SHOWING OFF THEIR BABY
LUKE 2:21-40
INTRODUCTION... http://www.intouch.org/myintouch/mighty/simeon_37409247.html
The years are catching up to me, Simeon thought as he made his way through the dirt-covered streets of Jerusalem. This was once an easy walk; in the corner of his mind’s eye he recalled himself as a younger man bounding through the alleys, markets, and crowded roads that led to the place of worship. That young man had since been hidden behind the wrinkles and squinting eyes of a man who has spent a lifetime serving the Lord.
Simeon was not sure why the Spirit was leading him to the Temple on this particular day. After all, regular visits there were part of his weekly routine. However, the old man had always been sensitive to the leading of God’s Spirit. How many years had it been since Simeon had received the special Word of the Lord? Five? Ten? Twenty? It didn’t matter. Each new day brought him one day closer to the fulfillment of God’s promise: "You will not see death until you have seen the Lord’s Christ." Maybe it will be today, he mused as he finally reached the steps of the Temple.
As he paced the finely laid floors of the outer patio, Simeon reflected upon his longtime career in serving God. He was not a priest, nor a prophet; he was simply a soldier in the Lord’s army, a common man with an uncommon attunement to the Spirit of God. In a time when prophecy was rare and the Lord was often silent, the Word fell upon this one servant whose very name means "to hear and obey." Called to duty by his Commander, Simeon stood at attention and waited expectantly for the One who would bring salvation to the world.
As his feet began to cramp and the midday sun seared his almost-bare scalp, the old soldier felt a familiar tug in his spirit. Something was happening. The Lord was moving. Where? What was God saying to him? Then, in an inaudible whisper that glided through the ears of his soul, Simeon heard the Spirit’s voice. "There, Simeon. Look there. Your waiting has come to an end."
At that moment, a young couple topped the Temple steps and emerged onto the porch. The husband seemed tired; he looked as though he had walked for hundreds of miles. The tenderness in his eyes, however, betrayed a warm heart that Simeon had not seen in years.
The weary traveler’s wife appeared to be bursting with joy and excitement. Her eyes opened wide and she turned her head from side to side, as though she was trying to take in all of the glorious sights at once. She leaned forward to whisper something to her husband, laughed, and then refocused her attention on the infant in her arms.
The child, Simeon thought. There was something . . . peculiar . . . about the child. The bustling crowds walked past the mother and six-week-old boy without a second glance; nothing out of the ordinary attracted their attention. However, Simeon stood stupefied. He could not turn his eyes away from the perfect picture of innocence wrapped snugly in a blanket and held close to his mother’s heart.
Approaching the young family, Simeon took the babe in his arms and he knew . . . immediately he knew that this was the Child of Promise, the One for whom Simeon had waited for so long. Messiah. Savior. Christ. This child was Emmanuel, God with us. He was the Light of the world. He was the Word made flesh. He was the One of whom prophets foretold, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, and the Son of Man of Daniel. This child was Jesus, the Holy Son of God broken into human history. A tear of shock and joy rolled down Simeon’s cheek as the Lord of all creation gurgled and cooed in his arms.
God had kept His promise. He had granted Simeon’s lifelong ambition: to actually see, touch, and embrace the Christ. He declared, "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel."
Simeon’s life was complete at that moment. He had lived to see history change. Whether he lived another thirty years or only another thirty minutes, he was not concerned. Standing there, with the baby Jesus in his hands, he knew that time itself was now divided into two halves: all the years leading up to that moment and all the years that were to come. Posted at the crux of history, the old soldier foresaw the greatest battle of all time faced, fought, and won by this one tiny child. And there he stood, breathing the breath of Christ, whole in the arms of God.
I. Presentation and Circumcision of Jesus (verses 21-24)
A. Jesus and His family were Jewish
1) Follow the laws of the Old Testament: Leviticus chapter 12
2) Circumcision was a sign of the covenant. Jesus was now part of the people of God that began withAbraham in the book of Genesis. Jesus always did things that were proper to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15).
3) Naming of the Child
a) Normally named children after the father (Luke 1:59)
b) Jesus: because He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)
B. Jesus and His family were coming out in public for the first time along with all the other parents who had babies at the same time. It would not have been an odd sight.
II. The Testimony of Simeon (verses 25-35)
A. Simeon saw Jesus and knew who He was.
1) Simeon had been promised by God that he would not die before seeing the Christ. Many people were
expecting the coming of the Messiah.
2) Simeon lived his life so that when the Savior came that he would not be caught unaware. Verse 25 calls
him ‘righteous and devout.’ Verse 27 shows him sensitive to the Holy Spirit and he obeyed.
3) Simeon knew Jesus when he saw Him. That is amazing! He knew that Jesus came with a purpose and
was thankful for the plan of God.
B. Lessons from the life of Simeon
1) God always keeps His promises (Joshua 23:14)
2) Cultivate a life of goodness and holiness so that we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit
3) The Messiah will come (Book of Revelation)
III. The Testimony of Anna (verses 36-38)
A. Anna was a woman close to God
1) devoted her life to God in the temple and worshiped
2) fasted and prayed everyday
B. Anna looked and knew who Jesus was. She spoke about the ‘redemption of Jerusalem.’
1) Redemption occurs when something has been pawned or mortgaged. Sin mortgages our souls to Satan
and in many ways we become his pawns. Jesus changes that.
2) Hebrews 9 explains that we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7 as well)
C. Lessons from the life of Anna
1) Hardship can bring about holiness (James 1:2-5)
2) When we see Jesus, run to Him (1 Corinthians 9:24-26, Hebrews 12:1)
3) Faithfulness is always rewarded (Revelation 22:12)
CONCLUSION
