The Sunday after Christmas

SERMON

Text: Luke 2:25-32

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”

In Christ Jesus, Whom we are privileged to embrace by faith even as Simeon of old, dear fellow redeemed:

One of the first Christmas letters we received this year was from an older couple, whom my wife and I have known for many years. It was not the typical family Christmas letter we received from many of our friends or that we finally sent ourselves just a few days ago. Rather it had printed on it the hymn “What Child Is This” complete with musical score. Then on the left-hand side of the page in a column they had printed a series of 30 names given to Jesus in the Scriptures. Each of those names, while identifying the same person, carried with it a very different and specific meaning. Just reading through the list served as a devotion for me, reminding me of the meaning and importance of Jesus’ life and life’s work for us.

Luke’s account of Jesus’ presentation in the temple and the encounter of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus with Simeon contains five names for Jesus, four of which amazingly were not found among those listed by our dear friends. The arrival of the Promised Savior had great meaning for Simeon, as our text reveals. As he lifted the Child up into his arms and confessed his faith before his God, Simeon’s choice of names reveals that meaning. Let us review those names this morning, for we will find out that those names have great meaning for our faith-lives today as well. Yes, LET US EMBRACE JESUS AND BLESS GOD!

I.

For Jesus is, first of all, our consolation! Our text begins, “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Interestingly, the word translated here for “Consolation” is the same root word used in John’s Gospel to identify the Holy Spirit, Whom Jesus promised to send to His disciples after His ascension into heaven. The underlying meaning literally is to “call to one’s side for the purposes of consoling and encouraging.” For Simeon and for you and me, therefore, Jesus is presented as the One Who calls us to His side to console and encourage us. We might compare Him to a basketball coach, who calls a time out and brings his team into a huddle to calm them down and instruct them as to how they should proceed; or perhaps to a father and mother who call a frightened child to their side to comfort him; or perhaps to a mentor calming down a frustrated student.

Jesus is just such a perfect “Consolation,” first, because He is always near us. He promised, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). Second, He understands us and can relate to us. Having become a human being, He has experienced the frustrations of this sin-filled world. The writer to the Hebrews tells us, “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:15-16). Let us do that, dear friends! Let us turn to our Savior Jesus in prayer at all times, but especially when we find ourselves frustrated and in need of encouragement. Jesus is our Consolation!

II.

Yes, LET US EMBRACE JESUS BY FAITH AND BLESS GOD, for Jesus is, secondly, our Christ! Luke continues in our text, “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” The New Testament word “Christ,” which is the same as the Old Testament word “Messiah,” means “anointed one.” But what is the significance of that? Someone who was “anointed” was especially chosen and appointed for a specific office or work. These offices included those of prophet, priest, or king. To be the “Lord’s Christ” meant that Jesus was specifically chosen by God for and appointed to His work of redemption. As such Jesus became our prophet, our priest, and our king!

Jesus came as the Lord’s anointed prophet to bring us God’s word, and this He did and still does. He preached throughout His ministry and those words are recorded in the Bible for us to read and reread. On Maundy Thursday evening Jesus promised His disciples that after His ascension into heaven the “Spirit of truth” would come and “guide” them “into all truth” (John 16:13). These words of our Savior assure us that the writing of the evangelists and apostles found in the Bible are surely true, written while under the Spirit’s inspiration.

As our anointed priest Jesus offered Himself for our sins. That is absolutely essential for as the writer to the Hebrews tells us: “without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (9:22b). Having been raised from the dead, Jesus as our anointed priest now stands as our “Advocate” before the Father praying for our support and forgiveness (cf. 1 John 2:1).

As our anointed king Jesus rules over us as a part of His body, commanding our allegiance, but blessing our lives as we attempt to fulfill our respective callings. As our king Jesus also defends us from all danger and promises to guide us as we walk through this world and look forward to living under Him in the next. Yes, Jesus is our Christ!

III.

LET US, therefore, EMBRACE JESUS BY FAITH AND BLESS GOD, for Jesus is, thirdly, our Salvation! Luke reports that when Simeon took the baby Jesus into his arms, he said, “Lord, now You are letting your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples.” As a “just and devout man” Simeon knew God’s Old Testament words and was well aware of the demands of God’s law. That is the very reason why he was so delighted to see in Jesus his salvation as planned by God. Simeon knew that God’s law demanded a perfection of him, which he could not produce. Nor can we produce such perfection. God’s law says, “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). None of us can fulfill such demands! Consequently, with Simeon we must look outside ourselves for the answer to salvation, and the answer we are seeking can be found in Jesus Christ!

Paul writes, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them….For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:19,21). Jesus is our salvation, for He became our substitute—taking our place, first of all, by keeping God’s law perfectly; but then, secondly, by assuming our guilt and shame and paying the price for it! Without Jesus we would be justly and eternally condemned for our sin, but with Jesus we stand before our God guiltless and destined to inherit eternal life. Yes, Jesus is our salvation!

IV.

LET US EMBRACE JESUS BY FAITH AND BLESS GOD, fourthly, for Jesus is our light of revelation! Simeon referred to Jesus as “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles.” When God originally called Abraham to faith and to be the father of His Old Testament people, He told Abraham “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Much later in Israel’s history Isaiah prophesied, “The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3). We are the Gentiles concerning whom Isaiah was speaking. It is our families that God informed Abraham would be blessed through his descendant, the Lord Jesus!

Paul told the Corinthians, “It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory fo God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). The “revelation” concerning which Simeon spoke is the same miracle of which Paul speaks—the creation of faith in the hearts of individuals through the proclamation of the gospel message of God’s love for sinners in Christ Jesus. How do we know that God loves us? It is through the proclamation of the gospel and the Spirit’s enlightening our hearts with faith? How do we know what is right and pleasing to God? It is through the proclamation of God’s will and once again the Spirit’s work within our hearts. Why is it that we desire to love and to serve our Savior? It is because the gospel message of Christ reveals to us God’s unconditioned gospel, which lifts our spirits and moves us to love.

Where such love, such commitment, such faith is lacking—surely it is the result of having failed to use the precious word of God. When our hearts grow dull and our desire to love begins to wane, let us repent of our sins and asking God for forgiveness, may we with diligence listen to God’s gospel proclamation, for then the Spirit of God can work to reveal to us God’s grace and blessing. Yes, Jesus is our light of revelation!

V.

LET US EMBRACE JESUS BY FAITH AND BLESS GOD, finally, for Jesus is our glory! Simeon’s final description of Jesus is as “the glory of Your (that is God’s) people Israel.” Jesus Christ was the focal point of all of Jewish history. He was the heart of the covenant God made with Abraham. The Law of God given to Moses was intended to prepare God’s people for Jesus’ coming. He was the glory of His people, and three of His disciples saw it on the Mount of Transfiguration. Unfortunately, the death God’s justice demanded offended many of the Jews of Jesus’ day, and they rejected Him!

Paul reminds us of a spiritual reality, however, when he tells that “they are not all Israel who are of Israel” (Romans 9:6). The Bible clearly tells us that all believers in Christ are “sons of Abraham” and so members of spiritual Israel (cf. Galatians 3:7-9). Consequently, Jesus is our glory! The hymnist Johann Olearius wrote the following stanza, which reflects the meaning of Jesus as our glory: “Jesus Christ, my Pride and Glory, He, the true and living Light, strengthens me with glorious might. Christ, revealed in sacred story, Whom I now as Lord confess, teaches me true holiness. Let me live to praise Thee ever, Jesus, Thou my heart’s Delight, Thou who leadest me aright. Let me cling to Thee forever, all the fleshly lusts deny, and the devil’s hosts defy!” (TLH 408:1-2).

My dear friends, may we ever embrace our blessed Savior by faith, rejoice in His love, and with Simeon sing the praises of our God! Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting