1st
Sunday after Christmas – Luke 2:22-40 – December 30th
and 31st, 2017
In the Name of Christ Jesus, the Newborn King +
In the Name of Christ Jesus, the Newborn King +
Finally, the time for purification had come. For 40 days, since Jesus was born, Mary had to stay at home. That was the Law. For the first 40 days after childbirth, women didn’t go out in public – probably a good and safe practice for health, but think of it this way. Mary’s been cooped up. And now you finally get to get out, you bring Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to make the appropriate offering for Him, which is appropriate as Jesus has come to fulfill the Law. And then, old Simeon comes up, and he grabs little Jesus out of your arms and starts singing – singing a song that we ourselves sing after Communion to this very day. Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace. Lord, I can die a happy man! Of course, think about what the past year has been like for Mary – Gabriel showing up both to you and to you husband – you had an angel tell your husband, “Yes, marry her.” How’s that for a confidence builder? And then there’s the birth, and even the Shepherds showing up and praising God. It’s been a non-stop whirlwind of praise and joy.
And
then this old codger Simeon hands you back your son, and then he
blesses you, but then he says something quite strange. “Behold,
this Child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is opposed…”
Think about the shock of hearing that. It’s been joy to the world,
happy holidays, have a holly jolly Christma… what? Talk about
throwing cold water on the parade. This Child is going to cause
chaos because of who He is, Mary – and people are going to hate
Him. The wicked of the world will rally and fight against Him. And
it’s true. Think about Jesus’ crucifixion – you have Herod and
Pilate and the Priests all conspiring together – that was something
unheard of. The priests hated anyone who was gentile, and Herod and
Pilate hated each other until the events of Good Friday – they only
became friends afterwards. Christ Jesus ends up being one of if not
the most hated person in all of history. Do you doubt me? His very
name is a curse, a vulgarity. Even 2000 years later people get
killed for following Him – ask the Christians in Muslim countries
what it means to follow Christ. He is a sign that is opposed. Wow.
Again,
we’re not used to thinking this way, especially not at
Christmastime – and I’m guessing poor Mary wasn’t either.
Which is why Simeon especially notes that this will impact her –
“And a sword will pierce through your own
soul also….” Yes, Mary – this
hatred that your Son will bear, it will hit home for you as well.
It’s going to stab you. How’s that for a change of pace – it’s
been joy, joy, joy, oh how great it is that you are the Mother of
Christ… then wham. A sword is going to pierce your soul too, Mary.
The time is going to come when He won’t be the eager Messiah that
you want Him to be. The time is going to come when you will just be
embarrassed by Him, when you and His siblings will beg Him to come in
from preaching and teaching because He’s embarrassing you – and
He will shrug you off. My Mother and My brothers are calling for Me
– Who are My Mother and my brothers? These here who hear my
teaching are My mother and My brothers. Gut punch. But even that
will be topped, Mary. One Friday it will come to a head as this
little child, your Son, hangs on a cross. Woman, behold your Son. A
sword will pierce through your own soul also.
Why
all the pain, why all the angst? “So
that thoughts from many hearts will be revealed.” Christ
Jesus comes, and He comes Holy and righteous and perfect and good.
And we, we are not. We are sinful, fallen men. When people saw
Christ, this was something else that they remembered too. And the
question was how do you respond to this – when you see God Himself
in flesh showing love perfectly, how do you react? And we know what
our sinful flesh wants to do. The sinful flesh wants to tear down
and destroy anything good that anyone else has. The sinful flesh
feels greed and jealousy and hatred and anger. You know that feeling
in your gut when you see someone else who has something better than
you? That feeling when the other guy gets the job or has the car and
you want to beat him? When you see the other gal who has the looks,
the whatever, and you want to get all catty? Nothing gets ratings on
the news shows like a good celebrity scandal – we love the rich and
famous being taken down a peg. Now imagine what your sinful flesh
would want to do when it sees not merely something better than you,
but One who is perfect. Anyone who looked at Christ while thinking
well and highly of himself, as the old sinful flesh is wont to do,
would hate Him, and that hate would boil up to the surface – it’s
why He even gets killed. And we see this pattern throughout the
Bible. Joseph’s brothers throw him in pit and sell him into
slavery. King Saul repeatedly tries to kill David, who is his most
loyal and faithful servant. The Pharisees, who prized their own
holiness, stone Stephen to death. It’s that same old sinful song
and dance with Christ, but even more so – because He isn’t merely
better than us; Christ Jesus is perfect.
So
why any singing, then, Simeon? So why is there any rejoicing? Here
is the nuance, and it comes out from Anna, a very old widow lady.
Had her husband 7 years, so probably until she was around 20 – and
then widowed for over 6 decades. There’s a woman who knows
suffering, knows that this world isn’t all its cracked up to be.
And she lived in the temple, fasting and praying, and when Christ
comes, she gives thanks to God. And note what she does. Anna speaks
“of Him to all who were waiting for the
redemption of Israel.” And there’s
the key. There’s the difference. For the folks who were waiting
for redemption, for those who knew their own lack, who didn’t think
that they were the best of the best, who knew that they were poor
lowly sinners in a sinful world, for these folks this Christ Jesus
brings joy and gladness, because He brings redemption. God had given
Anna the gift of faith, and so she saw her need for a Savior, and
then she saw Him, and it was good.
By
faith, you have been made to see your own lack. Do you see your sin,
do you know it, do you understand that you are a poor, miserable
sinner? Then the coming of this Child will be a cause for you to
sing, for He comes bringing your salvation. He comes to be righteous
for you, He comes to bear your own sin, your own weakness, your own
frailty. He comes to die, He comes to rise, all so that you would
inherit Eternal Life, that you would spend eternity not in this
fallen place, but in a New Heavens and a New Earth, that you would
have Eden restored. Life in this world is cold and harsh – but by
faith we don’t deny this, we don’t pretend it isn’t this way.
Instead, we confess our sin, great as it is, and we look to Christ
Jesus who is greater than our sin and triumphs over it. We do not
love this world, but we look to Christ who has overcome this world –
we look forward to the life of the world to come.
Listen
again to Simeon’s song, the song we too will sing in just a few
moments after we have held in our own hands the Body of Christ, given
for us. “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy
servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word.”
Lord, I can die, I can die in peace. Death – where is thy sting,
O Death? Where is thy victory, O grave? This Christ Child has risen
from the tomb, and so even if I die – I will live. Sod off, death!
Bite me, grave – you couldn’t keep Christ swallowed down, nor
shall you keep me. “For my eyes have
seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all
people.” God’s salvation is here –
and it’s not something hidden, it’s not a secret. I don’t have
to spend 25 years teaching you how to operate the hidden divine
decoder ring. No, right here, God become Man, who for us men and our
salvation. Here He is, here is salvation. And you have made me to
see it, God – you have given me the gift of faith, and thus these
sinful, dead eyes have seen with joy their Savior, the Lord of Life.
There is salvation, there is forgiveness, there is rescue – and
there it is – in Christ Jesus, open, proclaimed to all people.
Yes, all people, for He is “A Light to
lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy people Israel.” Even
the Gentiles, even stubborn headed Germans, even spoiled Americans
millennia later will see this Child and know Him to be their God and
Savior; the Holy Spirit will call folks from all nations. And yes,
this is the Glory of Israel – not that we Jews were more holy, not
that some how not eating pork makes one morally superior (ugh, how’s
that for the false pride of the sinful flesh), but that rather look,
there is God come as Man, born from the people whom He told He would
come. And thus there is salvation for all, thus there is forgiveness
and redemption and love. And by faith, dear friends, you see it.
By
faith, God has called you here. By faith, you have been made to
confess your sins, called to struggle against them and to strive to
beat them down even daily by faith. By faith you have been brought
here to this Temple, where Christ Jesus comes to you today, bringing
You forgiveness and life. Yes, He comes to you this day – He comes
proclaimed in His Word – Christ Jesus lives, and you are forgiven.
He comes in His Supper – taste and know your forgiveness, drink and
know your salvation. Yes, this world is scary, yes, being a
Christian means seeing your own sin and that is a terrifying and
rough thing, but behold Your Savior, Christ Jesus, who has redeemed
you, purchased and won you from all your sins, and lives so that you
might live with Him both now and forever. In the Name of Christ
Jesus, our Newborn King +
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