Message
Luke 2:25
Name Above All Names - Consolation of Israel
As we continue our series focussing on the names of Jesus we're going to be focusing on a name that's found in the book of Luke.
The name is in Luke 2:25 … but to get the context we will read Luke 2:21-35 (read)
He here is a historical situation that actually happened quite a lot of times. Because there were certain rules that applied when a Jewish child was born, and particularly this was the case went at the child was a firstborn, and also when the child was a male.
So all of these factor are coincide with Jesus who is the first born and who is a male.
One part of the process was the purification after childbirth. And there was a various rites that took place – the first of those right was on the 8th day that that child would be circumcised.
Now circumcision was so important in Jewish law that even if the 8th day turned out to be a Sabbath day you could still circumcise a child on the Sabbath day. That's how important this rite is – the importance of making sure that the child has fulfilled the covenant and the law and the promise as necessary. Then after another 33 days have taken place there's a purification right that needs to take place. You can read about this rite in Leviticus 12:1-8. Tis purification is necessary because blood has been involved in the process of childbirth.
Anytime blood is involved in any sort of problem or life situation in the Old Testament … then there needs to be purification. At the same time when that purification rite takes place – in this case because Jesus is the oldest male - there's also this process which is the consecration of the firstborn.
That comes as a result of Exodus chapter 13:1-16. There we read, in the time just after the Passover, a declaration from God that all of the firstborn belongs to God. The consecration process is basically saying, “Yes I recognise this child belongs to God. I know there is a sacrifice that is involved in this rite. And I promise to continue to look after my child recognising that he indeed belongs to the Lord.”
The first born … the first fruits … it's all around the same reality of saying, “Let's give God the first - let's give God the best - and when we do God will bless us and he will show us his continued grace and flavour.
In that situation an offering is involved. Now generally the offering would involve a sheep - a sheep without defect. The very fact that in this particular case it's not a sheep that is offered but it is in this case it is two doves or two pigeons reminds us of how poor Joseph and Mary are. They were so poor that they were able to offer … not the lesser sacrifice … it's a sacrifice which enables those who are poorer to continue to fulfil the law.
As an side with that in mind I would say that means the visit of the Magi definitely took place after this purification rite. Because if the Magi had arrived at the birth of Jesus Mary and Joseph would have had the frankincense and the gold and they would have had plenty of money to be able to do this sacrifice.
So here we have the family of Jesus and they're down at the temple amongst all the busyness of the temple. You have to keep in mind that the temple is a very busy place in Jerusalem. Lots and lots of sacrifice needs to be made there.
It is also a noisy place because there's animals there that are being lead for sacrifice.
It's also a smelly place because you've got the animals - they're doing what animals normally do. Which you don't associate with the temple but that's what's going on.
There's blood everywhere.
There's offal.
It is not a nice place to be. It smells more like an abattoir then it would a church.
So you've got this busyness at the temple. Amongst all of this busyness there's this old guy called Simeon who's been hanging around the temple for ages. Now if an old guy hangs around the church for no apparent reason that is kind of creepy isn't it.
But this is not a creepy thing.
Simeon is 's hang around and waiting because he's been told to wait.
He's waiting for something important.
Now we know Simeon is a righteous man because Scripture describes him as a righteous man. Lots of other people in Scripture are described as being righteous.
Job was described as a righteous man.
Zechariah the father of John the Baptist was a righteous man.
So this gives you an indication of the sort of man that he was. Righteous always describes people who fear God and want to serve the Lord.
Scripture also says that Simeon had the Holy Spirit. And you go, “Well that's great.” But what we need to recognise is that this is before Pentecost. This is before the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. So in the Old Testament times - which is where we're technically still sitting in this text - in the Old Testament times for someone to be described as having the Holy Spirit is actually quite rare. The fact that he is so in tune with the Holy Spirit… and then the Holy Spirit can prompt him and say, “I want you to go down to the temple,” and then he goes down to the temple in response to that prompting … all of this says a lot about the relationship that Simeon has with the Lord.
We also read there that Simeon was full of hope. He's an older man. Some traditions say that he could be as old as 112 - I don't think that that's necessarily the case. But he's definitely described as an old man. He's definitely near the end of his life. Yet he's still looking forward. He still has this forward perspective of hope.
Sometimes when you get old you tend to look backwards don't you. Because you sort of think, “I'll try and remember all the good things.” But the good thing for Simeon is that he wants to keep looking forward.
On this day, the day we are reading about, wheat Simeon is looking forward to … he sees.
In this child he sees what is described as , “The Consolation of Israel.” So here's this young family coming through the busyness of the temple.
You can’t imagine it as an empty temple … with Simeon of one side and Jesus and the family on the other. Then they see each other because there is hardly anyone else.
You need to imagine heaps of people.
You need to picture heaps of activity.
And in all the activity and business Simeon looks across and says, “That's the child. This is what I have been waiting for - the Consolation of Israel.”
Now is that a name you're familiar with? Before today have you heard Jesus described as The Consolation of Israel?
Mostly not.
Well the reality is that this is the only time in Scripture that that phrase is used - Consolation of Israel. It's the only time that this description is given of Jesus.
So it's a rare name … but it's a very significant name.
Now to help you understand the name we need to look at some Greek.
pa?????s?? t?? ?s?a?? (google it)
And it sounds like this … parakleesin too Israel)
parakleesin is the word “consolation”
This word parakleesin appears 29 times in the New Testament. However one of the most helpful places to understand it’s meaning is in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (the underlined words are the same Greek word as the one in our text).
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Now already there I'm hoping you're getting an understanding of what this word “Comfort – parakleesin” means. Because in English the word “Comfort” has a range of meanings. But generally it has two types of meansings.
The first meaning of comfort is where you say, “It's a cold day and I'm going to wrap myself up in a blanket. I'm going to put my socks on. I'm going to grab a couple of warm drinks. And I'm just going to sit here and maybe turn on the TV and just relax.” That's comfort is it. We understand that as “comfort”.
Another type of comfort is a type of comfort where you're standing in a in a hospital in a hallway. In that hospital there's a room behind you and there's a loved one in that room who is suffering so severely at the moment that they're in a coma. They're at their deathbed. And then someone comes down the hallway and puts their arm around you and gives you comfort.
Two totally different meanings aren't they.
And the second meaning there - that coming along side in the midst of grief and suffering a difficulty - is the meaning that is being used in the New Testament. This is the meaning of paraklesis in the New Testament … the meaning of Consolation. It's the word that gets used that in the midst of difficulty and suffering and hardship and distress - that there are people who are coming along, and there is a God who comes along, and He helps out in that process.
You see that so strongly don't you in that passage in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. Paul there is talking about suffering. He is talking about difficulties. He is talking about endurance. He is not talking about a nice situation. But God in that situation - and the individuals who represent God - bring about comfort.
This is the meaning that we need to hold onto as we think about Jesus who is “The Consolation of Israel.” Because it's a meaning that grows very strongly out of the Old Testament. At this point there are heaps of passage we could turn to but there's two specific passages I want you to turn to mainly because I think most of us - even if we've only been Christian's for a short time - will be familiar with these passages.
Go to Psalm 23.
We know this Psalm don’t we.
The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me
- paraklesis
This is the same word that – the Hebrew equivalent of the same word in our text.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me .
Where am I? I am in the valley of the shadow of death. That's the place where you are in the greatest distress. Where you know - or you feel - that the end of your life is going to occur or there is a very difficult circumstance ahead.
Another passage that is in a similar light is found in Isaiah 40:1-2.
Comfort, comfort my people says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for. That she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
So you see there again this word is in a context of difficulty. In fact the difficulty is that Jerusalem - that God's people - have stood against God.
That there is sin involved.
That there's rebellion involved.
And the book of Isaiah, while it's written at the same time. is focusing on different sections of the life of Israel situation. Chapters 1 through to 39 is looking is a time basically of Hezekiah in the time of Isaiah. Then Isaiah looks forward and he prophesize and he talks about when the people are going to go into Babylon. And Isaiah speaks about the punishment that's going to take place - chapters 40 to 55 are speaking into that time. The first opening section, even though there is going to be punishment and exile, Isaiah speaks comfort. Comfort comfort my people says you're God.
So this background is what Simeon understands. When Simeon is looking for The Consolation of Israel he's looking for the one who brings comfort in the difficulties.
You see there a lot of people who have a very distorted picture of what Christianity does. Lots of people think that when you become a Christian everything's going to be fine.
Jesus loves you.
God loves you.
And it when you become a Christian life is going to be so great.
And it is great.
It's great to be a Christian.
It's great to know the Lord.
It‘s great to know His love.
It's great to have that peace.
It's great to have all of these things.
But that doesn't mean that life all of the sudden become so easy that it's not hard anymore. It just doesn't work like that. There are faithful Christians who have no finances. There are faithful Christians who goes through difficulty and disease and hardship. There are faithful Christians who goes through bankruptcy. There are faithful Christians who die.
Christianity is not this automatic thing that your life is going to be perfect and everything's going to OK.
We're going to be broken.
There will be times when we feel insecure.
There are going to be days when we feel overwhelmed.
We're going to have doubts. We're going to struggle with guilt. And we're going to struggle with sin.
It doesn't mean we are less of a Christian. But that's what Christianity is.
Think about Paul. Paul is a faithful man and yet he prays that God will take takeaway the burden – the thorn in the flesh. If he's so faithful why can't he just pray that it will all fall away? Because Christianity is not about having the thorns taken away. It's about having the strength and the grace to deal with the thorns.
This is a truth which Simeon knows. Simeon as an old man has been around for a long time. And he knows the history of Israel.
There have been wars and battles and deaths and hardship.
And now God's people are under the hammer because of the Romans.
In the midst of all of that difficulty Simeon is looking for the comfort … the paraklesis.
Then he sees the baby and he says, “There's my comfort.” He has seen the baby and it makes all the difference.
He sees Jesus and the first thing is he says is, “Lord dismiss me for now I am at peace.”
What a wonderful thing to be able to say in a crazy mixed up world.
First century Israel … first century Jerusalem … was a crazy place to live. There were the Roman soldiers creating pressure on the Israelite people. The Romans have cause misery and hopelessness.
But Simeon is able to say, “God I can have peace.”
So here's the question. Do you need comfort?
Because the name of Jesus that's here is the name that brings Comfort. Not just where you say ,” God I just need to be wrapped up in some blankets and have a nice hot chocolate and all of those sorts of things. But,
God my life is really struggling.
And God I'm struggling with sin.
I have doubts and I have questions and I fears and I fail and I need the comfort.
And Jesus comes along as this child – we look to the child – and he says, “I'm here for that.”
I'm here to carry you through the most greatest difficulties.
What a great comfort … but there is more.
It gets even more exciting because we go back to the Greek word. And I pronounce that word paraklesis.
Now some of you are going, “I know that word. I've heard that word before even though it's a Greek word. It sounds familiar to me.”
Let me show you why it sounds familiar.
Turn to John 14 and pick out a few verses from that section.
Now if you really want to understand what the work of the Holy Spirit is read John 14 through to chapter 17.
For now let’s read John 14:15-18
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate – many translations use the word Counsellor here - to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Now we know that's the Holy Spirit don't we - the Advocate … the Counsellor - who will come.
Move a bit further to John 14:25-27
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate … the Counsellor - ,the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
The Holy Spirit brings peace in a world of chaos.
Now some older versions of the Bible, when it talks about the advocate and counsellor, in this place the word for the Holy Spirit it translates the word as paraklesis as Paraclete.
Paraclete.
Some of you have heard the Holy Spirit being called this name. It is the same word used for Consolation.
So what we've got here in John is The Consolation of Israel … the paraklesis to Israel … talking to us just before he is leaving this Earth. And He says, “I'm going to send another Comforter … a paraklesis … who's going to bring you comfort. But that comfort is not going to be from-a-distance-comfort. It's the comfort that you're going to have because I am going to send my paraklesis in you.
So no matter where you are.
No matter what you're going through.
You can have comfort.
How powerful is that? To know that our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are working together to bring comfort. The comfort that God promised back Israel, “Comfort comfort my people says your God.”
In distress and difficulty.
In hardship
Jesus Christ who is the parklesis bringing us comfort in the midst of distress. And then the ongoing Comfort - not just for years, not just a decade - but for millennia. Because we have the Holy Spirit.
We all need Comfort don't we.
We all need the God it comes along sides us and holds us and says, “You know what.
… all those doubts.
… all those difficulties.
… all those hard ships.
… all those concerns.
… all those frustrations.
We've got this.
We've got it. You and I together because I am with you. I will never leave you I will never forsake.
Jesus has given us the paraclete which is literally The Consolation of Israel living in us.
I don't know what you're going through today. We don't know what we're going to go through tomorrow.
But I do know this:- if you have seen the baby … if you have seen Jesus Christ.
If you know Jesus Christ there is nothing that you can go through that will stop you from having peace.
Nothing.
That's what the name Consolation of Israel is promising each one of us today.
Prayer
