Luke 2:21-35: Christmas Anticipation

Introduction

Tomorrow, you’ll be enjoying your Christmas presents… I’ll be DRIVING… 13 HOURS in the car… What do you do? Video games, books, audio books, etc. Only highlight of the trip… Bucees… But… it’s not open yet… We’re waiting...

It’s Christmas Day! For your children the waiting is over! The last 25 days has felt like 25 years… For you it’s felt like 25 minutes… This service is going to feel like 25 hours for children ready to get home to enjoy their gifts.

Christmas anticipation - a reminder of how the world waited for the Savior.

The Savior is born (Luke 2:1-20). The angels announce to shepherds! Most of Israel unaware that their Messiah had been born. Israel was waiting…

The Christian life is a life of waiting. What are you waiting for this Christmas? Waiting to graduate school… Waiting for a promotion… Waiting for 2024 election… Waiting to get married… Waiting to buy a house… Waiting for a family member to turn to Jesus… Waiting to get through a disease… Waiting for God to answer a specific prayer… AND sometimes the waiting is frustrating.

Ultimately, all of us are waiting for the One who came as a baby born in Bethlehem to come again and make everything right.

This Christmas Day… You might be in a season of waiting. Don’t lose hope! God is at work! Wait on the Lord because Jesus is worth the wait!

If you feel like God has you in a season of waiting on this Christmas Sunday, two truths you need to remember.

Jesus is worth the wait even when He tarries.

After his birth, Mary and Joseph made sure that they fulfilled what was required of them by the Old Testament Law. Jesus born under OT Law (Gal. 4:4) to fulfill O.T. Law for us. (Matt. 5:17)

Eight days after birth, Jesus circumcised. Identified with Jewish humanity. He was made like Abe’s descendants in every way (Heb. 2:17). Luke focuses on humanity and deity of Jesus.

After 40 days, went to temple for purification. According to Levitical law, anyone who passed blood considered unclean for a period of time. A woman after childbirth unclean for 40 days. (Leviticus 12) Had to offer a sacrifice. AND dedicate Jesus to the Lord (Exodus 13:2).

Mary and Joseph offered a sacrifice that was common of poor people (Luke 2:24).

Simeon at the temple. He was not a priest. He was a Jew who believed that God would send the Messiah. Waiting for Israel’s consolation. Consolation = comfort. (Isaiah 40:1) Israel in need of the comfort of God.

The Spirit of God revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Messiah.

For Simeon, every day was a day of waiting on God. Every day the same question, “Was today the day?”

Simeon often at the temple - saw parents come in with their firstborn. “Is this the Messiah?” Simeon’s life was a life of waiting. Probably always asking the question, “How long?”

Then, on this day - Spirit of God guided Simeon to the temple - Either in the Court of Gentiles or Court of Women - either way - crowded. In the distance he sees parents with a child, and Simeon knows. He rushes to the parents and took the child up in his arms. Mary and Joseph probably taken back.

“You can dismiss your servant in peace...” God fulfilled His promise to Simeon. Simeon could depart…

Simeon could die knowing that this child was the salvation not only of Israel but the entire world (vs. 32). This child would fulfill the promises made to Abraham, to David, to Israel.

God has fulfilled His promise through the One born in Bethlehem. Jesus IS our salvation.

We are saved, and we are being saved. God is not finished. (Ph. 1:6).

When you are waiting remember:

God is sanctifying you. - slow, tedious process of making you more like His Son. He takes you through the refiner’s fire. (1 Peter 1:7) And, He’s working through you… God is using you in the wait… Teaching others how to follow Jesus when life is challenging…

God will glorify you. We are waiting on the return of Christ. He will come again for us and bring us home to be with Him forever as He intended.

We are a people in waiting.

Therefore, don’t waste the wait.

Do what you know to do: stay close to God, stay obedient to God, stay hopeful.

Tendency to NOT wait well. To drift when God isn’t working on our time schedule - when He’s not healing me fast enough, answering my prayers my way, giving me what I want.

We tend to MISS what God is teaching us in the waiting because we’re so focused on NOT waiting anymore. (Teaching us patience, endurance, how to walk by faith, how to be content with where we are right now, etc.)

God is not wasting the wait - He is accomplishing in your life what He wants to accomplish in the waiting.

We’re very impatient with God, but He’s very patient with us. You often give up on God, but He doesn’t give up on you. He keeps working, keeps putting you in a place where He can accomplish the work He wants to accomplish.

Jesus is worth the wait even when you must suffer.

Simeon praises God for the child of Mary. All this sounds familiar. Mary and Zechariah’s song sound similar. The angel’s song sounds similar.

The birth of Jesus had been overwhelmingly Good News to Joseph and Mary - but Simeon - this old, unknown man to Mary and Joseph, shares some bad news.

“Mary… This child will cause suffering in your life.” First time Mary heard that this child would cause suffering. Everything up to this point in the Gospel had been statements of joy - but now a sword to the soul?

Why? This child would NOT be embraced by all. He would cause the fall and rise of many. (John 1) Mary’s own soul would be pierced with a sword. This mother would have a front-row seat to the rejection and suffering that Jesus would experience. She would have a front-row seat to His death. She would be at the foot of the cross when her Son suffered and died.

She would agonize over the death of her son. Then she would wait. She would wait with the disciples for three days. Three days of agony as she mourned the loss of her son. But that agony would turn to joy when she went to the tomb and fount it empty!

I’m sure Mary would say that Jesus was worth the wait even though she had to suffer. I’m sure she would say that those three days of mourning the loss of her son were worth the wait when she found the tomb empty and realized that Jesus had died and rose again for her salvation!

Any suffering that comes our way is worth it when we know that the Christ came to save us and is returning to bring us home to be with Him.

We might not suffer like Mary did or the apostles, but we will suffer for the One who suffered and died for us. We’re seeing it now - agenda against followers of Jesus. It will be increasingly difficult for followers of Jesus in the days ahead. (For some, suffering in your own family because your children refuse to believe the truth that you hold dear.) We will suffer for our faith, but it’s worth it.

Endure with conviction. (We are convinced that Jesus is the King that every knee will bow to.)

Endure with purpose. (We still have a mission. Keep making Christ known, keep showing the love of Christ.)

Endure with hope. (We know how the story ends.)

A statement of suffering - then more joy - Anna - an elderly widow did not leave the temple. This woman knew the same thing Simeon knew - this child was the redemption of Israel.

Bookends - Joy - suffering - Joy - Yes there’s suffering as followers of Jesus, but the joy in following Christ makes the suffering pale in comparison.

If you are not a follower of Jesus - know that Christ has come to save you. He came to suffer in your place - to die the death that you deserve and to defeat sin and death by rising from the dead. Turn to Him today.

Follower of Jesus - Be reminded that Jesus is worth the wait because in the waiting He is working. For you, repent of impatience. Repent of not trusting His work.