1. Tell story, then read Scripture
Mary was a single mother. She had to provide for her children and at the same time she wanted to be there to take care of her kids. To accomplish both goals she decided that she would clean houses.
The two older girls, Cindy and Laura, helped as much as they could and they never complained. The youngest girl, Becky, found happiness in her doll, Charlie, who she kept wrapped in a blanket.
One day Mary went to clean a house. As they approached the house Mary saw a beautiful Christmas wreath on the front door. There were Christmas decorations everywhere, a big tree with lots of presents underneath, and star on top. Mary said, "I've got to go to work now so please don't touch anything." Becky said, "Okay mom." She climbed up in the big easy chair and sat with Charlie admiring all of the presents and ornaments. Becky would guess what was in every present and pretend that Charlie was guessing with her.
Later that day they went to another home and found the same decor. Tree, ornaments, presents, and the smell of Christmas in the air.
When they got home that night Becky suddenly realized that she was missing out on something. Becky looked up and said, "Mom, why does everyone have a tree in the house? Why are there so many presents? Is it somebody's birthday? Why don't we have a tree?"
Mary had known the questions would come. Laura and Cindy looked up from the floor where they were playing, waiting for her answer. Mary pulled Becky up in her lap. "You're a very smart girl. It is somebody's birthday, and I'll tell you all about Him. His name is Jesus, and He was born Christmas Day. Mary told the kids how it all happened.
Becky hugged Charlie close and said, "Poor baby. Was it very cold in the stable? I wouldn't want to sleep in the stable, would you? I wish I could go there and see it, though."
Down the street was a church. Each Christmas they always had a huge nativity scene. Mary took the kids for a walk and they arrived at the church. When they got there they saw the manger with straw, large ceramic figures of wise men, Mary and Joseph, and the baby Jesus. Becky didn't want to leave. Mom said, "Come on girls, it's cold out here and we must get home." Becky wanted to stay as she was mesmerized by the scene.
The next week was difficult for the family, especially for the girls. At school everything was focused on Christmas. Gifts, decorations, parties, but the girls stood as strangers on the outside looking in. Mary's sadness turned to bitterness as every carol made her hate the season more. The older girls saw what was happening with their mother and they became bitter as well. Little Becky seemed to be immune. She rocked little Charlie in her arms and told him again and again about the baby Jesus who was born in a stable. Becky begged the other girls on a daily basis to take her down the street to see the story "for true." They would take her grudgingly and drag her back home long before she was finished looking.
Christmas morning came in a flurry of snow. Laura and Cindy woke up cold. They ran into Mary's room and burrowed under the covers with her to warm up. Mary cuddled them close and kissed their foreheads. "Merry Christmas," she said. "Merry Christmas, Mama," they echoed. "I'm afraid there aren't many gifts for you girls, but go wake up Becky and we'll open them," Mary said.
The girls bounded out of the room to get little Becky. Soon they dashed back into mom's room and said, "Where is she momma? We can't find her!" They checked the house, went outside to check the yard, and then began to check around the neighbor's houses.
Mary prayed, "Dear Lord, please help me find her. I'm sorry for my selfishness. The gifts and the dinner that I prayed for are not important. Forget them and just give me back my Becky." Mary continued to pray as she searched every place a little girl could possibly be.
Then Mary noticed Charlie. He was carefully positioned in a chair facing a window. Mary's heart raced with her thoughts. Charlie was never out of Becky's sight. And where was his blanket? Becky always insisted that his blanket be wrapped tightly around him at all times. Suddenly she knew!
"Stay here!" she told the girls as she ran out the door into the dark and snowy morning. Down the street she ran, until she could see the church. Then she slowed, and tears of release ran down her face as she caught sight of her daughter. The star from hanging over the manger was shining down on Becky and the manger. Becky had climbed in and was busily covering the Baby Jesus with the ratty scrap of a blanket. As Mary got closer she could hear Becky talking.
"You must be cold. I knew the snow would be falling on You. This is Charlie's blanket, but we will give it to You. He has me to keep him warm." She looked up when she heard the footsteps. "Oh! Hi, Mama." Becky smiled her beautiful innocent smile. "I was afraid He might have thought we forgot about Him on His birthday."
Mary lifted Becky out of the straw and held her tight, the tears now raining unchecked. "I did forget, Honey...Dear Lord, I'm sorry I forgot." Then she tenderly carried her daughter home, filled with Christmas joy.
2. Does Jesus think you have forgotten Him this Christmas? Have you been preoccupied with all the activities of Christmas - gifts, dinner, trees, lights?
3. This morning we turn our attention upon Him. This Christmas morning we are going to hear an old man tell us who Jesus is and why He came. And no, that old man is not me, but someone whose name is Simeon.
READ PASSAGE
4. After Jesus was born, His parents settled in Bethlehem for a while. Bethlehem was only about five miles from Jerusalem.
5. Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. They went to the temple for two reasons
a. The first was the for purification. According to Lev 12:1-4, a woman who became pregnant and gave birth to a son was ceremonially unclean and had to forty days to be purified from her bleeding. The uncleanness came from the bleeding, not from the birth. By offering a sacrifice she was again permitted to enter into the sanctuary. And so this journey to the temple took place 40 days after the birth of Jesus
b. The second reason for the trip was to present Jesus. This presentation included the payment of the redemption fee. This goes back to the time when God rescued the people from out of Egypt. The first born of the Egyptians were slain, in order that Pharaoh would let them go. But the Israelites were also sinful before a holy God. And so God said the firstborn of each family belonged to Him. But in place of death, God said that He would accept from the tribe of Levi lifelong service in the temple and from the first born of the other tribes five shekels. This payment redeemed their lives from the penalty of the sin in which they were born.
c. But, of what did Jesus need to be redeemed? He was sinless, conceived by the Holy Spirit. He is God's Son, conceived and born without the inherited sin of Adam. We are shown even here that He was made to be sin for us. He gets treated like a sinner by God, in this presentation and on the cross, cursed and condemned in our place. He takes our sin upon Himself.
6. It is in the temple that we meet Simeon. He was not a priest or the clergy, but a layman. But he knew who Jesus was. And it was to him that God revealed His Son. I believe that we see in Simeon the kind of person to whom God reveals His Son. We see in Simeon the kind of person to whom Christmas is filled with the recognition of who Christ is and why he was born.
7. This is the kind of person who has peace. Who sees that God is true and who does not fear death or anything else in this world.
8. Simeon was righteous and devout. His righteous behaviour toward others won Him God’s approval. And He wass devout. He took serious the word of God and those duties that God had given Him. He knew the promises of God, which we also see in the way he speaks about Jesus. He waited for consolation or comfort of Israel of whom Isaiah had prophesied.He expected God to fulfill His promises.
9. Simeon was a man filled with the Holy Spirit. Notice that the Holy Spirit is mentioned three times. The Holy Spirit was upon him. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he saw the Messiah. And he was moved by the Holy Spirit to go into the temple courts.
10. And while the passage does not say it, he was directed by the Holy Spirt not only to recognize Christ, but to say the very words he spoke.
11. Simeon was a man of worship.
12. Today do we recognize Christ as Simeon did? Do we know that he is our comfort? Do we have the peace that Simeon had? The same sense of worship?
13. Walk with the Lord, know His word, be led by the Holy Spirit.
14. I believe we do not experience Christ as we could and should because, unlike Simeon, we so often do not seek our hope or comfort in Christ but in other things. We do not know the word of God and His promises. We do not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. And we hold back in our worship.
15. This is true for those who are saved and those who are not.
16. Oh, let us be filled with joy and peace for Christ has been born. May we like Simeon have the peace that says "Sovereign Lord." God, you are sovereign and you are the Lord of my life. You have absolute rule over me. Now dismiss your servant in peace. I have seen what I lived for. Now let me be relieved from my earthly duties to be with you in heaven. Can you say that? You can - if you can see who Christ really is.
17. Simeon says that Christ is God’s salvation. The one through whom God would save His people.
18. And that salvation was not only for the Jews. For Jesus was a light for revelation to the Gentiles. For the Gentiles, salvation is light. For through Christ they could see God and His plan for salvation. And while He was the light for the Jews as well, this term applies especially to the Gentiles for their darkness was the deepest. They had not heard and known the promises as the Jews had.
19. For Israel this salvation was glory. God’s glory was His presence. Their salvation was that God was with them and that His glory was in the temple. But when they were exiled to Babylon, God’s glory left the temple. As a sign of His displeasure. They had been given the task to be a light to the nations. To let His glory shine forth. To reveal God to the world. But they failed to do so. But, now through Christ, born a Jew, God now again enabled them to fulfil this calling.
20. Joseph and Mary marvelled at what they had heard. For Simeon explained Jesus’ mission with more detail than the angel had done.
21. Then Simeon blessed Joseph and Mary. He wished them God’s favour. But He predicted two things. One personal and one more general
a. He told Mary that a sword would pierce her own soul. That she would suffer greatly as she would see her son suffer on the cross and die that terrible death.
b. And he said that Christ would cause the falling and rising of many in Israel. Because regardless of how favoured by God they felt, regardless of their religion, they would be confronted by Christ and would need to respond.
22. And today we could say the same. Christ will be the result of the fall of many
1 Pet 2:7-8 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."
23. We can try as we may to be right with God, to be saved, but unless we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour we will fall, we will be lost. As we consider the Christ child, we need to decide if we agree with the words of Simeon.
24. That He is God’s salvation. Many speak against Him and this reveal their hearts. Their rebellion against God and their lack of trust in Him.
25. But if we receive Him as our salvation, we will rise, above our sins and above all that separates us from God.
26. And so you also need to decide . Will Christ be your falling or your rising? Do you realized how he suffered for you? Do you realize His great love for you?
