveness, a new heart, a new start.
-At this time we are going to share in the Lord’s Supper – Communion. When you take the cup of juice and the piece of matzah bread, I hope you will really think about what Jesus did for you on the cross so that you could be comforted and forgiven – cleared from sin – your record expunged! Christmas wasn’t just about a cute little baby being born in Bethlehem. That little baby was headed for a brutal death on a cross to save people from their sins.
-After everyone has been served, I’d like to play a video clip of a Christmas song with pictures of the life and death of Jesus. I must warn you that it is a bit graphic when Jesus is put on the cross. If you need to look away, that’s okay. Just remember that Jesus did everything that was necessary for you and me to be forgiven so we can know Him and have a relationship of love with Him.
[After video] Take bread and say, “Jesus, I receive what you did for me.” Take cup and say, “Jesus, I receive what you did for me. You gave your life away for me. Thank you for forgiving me."
[Portions of this message adapted from Brian Bill, sermoncentral.com]
