Behold the Lamb Praised
Behold the Lamb Series 4
Sermon outline from Dr. Adrian Rogers former pastor of Belleview Baptist Church, Memphis, TN
Luke 2:21-38 Monte T. Brown
December 14, 2014 Sunday Morning
Stapp Zoe Baptist
Introduction
This coming Thursday is Christmas, presents will be given and received.
Meals will be eaten, festivities will be celebrated and then for the most part, it will all come to an end for another year.
That lime green scarf, you received will go into the drawer to join the hot pink one you got last year.
That red and brown paisley tie will quickly find its way to the back of your 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 just mentioned.
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 and to understand “Behold the Lamb to be Praised.”
In our text, the Lamb of God has been born.
God has stepped out of eternity and entered human history.
“Behold the Lamb of God” was promised, He was prepared and He has been provided and it is the time to be praised.
Our text takes us to Jerusalem for an event that occurred after the very first Christmas.
When Jesus was 8 days old He was circumcised, as prescribed by the Law, Leviticus 12:3. “And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”
Mary has reached the end of her purification period as spoken of in Leviticus.
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2"Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean.
3And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
4She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. Leviticus 12:1-4
If you would let us honor the Word of God by turning to our text in Luke 2: 21-38 and stand as I read our text this morning from Luke 2: 21-38.
Scripture
21And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22And when the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
37And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Prayer
1. “Behold the Lamb to be Praised”
While they were there, a special event occurred.
Two old saints of God, Simeon and Anna were in the Temple.
They were there because the Holy Ghost has led them there.
They were part of a faithful Jewish remnant that was looking for the appearing of the Messiah.
When they met Jesus that day, 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 to be Praised.”
What we see here can teach us some things about the matter of praise.
I think these 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 and think about “Behold the Lamb to be Praised.”
2. The Motive for the Lamb’s Praise
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. Praised Because Of Who Appeared verses 26-30
The name “Simeon” means “He who hears.”
Apparently, this man had been hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, verse 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, the Holy Spirit informs him that this is He.
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,” verse 26 and the Lord’s “salvation,” verse 30.
Simeon understood Who He was, but few others did!
When the angel had revealed to Mary and Joseph that this was the Son of God, that Mary was going to give birth too, the people of Nazareth didn’t believe.
Elizabeth and Zacharias believed. The child of Elizabeth, John, who had not been born yet knew.
The night Jesus was born, some humble shepherds became aware of Who He was.
Some Heavenly angels knew who He was.
But, sadly, many others did not know Who He was.
The priest who circumcised Him did not know.
The other people in the Temple that day did not know.
The folks in Bethlehem also did not know who this 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 – John 1:1, 14; Philippians 2:5-8
• He is the Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world – Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:18-20
• He is the only Savior of sinners and the only Way to God – John 14:6; Acts 4:12, 1 John 5:12; John 8:24
Simeon is excited because the promised One (The Lamb of God to be Praised) 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. Praised Because Of Why He Arrived verses 30-32
As Simeon praises God the Father for the Baby Jesus, he tells us a little bit about why Jesus came in this world.
We are told in verse 30 that Jesus is salvation.
We have already covered that! 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.
He came into this world so that all could say; behold The Lamb of God to be Praised.
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; Revelation 22:17.
The truth that Jesus came into this world to set me free from my sins is a true motive for praise, Luke 19:10; John 15:13!
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 we can’t find any other reason to praise the Lord, surely we can praise Him because He loved us so much that He endured the pain, the shame and the horror of the cross to set us free from our sins!
Listen to what Isaiah said about it – Isaiah 53:4-6 – and bless His holy name!
C. Praised Because Of What He Would Accomplish Verses 34-35
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.
The phrase “fall and rising again of many in Israel” refers to Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy. Psalms 118:22; Isaiah 8:14
Many in Israel would stumble over the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus.
They would stumble in rejection and conviction, but a few would rise again in salvation. Jesus is the Stone!
Note: Let me just state for the record that Jesus Christ is still the Stone!
He is the Salvation Stone, Matthew 21:44.
He is the Judgment Stone, Matthew 21:44, Daniel 2:34, 45.
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?
3. The Method of the Lamb’s Praise
As we see Simeon and Anna magnify the name of the 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!
A. The Praise Was Vocal Verse 28
Simeon didn’t just see Jesus and rejoice in his heart.
He opened his mouth and lifted up his voice in praise of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He did not keep what he felt bottled up on the inside; he let it out to the glory of the Lord.
B. The Praise Was Visible Verse 28
Simeon involved the 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.
C. The Praise Was Verbal Verse 38
The Anna enters the arena of praise.
She blends her voice with that of Simeon, but she adds an additional element.
While Simeon lifted his hands, his heart and his voice to the lord; Anna praises the Lord, but she also tells others about what the Lord is doing.
Her praise was vocal, visible and verbal!
4. The Ministry of the Lamb’s Praise
As the name of the Lord was praise 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 for Who He is, what He has done, what He is doing and what He has promised to do!)
A. The Sovereign Was Exalted Verses 28, 38
It brought glory to God when He was praised in the Temple.
Everything in the Temple was about ritual, but when Simeon and 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 and when we take the focus off ourselves and lift His name, then He is exalted.
Thank God for the ministry of praise!
B. The Saints Were Edified Verse 33
Mary and 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 are days when I cannot feel a spirit of praise in my heart.
There are times when I am not in a 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 and 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 and because others and I 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!
C. The Sinners Were Evangelized Verse 33
The Bible tells us that Anna went out and told others about this Baby she had seen.
The Bible says that “she spake 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, and a little witness for Jesus will accomplish!
God can take the sacrifice of praise you off 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!
Conclusion/Invitation
When Jesus was born, Heaven was excited. Angels came down and shared the message with some shepherds.
These men heard the praise of the angels and went to see for themselves. They met Jesus and they 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 and 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!
Come to Him right now!
