Acknowledgement – I found great value in a Christmas Sermon series by Darren Ethier – A fellow contributor to this site. His sermons are called “Christmas Perspectives Series.”
Times UP!
Luke 2:21-39
To get everyone up to speed as to where we are for the sermon today. I have been sharing with you what I think might be the perspectives of people involved I and around the Birth of Jesus.
I started with Joseph and Mary and how they had a very different view of the Event than the culture of the day. I thought that their view was changed by because of the angel messengers that gave them a little peace and assurance that this was special and totally in line with God’s plan.
Another week we looked at the Shepherds and how they were considered the lowest of the low, untrustworthy and the ones invited to see the king of Kings and then to spread the good news. God choose them and it was up to them to respond.
Then last week we talked about the magi and King Herod. The magi were on a long spiritual journey to meet the King of Kings. Herod only wanted to dispose of the threat to the potential change in the way they always did things.
I encouraged everyone to consider your life a spiritual journey to meet our king face to face and to avoid the worldly Herod thinking.
Let me give some insight into why this series of messages needed to be preached. We live in a part of the world that places more emphasis on receiving than giving, More tinsel than time with family, and More Santa than Jesus. In the midst of the "good" things about Christmas we miss the most important – the BEST thing about Christmas – the birth of the savior of mankind that signaled in a concrete way the love God has for each one of us. I believe the biggest part of the loss of focus is that for most of us we have the feeling of been there, done that, I got the Wiseman costume. The gift that we celebrate as Christmas has become as old and stale as the video game pong. OR The aluminum Christmas tree with the rotating colored light. It has become handkerchief of socks to the world that lives on electronics.
I believe that it is important to call you to change your perspective of the Christmas Story from the comfortable familure annual visit to something more. By looking through the borrowed views of people in our scriptures, I hope you see some things for the first time. That you think, UH – I never saw that before….neat….sad… funny…anything that clicks in your brain to make the celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ new to you this year.
Our culture tells us about al the new stuff we need every year. So far I have been able to resist a Chea pet. But I saw them on a rack a Kmart the other day and I slowed and looked ant the different versions. I realized that I have been assimilated into briefly thinking about buying a Che Che Chea pet.
I have had my since of what a “quality” gift is dulled by the constant commercials where the people looked so happy opening such a gift. The commercials don’t make it true and the lack if commercialization of the story of Jesus does not make it less important.
So here we are the last Sunday before Christmas Eve and Day. So it is almost here. The celebration with family and friends.
Some people just can’t wait for Christmas. When I was a kid I could not wait for Christmas. I know my children have trouble with the concept of waiting for anything and Christmas brings out their nosey nature. When I come in at night it is worse than the Atlanta airport – Questions and searches..
They feel that they just can’t wait until Christmas to figure out the gifts.
Today we are going to look at the Christmas Story through the eyes of two people, a man and a woman, Simeon and Anna.
They are waiting to celebrate the arrival of the messiah. It seems that they have been waiting for years.
In our scripture this morning we have these two people that just appear out of nowhere to see the baby King. This set of events occurs because the visit to Jerusalem is required by Judaic Law.
Jesus would have been circumcised on the 8th day after birth in a private ceremony where they were staying or at the home of a Rabbi. This is the time when he would have been named, Jesus. The Hebrew form of the name Jesus is “Jeshua” (cf. Joshua), derived by the combination of two root words, meaning “the Lord” and “to save.” Thus, the Jesus meant “the Lord is salvation.”
In today’s scripture we find the next requirement. Jesus must be presented at the temple as a first born Son. All first born sons belong to God since they were spared in Egypt when all others were slain. The presentation of the child normally happened 31 days or more after birth. This was to allow the mother to come to the temple at the same time. So, Mary is also expected to make the trip for Purification.
They make the appropriate sacrifice which is two doves. This indicates their financial status as this is the minimum offering and only for the poorest of people.
So it is in the courts of the Temple of God that we find this story unfolding - in a city that is unaware, the majority of people that have no clue that this day is any different.
Now we meet two people, a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna.
We have a couple of people that we know a little about. In each of our previous lessons the people (Except for Herod) were anonymous. We have several tidbits of information about these people. We will start with Simeon.
Simeon is described in Verse “25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
That is a pretty strong description. Righteous – devout – Waiting – Holy Spirit The resume we have of this man is strong and any of us would probably like for God to see us in a similar way.
Simeon has a relationship with God and because he is paying attention to it he hears from the Holy Spirit. He knows a little of his future and he does as he is directed.
This is a spiritual man. This is a man that has received the Holy Spirit because of his keeping of the Law. But more likely because he worked on his relationship with God. HE kept his heart open to God.
He is probably an older gentleman. He is no stranger to the temple courts. He sees his world – his culture drifting from God and he calls out to God to send the messiah, to bring the people back in line. “was waiting for the consolation of Israel” He wanted the people to repent and he wanted God to have mercy and come soon to restore Israel as a faithful nation. At some point in his prayer life he learned that the Messiah would come in his lifetime. Simeon would be allowed to see the face of God.
I have talked to people that say things like. I hope I live long enough to see my Grad-kids graduate or get married or some other positive event. Some have said that they hoped they lived long enough for their son or daughter to find Jesus and salvation. We don’t know if Simeon asked for this blessing all we know is that he was patiently waiting, or at least waiting.
Let think about this for a minute. Here we have a man who has for years served God wholeheartedly and obediently and he is told that He will not die before seeing the Christ. We don’t know when the Holy Spirit told this to Simeon.
It could have been early in his life – it could have been the day before this event. But what we do know that in response to this promise – Simeon waited. I wonder if he waited with the expectation and the Joy that many of us have for the celebration. “I can’t wait…. I can’t wait. God is coming.”
-Simeon’s perspective is probably that of and excited child that knows a gift is on the way. For untold number of days and maybe even years he wakes up expecting the arrival. He does not have any thing or anyone to give him a countdown of the number of praying days left until Christ arrives. He must work at remaining faithful and hopeful that the day is coming soon.
He is righteous and faithful to be ready. Until the Holy Spirit sez “head over the the temple.”
I don’t think any of us can claim to have the same perspective today. We are tainted by advertising. Discomfort of crowds and expenses. We just don’t have the time to hassle with getting ready.
Simeon had it easier. Less complicated. No shopping, no wrapping. Just keeping himself ready for…..for Well he did not know what for.
He just had to stay ready to respond. I wonder how he knew which month old child was the one that the Holy Spirit told him to go see. Even Joseph and Mary were amazed but all his ranting and hallelujah’s. He shouts to the other people in the court area that this child is special for all mankind.
Folks we need a renewed or new perspective about the celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ. We need to be completely open to the Holy Spirit in our lives. During this season we need to realize that we always need to be ready to respond to God’s call, to celebrate, to heal, to love, to announce the Good news. To …. To… To allow the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us.
The first words out of Simeon’s mouth were – "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people."
He knew his time of waiting was over. Time was up and he was happy, because the promise of God had been fulfilled. God had answered his prayers, and the prophet’s words were fulfilled. God’s Gift had arrived.
If we keep reading, we learn that there was another person in the temple courts that day that was aware of the what was happening.
Anna is described as a prophetess and a widow. Some background is given that tells us she had been a widow most of her life and was well along in years. What stands out in her story is found in verse 37, "She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying."
Anna was a person that literally was there every minute the church doors were open. She has been a widow a long time. In her day, most women would have attempted to remarry and have children. In her case it was probably even more important that she do so because of her tribe – Asher. Is one of the lost tribes of Israel and may become extinct.
Anna chose to give her life to God in Worship, prayer and fasting. There is a good chance that she, like Simeon, she was praying to God to send the promised messiah to restore his people.
She joins the event in the Temple almost simultaneously with Simeon. While Simeon is celebrating the arrival of the King. Anna is fulfilling her known role of prophetess. She is confirming Simeon’s identification of the child. She is telling the people that the redemption is started, that God has moved and that this child is a gift from God and the tool of salvation for the Israelite people.
-Anna’s perspective is from being on her knees in Prayer. She was a prayer warrior, and she made it her business to worship and pray for her people. She made prayer her main perspective and focus because she did not have the ability or resources to do anything else. The scriptures don’t say why she did this – they don’t say why she remained a widow for her life. But there is an important point here. I believe it was because of Anna’s persistence in worship and prayer and fasting (the ingredients of one who loves God and seeks after Him) that she was blessed to see the child who was her savior.
Simeon and Anna were waiting and watching and were the first in the city to find satisfaction in the promises of God.
What does this mean for us in today’s world? How is Simeon and Anna’s perspective supposed to affect our perspective of the Christmas story?
These two people were patient and waited on God to act. They may have wished for a faster response but they did not loose their focus when nothing seemed to be happening.
When Simeon and Anna saw the baby Jesus they rejoiced at the completion of God’s promise in their life. When you hear the Christmas story, realize that it signifies the fulfillment of God’s promise for your life.
That He can be your Savior, that He will never leave you nor forsake you, that He wants to have an intimate relationship with you and that He LOVES you.
In this season of Christmas there are often many things that tend to overwhelm us in the midst of the gift wrapping, and tree decorating. But I invite you this Christmas to take some time to wait on the Lord. Put aside the busyness of the season and go to God in Prayer and Fasting. Take some quiet time and wait for the Holy Spirit to whisper to your soul and give you peace and Joy.
--Sean Cox , in Readers digest tells the following story about perspective. As a child, I could always depend on my father to put life’s disasters into perspective, whether it was a broken leg or a broken heart. Years later I was devastated by a series of personal crises. Feeling helpless and overwhelmed, I spent my last $300 on a trip to Florida to see Dad. On the final evening of my visit we stood at the end of a jetty, watching the sun settle into the Gulf of Mexico. I could no longer contain my bitterness. "You know, Dad, if we could take all the great moments we experience in our lifetimes and put them back-to-back, they wouldn’t last twenty minutes." He responded simply, "Yup." I turned to him, stunned. He was still studying the sun that sat on the horizon. Then, looking evenly into my eyes, he added quietly, "Precious, aren’t they?"
The birth of our savior is a precious moment that can only be really appreciated if we focus on the moment as if it just happened. We need to smell they fresh hay, hear the hint of songs in the air and rejoice in the silent coming of Emmanuel.
Where is your focus this year? Is it on the important things of the world or in the quietness of the stable?
Is it high and full of self or is it filtered with prayer and on our knees - eye to eye with our savior that in the manger?
All Glory be to God!
