Luke 2:21-38
THE LAMB PRAISED
Pastor Allan Kircher
Dec 23rd 2012
Intro:
• It is two days before Christmas.
• Presents will be given and received.
• Meals have been eaten
• The festivities are coming to an end of another year.
That lime green scarf you will receive will go into the drawer.
• Perhaps re-gifted to a distant relative.
Or it will simply be stored with the hot pink one you received that previous year.
• Brown paisley tie/quickly find its way/back/closet
• Soon to be forgotten.
The tree and the decorations will come down and Christmas will be gone for another year.
• Or will it?
• The fact is, Christmas really has nothing to do with the things I mentioned a moment ago.
• Christmas can go on 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
• It can go on if allow Jesus to be the central Figure of Christmas.
In our text, the Lamb of God has been born.
• God has stepped out of eternity
• Entered human history.
• The Lamb was promised
• He was prepared and He has been provided.
Luke 2:21-24 Circumcision/Jesus and purification/Mary.
• In obedience/Law’s requirement (Lev. 12:3)
• Joseph/Mary circumcised their newborn son 8 days
God instituted circumcision for three purposes.
First
• dietary/sanitary regulations prescribed/Mosaic law
• Circumcision had health benefits.
Second
• Sign of the Abrahamic covenant
• Was a mark of Israel’s national identity.
Finally
• It was a spiritual object lesson of the need for cleansing
• Cleansing from the depravity of sin
• Sin passed/generation/generation through procreation.
But why was Jesus circumcised, since He was sinless?
• He didn’t need His heart cleansed.
• The answer lies/understanding that He came to fulfill/law
Like His baptism, Jesus’ circumcision served to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).
• He could say with David
• “I delight to do Your will, O my God;Your Law is within my heart”
• Jesus alone kept God’s law perfectly throughout His life.
At the cross God treated Jesus as if He had lived our sinful lives.
In doing so, God can now treat us as if we had lived Jesus’ perfectly righteous life.
So Jesus’ parents obeyed the law first by having the child circumcised when He was eight days old.
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We go now to Jerusalem again/40 days/after/1st Christmas.
A simpler road this time…..5-6miles/Bethlehem/Jerusalem
• According/Mosaic Law. Lev. 12:1-4
• 40 days/woman/considered unclean/birth child.
• At that time/child/mother/brought for purification laws.
• They also had to redeem the firstborn child (Ex. 13:1-12)
In these verses
• We are allowed to go to the Lord’s house/Jesus/His family
What a thought: the Redeemer had to be redeemed!
Our Lord’s relationship to the law is an important part of His saving ministry.
• He was made under the law (Gal.4:4)
• Though He rejected man’s religious traditions.
• He obeyed God’s law perfectly (John 8:46).
• He bore the curse of the law for us (Gal. 3:13).
• And set us free from bondage (Gal. 5:1)
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While they were in the temple, a special event occurred.
• Two old saints/God, Simeon/Anna, were in the Temple.
• They were there because the Holy Ghost has led them there.
• Part of the faithful Jewish remnant
• Looking for the appearing of the Messiah.
When they met Jesus that day, even though He was just a 40 day old infant, they are overjoyed and begin to lift up praises to the Lord.
Today, I want to look into these verses and consider this thought: Behold The Lamb Praised.
What we see here can teach us some things about the matter of praise.
• I think/verses have some lessons to teach us today
• And they are lessons that we very much need to hear.
• Let’s take a few minutes/think/Behold The Lamb Praised.
I. THE MOTIVE FOR THE LAMB’S PRAISE
Despite the clear testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ in the OT, only a small, believing remnant in Israel were prepared to recognize Him when He arrived.
• Among them were:
• The old couple, the common priest Zacharias/Elizabeth
• Who became the parents of Messiah’s forerunner.
• A young couple just beginning their life together
• Joseph and Mary
• The shepherds who received the angelic announcement
All these humble people, far from the elite circles of Jewish thought, education, or religion.
Yet they were all chosen by God for monumental service.
In these verses we are introduced to two more remnants.
• Simeon and Anna, advanced in years
• Lived in Jerusalem, were associated with the temple.
• And were “looking for the consolation of Israel”
• They, like John the Baptist would later be,
Burning/shining lamps in the spiritual darkness of a hypocritical and apostate nation.
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When Simeon enters the Temple and takes Jesus into his arms, the old man declares for all to hear the reasons for his joy.
In his speech, Simeon gives us a three-fold motive for praising the Lord that is just as valid today as it was then.
A. v. 26-30 Praised Because Of Who Appeared
The name “Simeon” means “God has heard.”
Luke’s note that the HS was upon Simeon reflects the Spirit’s pre-Pentecost empowering of people to serve and speak for God.
• Common misconception about/HS is that His ministry in the lives of God’s people began on the day of Pentecost.
• That is not the case.
• All those saved before the cross/and Pentecost
• Were saved the same way of those afterward…..
• By grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9)
You see, no sinner, dead in ... trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), can come to repentance and faith apart from the work of the HS.
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Well, apparently, Simeon had been hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, v. 26.
He had been told that he would not die until He had seen Christ, the Jewish Messiah, and the Savior of the world for himself.
• When old Simeon sees Jesus
• he is notified by the Spirit that this is Him
• Simeon begins to praise the Lord because of Who had entered the world.
• Just Who was this Baby?
He is identified here as “the Lord’s Christ,” v. 26 and the Lord’s “salvation,” v. 30.
• Simeon understood Who He was, but few others did!
• on the night Jesus was born
• Some humble shepherds became aware of Who He was.
• Heavenly angels knew Who He was.
• But, sadly, many others did not know Who He was
The priest who circumcised Him did not know.
• Other people/Temple that day did not know.
• Folks/Bethlehem/did not know Who/very special Baby was.
• Sadly, most people alive today do not know Who this Child was and is.
Let me take just a moment to tell you Who this Baby they named Jesus was and Who He still is:
• He is God in human flesh
• He/Lamb/God slain from before/foundation world
• He is the only Savior of sinners
• He is the only Way to God – John 14:6
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Simeon is excited because the promised One has appeared.
• He knew Who Jesus was
• the question you must answer is
• do you know Who Jesus is?
• If you do, then you can praise Him like Simeon did.
B. v. 30-32 Praised Because Of Why He Arrived
• Simeon took Jesus into his arms.
• It hard to imagine how thrilled he must have been.
• To realize God’s promises have come true.
• Salvation has come to Israel
• He was holding the consolation of Israel, the Messiah
• Overwhelmed with joy and gratitude…..
Simeon praises God the Father for the Baby Jesus, he tells us a little bit about why Jesus came in this world.
• Simeon is now content to die!
• Then, we are told that He has come to change the whole world.
• The ministry He will fulfill will impact the Jewish nation and it will even reach into the Gentile world.
Basically, Simeon is reminding us that Jesus came into this world to save all those who will come to Him by faith.
• Whether a person is a Jew or a Gentile
• Jesus came to provide salvation to all who will receive Him.
• That is the promise of the Word of God, John 3:16
The truth that Jesus came into this world to set me free from my sins is a true motive for praise!
That He would love me enough to die for me and to save me by His grace is a thought beyond the power of words to describe!
• If you can’t find any other reason to praise the Lord
• Surely you can praise Him because He loves you so much
• He endured the pain, the shame and the horror of the cross to set you free from our sins!
Listen to what Isaiah said about it – Isa. 53:4-6 – and bless His holy name!
C. v. 34-35 Praised Because Of What He Would Accomplish
Simeon continues his praise by offering a prophecy of what Jesus would accomplish in His life.
In these verses, the old man speaks of a Stone, a Sign and a Sword.
First the stone:
• Phrase “fall and rising again of many in Israel”
• Refers/Jesus/fulfillment of OT prophesy Psa. 118:22; Isa. 8:14.
• Many/Israel would stumble over the life/ministry/Lord Jesus.
• They would stumble in rejection and conviction
• But few would rise again in salvation. Jesus is the Stone!
Let me just state for the record that Jesus Christ is still the Stone!
• He is the Salvation Stone.
• He is the Judgment Stone
• And, He is the Touchstone, that is
• He reveals men for what they really are.
Everything in your spiritual life hinges around how you answer one question, “What think ye of Christ?” Matthew 22:42.
How you answer that question determines where your soul stands in relationship to God, 1 John 4:1-3. What is your answer?
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Secondly, the Sign:
• He also talks about a Sign.
• The word “sign” means “miracle.”
• Jesus Christ is God’s miracle!
Not so much/demonstration/power but as/revelation/divine truth.
• In the gospel of John
• The Lord’s miracles are called signs because they reveal special truths about Jesus.
But, instead of receiving him as the gift and revelation of God, His enemies attacked Him and crucified Him.
• His birth was a miracle, and they attacked it
• His miracles were ridiculed and attributed to the work of Satan
• His character was called into question
• They mocked Him as He died.
• They lied about His resurrection.
Even today, men still doubt the Miracle Man by questioning His promise to return to the earth again, 2 Pet. 3:3-18.
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Thirdly, the Sword:
• Then, Simeon talked about a “sword.”
• Of course, this was Mary’s pain!
• She suffered as she watched Jesus fulfill His Father’s plan.
• The ultimate hurt came the day she watched Him dying on that cross for sinners.
The bottom line of all this is that Jesus Christ entered this world to provide salvation for the lost.
• Thank God for that wonderful truth!
• So, do you know the “Miracle Man”?
• Is Jesus the “Chief Cornerstone” of your life?
• When you stop to think of Who Arrived
• Why He Appeared and What He Accomplished
• You can see that we have a quite a motive for praising the Lord.
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II. THE METHOD OF THE LAMB’S PRAISE
• As we see Simeon/Anna magnify the name/Lord
• we can learn a lesson about how we should be praising Him in these days.
A lot of what is passed off as praise now days is nothing more than a show in the flesh.
There is a biblical way to offer the sacrifice of praise and these two aged people show us how to do it right!
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A. The Praise Was Vocal
• Simeon didn’t just see Jesus and rejoice in his heart.
• He opened his mouth in praise to the Lord.
• He lifted up his voice in praise of the Lord.
• He didn’t keep what he felt bottled up on the inside
• He let it out to the glory of the Lord.
A. The Praise Was Visible
• Simeon involved his entire person in the act of praise.
• He reached out, lifted the Baby Jesus
• Held Him high and praised the Lord.
• He was not embarrassed to vocally and visibly praise His Redeemer.
B. The Praise Was Verbal
• The Anna enters the arena of praise.
• It is noteworthy/member/tribe of Asher
• Asher/one/ten tribes/formed northern kingdom
• Taken captive in 722 B.C. by Assyria.
• Thought to be the ten lost tribes.
• Some of the men/tribe carried away Babylon
• And returned to Israel after the exile.
So Anna is a survivor and a remnant!
• Here she blends her voice with that of Simeon
• But she adds an additional element.
• While Simeon lifted his hands/his heart/his voice/lord
• Anna praises the Lord
• But she also tells others about what the Lord is doing.
• Her praise was vocal, visible and verbal!
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I realize that we are living in a day when old-fashioned praising the Lord is out of vogue.
• People are too sophisticated
• Too refined and too afraid of what others might think of them to be involved in vocal, visible and verbal praise to the Lord.
But friends, let me tell you, God still likes it and He still expects it from His people!
• Let me just go ahead and state it for the record
• there is nothing wrong with vocal
• visible/verbal praise to God for what He has done
• and is doing and will do in our lives!
If He has done anything for you at all, then you have a reason to praise the Lord.
Listen to what the Bible says about this matter:
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Vocal Praise
Psalm 47:1, Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Psalm 98:4, Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music
Psalm 135:1, Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD;
praise him, you servants of the LORD, you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
• And you will be saying 24/7
• Holy, holy, holy
• is the Lord God Almighty
• Who was, and is, and is to come.
I think God thinks that vocal praise is in order. How about you?
Visible Praise
Psalm 63:4, I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 134:2, Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.
2 Samuel 6:14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his might,
Seems to me that He also likes visible praise.
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Verbal Praise
Psalm 51:13, Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
Psalm 107:2, Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy
Mark 5:19-20, Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
• I get the feeling/Lord likes it/His children brag on Him
• Not just to a lost world
• But in the company of the saints also.
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III. THE MINISTRY OF THE LAMB’S PRAISE
• As/name/Lord was praised publicly
• Three precious things took place that day.
By the way, the same three things still happen today when God’s people take the time to praise Him
• Praise Him for Who He is
• what He has done
• what He is doing
• and what He has promised to do!
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A. The Sovereign Was Exalted
It brought glory to God when He was praised in the Temple.
• Everything in the Temple was about ritual
• but when Simeon/Anna broke the rituals and began to praise the Lord
• the focus was taken off the ritual
• and placed on the Lord God of Heaven.
Even today, when the Lord is praised and exalted in His church and in the world, He is lifted up.
• When we forget about our rituals
• when we take the focus off ourselves and lift His name
• then He is exalted.
• Thank God for the ministry of praise!
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B. The Saints Were Edified
Mary/Joseph hear these praises and they are given hope and encouragement by the praises of these precious saints of God.
By the way, it still helps the Lord’s people when they hear others praising His name!
• There/days/I cannot feel/spirit/praise in my heart.
• There/times/I am not/position,spiritually, to praise His name.
But, when I see one of my brothers or sisters in Jesus praise His name
• it connects with my heart
• It performs a ministry in my life.
• It lifts me up and encourages me!
When I hear that precious child of God stand and give that testimony
• it touches my heart and I can voice my own
• “Amen!” to the praise they are offering up.
So, whenever you feel like praising Him, don’t hold back on my account!
• When that testimony has to come out
• don’t try to stifle it and quench the Spirit
• let it out for the glory of God
• because I and others like me need to hear it!
Just let it rip and exalt the blessed name of our lovely Redeemer!
After all, we have abundant reason to praise Him!
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C. The Sinners Were Evangelized
The Bible tells us that Anna went out and told others about this Baby she had seen.
• The Bible says that “she spoke of Him!”
• My, what a topic of discussion!
• Because she was verbal in her praise
• lost sinners heard where they could find Jesus too!
Friend, you will never know what a little testimony, a little praise, a little witness for Jesus will accomplish!
God can take the sacrifice of praise you offer in His name and use it to turn hearts toward Him!
There is something attractive about a child of God who is saved and not ashamed of Jesus!
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Conc: When Jesus was born, Heaven was excited.
• Angels came down/shared/message/some poor shepherds.
• They heard/praise/angels and went to see for themselves.
• They met Jesus/came away praising His name also!
Then, when Jesus was taken to the Temple at 40 days of age
He was greeted by the praises of two elderly saints of God,
• Who could not contain their live for Him!
• All through His life
• Jesus was praised by those who loved Him.
• There were even two occasions when the Father spoke His Own praises out of Heaven.
• He said, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”
I wonder how we are doing in the praise department.
If you are saved, then you have a reason to praise Him, Luke 10:20!
• If you have been holding back, why not come to Him
• ask for forgiveness and get busy exalting His name
• edifying His children
• Evangelizing the lost through your praise and testimony?
If you are save, but you are not in a position to praise Him, please come to Him and make things right and let Him restore to you a heart of praise.
Of course, if you are lost, then you have a different set of needs today.
Notice verse 30.
Here Simeon talks about departing because he has seen the Lord’s salvation.
Friend, it is of vital importance that you see God’s salvation before death takes you out of this world.
• After death comes for you
• It will be too late!
• If you need to be saved
• There is no better time than right now!
• Is there a need? Jesus can meet it.
• Come to Him right now!
