JESUS IS WORTH THE WAIT--Luke 2:21-39
Proposition: “Jesus is worth the wait in the incarnation as well as in the resurrection.”
Objective: My purpose is to help people realize that Jesus is truly worth the wait in
knowing and following Him.
INTRODUCTION:
There is an unforgettable story about Major Harold Kushner & a marine who was held by the Viet Cong for five & a half years: Among the prisoners in Kushner’s POW camp was a tough young marine, 24 years old, who had already survived two years of prison-camp life in relatively good health. Part of the reason for this was that the camp commander had promised to release the man if he cooperated. Since this had been done before with others, the marine turned into a model POW & the leader of the camp’s thought-reform group. As time passed he gradually realized that his captors lied to him. When the full realization of this took hold he became a zombie. He refused to do all work, rejected all offers of food & encouragement & simply lay on his cot sucking his thumb. In a matter of weeks he was dead. Why? The marine realized that his captors had lied to him. There was no hope for release, to escape or in good behavior. Hope is powerful. “Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”
Of all the prophets of the Old Testament, Isaiah gave a favorite presentation of the identity of Christ in Isa.9:6—Isaiah called him Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Before the birth of Jesus there were 400 silent years in regard to God’s revelation to man. The voice of God was silent but not permanently. Christ’s first coming was proclaimed in Genesis 3:15, where the Scripture says, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Christ’s heel would only be bruised but the Lord Jesus would bruise the serpent’s head. As we move on from the story of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds have gone back to their sheep and Joseph and Mary back to Nazareth. We can imagine Joseph putting up with irate customers in the carpenter shop while Mary was washing diapers. The glamour is gone and life is back to normal. We pick up Luke’s narrative with Mary and Joseph going through the ritual activities, taking their baby to the temple in Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice. Mary and Joseph were proceeding with all the usual Jewish customs in connection with this most unusual infant. I am sure that if you could talk to Simeon today about the coming of Jesus, he would tell you, “I waited many years for the Messiah, the Christ to come and sometimes wondered if He would ever come. Of course, I soon learned that when He
finally did come, He was worth the wait.”
I. THE DUTY (vvs. 21-25) “according to the Law of Moses”—There is mention of three ancient ceremonies for every Jewish boy and family after a birth:
1. The ceremony of recognition (identification) (v. 21) “When the 8 days came for the circumcision of the Child” (Deut. 30:6; Lev. 26:41; Ezek. 44:7; Jer. 9:25-26)— First there was the circumcision of Jesus that takes place when He was eight days old. It was a token of the covenant that God made with Abraham. Circumcision symbolized the Jews’ separation from Gentiles and their unique relationship with God. On this same day, the Child was named, according to Jewish custom. The angel had previously instructed Mary and Joseph to call Him JESUS. The outward rite must be accompanied by spiritual change in one’s heart to have any spiritual meaning.
2. The ceremony of purification (v. 22a) “When the days of her
purification”—This took place after 40 days for a boy & 80 days if a girl. She could go about her daily business, but could not enter the Temple or share in any religious ceremony. The second ceremony was concerned with the purification of Mary. It took place forty days after the birth of Jesus (see Lev_12:1-4). Ordinarily parents were supposed to bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. But in the case of the poor, they were permitted to bring “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” (Lev_12:6-8). The fact that Mary brought no lamb, but only two young pigeons is a reflection of the poverty into which Jesus was born. This shows that this was The Offering of the Poor.
3. The ceremony of redemption (of the first-born) (vvs. 22b-24) “to present Him to the Lord…and to offer a sacrifice” (Num. 18:16)—31 days after birth. The next ritual was the presentation of Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. Originally, God had decreed that the firstborn sons belonged to Him; they were to form the priestly class (Exo_13:2). Later, He set aside the tribe of Levi to serve as priests (Exo_28:1-2). Then the parents were permitted to “buy back” or “redeem” their firstborn son by the payment of five shekels. This they did when they dedicated him to the Lord. Firstborn males were the property of God, so the firstborn could be ransomed through the payment of nominal redemption price recognition of the gracious power of God in giving life). They could buy back their son from God. These ceremonies are rather strange as ceremonies; but all three have at the back of them the conviction that a child is a gift of God.
Illus: Celeste Sibley, one-time columnist for the Atlanta (GA) Constitution, took her three children to a diner for breakfast one morning. It was crowded and they had to take separate seats at the counter. Eight-year-old Mary was seated at the far end of the counter and when her food was served she called down to her mother in a loud voice, “Mother, don’t people say grace in this place?” A hush came over the entire diner and before Mrs. Sibley could figure out what to say, the counterman said, “Yes, we do, sister. You say it.” All the people at the counter bowed their heads. Mary bowed her head and in a clear voice
said, “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.”
II. THE DEVOTION (Dedication) (vvs. 25-35) “The Holy Spirit was upon him”—Simeon truly was an upright man. Waiting. We all do it. We spend half our life waiting. We have waiting rooms, and waiting lines. We wait to be seated, and we wait on the phone to speak to the operator. Sometimes it seems that all we do is wait. Our life is one mad rush to get from one wait to another, from one line to another. A report from a few years ago said that on average, we spend six months sitting at stoplights—and over 5 years waiting in lines.[2] Five years of my life—waiting in lines! That’s why I always try to carry a book with me. You can get a lot of reading done in five years. And there are sayings which we have all heard: "Good things come to those who wait" and "Some things are worth waiting for." If good things come to those who wait, is there anything you would be willing to wait your entire life for? It would have to be something really good, right?
1. The promise (v. 25) “waiting for the Consolation of Israel”— “The consolation of Israel” means the messianic hope. One of the traditional Jewish prayers is, “May I see the consolation of Israel!” That prayer was answered for Simeon when he saw Jesus Christ in the temple. This refers to the consolation that would be brought about by the inauguration of the Messianic age. God had promised consolation for Israel, a time of comfort & renewed hope. Isaiah 9:6; 41:1-9; 52:13-53:12)—Simeon expected that to happen any day.
2. The patience (v. 26a) “It had been revealed to him”—In his daily walk with God, Simeon had heard God’s Spirit speak. There is a marvelous communication of divine knowledge to those who walk in quiet, contemplative fellowship with God.
3. The privilege (v. 26b) “He would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ”—He had experienced a revelation from the Spirit of God that he would live to see the Messiah. He waited obediently for God to keep His promise. The special revelation from the Holy Spirit about seeing the Messiah was apparently unique and perhaps came because of Simeon’s intense desire for the Promised One.
4. The practice (v. 27) “When His parents brought Jesus…according to the custom of the law”—This refers to the offering of the 5 shekels on behalf of the child rather than the sacrifice for the mother. It so happened that he entered the temple area on the very day that Jesus’ parents were presenting Him to God. Simeon was supernaturally instructed that this Child was the promised Messiah.
5. The praise (v. 28) “He…blessed Him”—This is the “Song of Simeon” when he took the child in his arms and spoke his praise to God, normally began, “Blessed be You, O Lord.” On seeing the Child and picking Him up, Simeon… praised God, the response of godly people toward the Messiah throughout the Gospel of Luke. He then uttered a psalm of praise extolling God for fulfilling His promise by bringing salvation.
6. The peace (vvs. 29-32) “You are now letting Your servant depart in peace” Contentment (v. 29) “depart in peace;” Conviction (v. 30) “For my eyes have seen your salvation;” Creator (v. 31) “which you have prepared;” Communication (v. 32) “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles.” “It’s been worth it all just to know Christ.” He recognized Jesus as the Messiah. The idea of salvation for the Gentiles is set forth many times in the Gospel of Luke. Salvation is a light revealing God & His purpose & ways to all people, Jew & Gentile alike.
7. The prophecy (vvs. 33-35) “”The Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel” Marvel (v. 33)—“Joseph & His mother marveled;” Majesty (v. 34) “This Child is destined for the fall and rising of many;” Mourning (v. 35)—“A sword will pierce through”--There will be pain & separation. God’s incarnate symbol & instrument of salvation would be sneered at, spoken against, rejected. True Israel will be revealed, for hearts & minds will become clearly visible. Those of faith and those without faith will be clearly designated.
Illus: Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep.
Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given. - G. Campbell Morgan
Illus: One night at dinner a man, who had spent many summers in Maine,
fascinated his companions by telling of his experiences in a little town named Flagstaff. The town was to be flooded, as part of a large lake for which a dam was being built. In the months before it was to be flooded, all improvements and repairs in the whole town were stopped. What was the use of painting a house if it were to be covered with water in six months? Why repair anything when the whole village was to be wiped out? So, week by week, the whole town became more and more bedraggled, more gone to seed, more woebegone. Then he added by way of explanation: “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.”
III. THE DELIGHT (vvs. 36-39) “She gave thanks to the Lord”—She was always in a praying spirit; gave herself to prayer & in all things she served God.
Illus: The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with their school work during stays in the city’s hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the child’s regular class teacher. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.” The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. “No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back, responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.” Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”
1. Maturity (v. 36)”She was of a great age”— Her name means “grace,” and she was a godly widow of great age. She was at least 84 years of age, perhaps as much as 105 as she stood in the Temple. The Temple was her permanent home. Anna was called a prophetess, indicating that she was unusually close to God. Prophets did not necessarily predict the future. Their main role was to speak for God, proclaiming His truth.
2. Motivation (v. 37)—“served God with fastings and prayers”—Anna was devout & righteous & a model for the believer. She remained constantly within the Temple quarters, serving God with prayers and fastings day and night. As a prophetess, she undoubtedly received divine revelations and served as a mouthpiece for God. She was faithful in her attendance at public services at the temple, worshiping with fastings and supplications night and day. Her great age did not deter her from serving the Lord.
3. Means (v. 38) “looked for redemption in Jerusalem”—She was praising God for His provision of a Savior. This redemption was going to culminate in a cross and resurrection experience yet 33 years away. The infant Jesus attracted no one except Simeon and Anna. She announced to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem (2:25) that the Messiah had come. The word about Jesus was likely known throughout the entire city as people either believed or disbelieved the words of the old prophet and the widowed prophetess.
4. Models (v. 39) “When they had performed all things according to the law”— After Joseph and Mary had performed the rites of purification and dedication, they returned to Galilee, to their home town, Nazareth. Luke omits any mention of the visit of the wise men or of the flight into Egypt. Joseph & Mary are models for others. Mission accomplished, census enrollment completed, miraculous baby birthed, circumcision performed, name given, purification carried out, firstborn presented and dedicated, blessings & prophecies heard and stored away in amazement—the new family returned home to the obscurity of Nazareth. There was no one who expected anything of significance to happen. Yet the Son of God grows up there.
CONCLUSION:
1. Keeping hope alive depends on God keeping promises.
2. Hope allows us to rise above current circumstances.
3. The manner of his life is “just”
4. The mark of his devotion is “devotion”
5. The manifestation of his declaration is:
1). Salvation is come (v. 30) “Your salvation”
2). Light is come (v. 32) “A light to lighten”
3). Glory is come (v. 32) “The glory of Your people Israel”
4). Truth is come (vvs. 34-35) “I am the truth”
When He comes again, it will have been worth the wait—all the trials, all the troubles, all the heartaches, all misunderstand will mean nothing when we see Him. We will say, "It seemed like a long wait, but He did finally come, and He was worth the wait." “The wait is now over.”
Illus: In Max Lucado’s book, And the Angels Were Silent, he tells the story of a man named John Blanchard. Just before being shipped out for duty in World War II, Blanchard picked up a book off the shelf of a Florida library. Flipping through the book, he found himself intrigued, not with the book, but with the notes penciled in the margins. The writing reflected a warm heart and quick mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell.
With time and effort, Blanchard located Miss Maynell’s address in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond with him as he served his country in Europe. She accepted and agreed to the arrangement. For the next 13 months, the two wrote to each other across the ocean. A romance budded. Blanchard requested a photograph, but Maynell refused and said if he really cared for her, looks didn’t matter.
The day came for him to return from Europe. He and Miss Maynell agreed to meet at 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll wear on my lapel.” At 7:00, he reached the station and started looking for the woman who had touched him so deeply. As he scanned the area, a beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman in a green suit approached. Blanchard started toward her, but then noticed she wore no rose. Moving past him, she leaned close and asked, “Going my way, sailor?”
It was all he could do not to follow her. But then, across the lobby, he saw Hollis Maynell. She was a woman of at least 40 years. She had gray hair and a matronly figure. Blanchard stared back at the girl in the green suit, his heart breaking to go after her. But he knew he couldn’t leave Miss Maynell alone in the station. After all, her letters had helped him get through the war. Though it wouldn’t be love, he felt grateful for her friendship. He stepped to her and stuck out his hand.
“I’m Lieutenant John Blanchard,” he said. “You must be Miss Hollis Maynell. May I take you to dinner?” The woman smiled shyly, then said, “I don’t know what this is about, Son, but a blonde lady in a green suit begged me to wear this rose on my coat. She said if a Mr. Blanchard introduced himself and asked me out to dinner, I should tell him that she is waiting for him in the big restaurant across the street. She said this was some kind of a test!” Some kind of a test, indeed. Miss Maynell wanted to see if John Blanchard’s actions coincided with the words she had read in his letters. She wanted to test his character by his deeds. The Christian gospel calls for all of us to measure our lives by the test of our fruit. Yes, Jesus is truly worth the wait!
Prepared by: Gerald R. Steffy
6206 N. Hamilton Road, Peoria, IL 61614
Phone: 309/691-3680 or 309/645-3677
E-Mail: grsteffy@yahoo.com for weekly
MY SERMON NUGGETS
