The Glory of God in Strength and Wisdom
December 28, 2025
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Luke 2:33-40
On Christmas Eve, 1968, the world gathered around their televisions at one of the most turbulent times in American history. The Vietnam War raged. Cities burned from riots. Hearts were heavy with fear and division. But on that night, three astronauts—Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders—became the first human beings to orbit the moon. As their camera panned the surface of that gray, lifeless world, Earth rose in the background like a fragile blue jewel. Half a billion people watched in silence.
Then came something nobody expected. The astronauts opened their broadcast with these words, spoken into the cold emptiness of space: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” Genesis… read from lunar orbit… on Christmas Eve.
Anders later said, “We came all this way to discover the moon, and the most important thing we discovered was the earth.” But millions of believers worldwide heard something deeper: the glory of God shining into a weary world, reminding us that the Creator’s wisdom and power hold all things together—even when the world feels like it’s unraveling.
Christmas does that. It breaks into fear with peace, confusion with wisdom, and weakness with divine strength. That is exactly what Luke 2:33–40 shows us today—the glory of God revealed in the strength and wisdom of the Incarnate Christ.
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:33–40)
We’ll walk through the text today in two movements:
1. The Destiny of the Child (vv. 33–35)
2. The Development of the Child (vv. 36–40)
And as we do, we’ll see how Christmas announces not just that Jesus came, but why He came—and what He now calls us to see.
I. THE DESTINY OF THE CHILD
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:33–35)
Mary and Joseph stand in the temple holding their infant Son, still marveling at Simeon’s proclamation that this child would be the salvation of the world. But Simeon isn’t finished. He now gives Mary a prophecy that reveals the heart of Christ’s mission—and the cost.
A. Jesus Will Divide Humanity (v. 34)
Simeon declares, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel…” This child is not merely a baby in a blanket; He is the dividing line of every human heart. Some will rise through Him—finding forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Others will fall—tripped by pride, offended by His authority, stumbling over His claims.
Neutrality is impossible. You cannot meet Jesus and stay unchanged. Christmas brings comfort, yes—but it also demands a verdict.
B. Jesus Will Be Opposed (v. 34b)
Simeon calls Him “a sign that is opposed.” Think about that: the only perfect human being to ever live—the kindest, holiest, most compassionate Man—was opposed, rejected, mocked, beaten, and crucified.
Why? Because His very presence exposes the human heart. He is Light. And light always disturbs darkness.
C. Jesus Will Reveal Hearts (v. 35a)
Simon continues, “…so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
The Incarnate Son is like spiritual X-ray vision. He exposes motives. He reveals truth. He brings what is hidden into the light. You can run from that in fear, prideful protection of the truth, and rebellion of God - or you can run to it, embrace it, and find peace with Him.
Christmas is more surgical than sentimental and we find the sentiment in encountering (and remaining) with the incarnation of the God. It’s God shining His holiness into the human heart, not to destroy us but to save us.
D. The Sword for Mary (v. 35b)
Simeon looks directly at Mary and says, “A sword will pierce your own soul also.” This is one of the most sobering lines in the Christmas story. Mary will one day stand at the foot of the cross and watch her Son die. She will feel the grief slice through her soul like a sword.
Christmas joy and Calvary sorrow are connected. The manger leads to the cross. The cradle leads to the crucifixion. The infant destined for glory is also destined for suffering.
This is the wonder and the weight of the Incarnation: God came not merely to live among us, but to die for us. So what do we do with that?
The Ice Storm Train (1917)
In December 1917, a massive ice storm paralyzed New England. A passenger train froze on the tracks outside Hartford, leaving hundreds stranded in subzero temperatures. The passengers had no food, no heat, and no way home on Christmas Eve. Then something remarkable happened. Families living along the tracks bundled up, walked out into the storm, and climbed aboard the helpless train. They brought hot soup, blankets, lanterns, coffee, bread, and warm clothing. Some even invited strangers—complete strangers—into their homes for the night.
A reporter later wrote: “On that Christmas Eve, there were no empty hands and no empty hearts.”
Christmas reveals a God who comes to the stranded. A God who steps into our helplessness and a God who breaks through the ice and cold of sin and suffering with warmth, light, and rescue.
Just as those families walked into that train, Christ walked into our darkness. Just as they brought warmth, He brings salvation. Just as they came to the stranded, He came to the lost. This is the destiny of the Child.
II. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:36–40)
Next, Luke introduces us to Anna—an elderly prophetess who spent decades worshiping, fasting, and praying in the temple. When she sees Jesus, she breaks into praise and begins telling everyone who awaits redemption about the Child. These two elderly saints—Simeon and Anna—stand as the final voices of the Old Covenant, welcoming the dawn of the New. And then Luke summarizes the next twelve years of Jesus’ life in a single, breathtaking sentence:
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:40)
This sentence is a theological diamond
A. Jesus Grew — The Beauty of Real Humanity
Jesus didn’t appear fully formed; He entered human development. He grew in:
Stature, experience, knowledge, maturity.
This reveals the true humanity of Christ.
• He learned to walk.
• He learned to talk.
• He learned carpentry.
• He memorized Scripture.
• He experienced everything we experience—except sin.
The Incarnation is not divine masquerade. It is the eternal God embracing the full reality of human life.
B. Jesus Became Strong — The Strength of Obedience
This strength is not merely physical—it is the strength of holy resolve. Jesus grew strong in:
• obedience
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. (Hebrews 5:8)
• faithfulness,
• righteousness,
• endurance.
Every small act of obedience in His youth prepared Him for the ultimate obedience of the cross. He became strong because He fully embraced the Father’s will.
C. Filled With Wisdom — The Mind of the Incarnate Son
Here lies the wonder: The One who is Wisdom itself (Prov. 8; Col. 2:3) grew in wisdom. in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)
Not because He lacked deity, but because He fully embraced humanity. He had a real human mind, a real human learning process, a real human development curve.
The mystery of Christmas is that the One who upholds the universe by the word of His power also cried in a manger, learned line upon line, and grew in wisdom day by day.
D. The Favor of God — Heaven’s Delight on Earth
This phrase means the pleasure, approval, and joy of the Father rested upon Him. He is the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased. And through Him, that favor becomes ours.
The Warsaw Children’s Choir (1946)
Now we shift scenes again. It was Christmas Eve, 1946. World War II had ended, but the city of Warsaw lay in ruins—bombed-out buildings, shattered streets, burned timbers. The Philharmonic gathered a children’s choir made up almost entirely of orphans—children who had lost everything. As the choir began to sing “O Come All Ye Faithful” in the ruins, soldiers lowered their weapons. Mothers wept. Strangers embraced. One witness said: “It was as if God placed His hand over the ruins and breathed peace.”
• Strength in weakness.
• Wisdom in innocence.
• Glory rising from rubble.
• That’s the Incarnation.
A Child—singing in the ruins of a broken world—bringing hope that cannot be destroyed.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US THIS CHRISTMAS
Luke 2:33–40 gives us three life-changing truths
1. Christ Knows Our Humanity
Because He grew, learned, felt pain, experienced hunger, and walked through every season of life, He understands us perfectly.
• He is not distant.
• He is not detached.
• He is Emmanuel—God with us.
2. Christ Divides and Reveals
He forces a choice:
• Will you rise or fall?
• Will you surrender or stumble?
• Will you receive Him or reject Him?
• Christmas is not merely an event.
• It is a summons.
3. Christ Invites Us Into His Strength and Wisdom
As He grew in strength and wisdom, so do we as we walk with Him. Strength comes through obedience. Wisdom comes through intimacy with God. Favor comes through abiding in Christ. Christmas is the announcement of grace, but it is also the invitation to grow.
CONCLUSION — THE GLORY STILL SHINES
So we return to Apollo 8—those astronauts reading Genesis over the darkness of space. The world listened in awe as the Word of God echoed across the void. We return to those families in the ice storm—walking through the bitter night to bring warmth to the stranded. We return to those children in Warsaw—lifting their voices among the ruins, reminding a broken world that hope is alive. And through each of these scenes shines the same truth: The glory of God breaks into darkness— with strength, with wisdom, with compassion, with Light.
And that Light has a name.
His name is Jesus.
Merry Christmas.
