Sermon Tone Analysis

Two Faithful Servants Rewarded

Spring Valley Mennonite; January 1, 2023; Luke 2:22-38

Happy New Year!

How has the last year gone?

2023 is here, and the slate is clean!

What are your desires for this new year?

If you are like me, the last 12 months have been a "Mixed Bag" of good and bad.

This next year will most likely be much the same.

Changes, both positive and negative will affect us.

The most positive thing for us will be the constant presence of the Lord in our lives, giving us the opportunity to grow in faith.

Salvation in the present tense means that the Lord desires to continue transforming us in righteousness.

It is a comfort to know that God is oh so perseverant and patient with us.

This morning, the first Sunday of the year, I want to examine a scripture that we often skip over in regard to the Christmas story.

This is the example of two lives that were lived well.

As we begin a new year, there are important lessons we can draw from these verses.

The term "Morning After" is used in a variety of ways, in our culture, most of them are negative; for this audience, I'll use it to describe the potential letdown after something significant happens.

I remember when as a child I felt that letdown the morning after Christmas.

All the presents were opened, all the excitement of Christmas was far distant in the future.

Emotionally, there was a big letdown the "morning after."

I wonder if Mary and Joseph experienced any of those emotions the morning after Jesus was born.

I wonder if they felt inadequate and frightened about the road ahead for their family.

After the shepherds left, and the next day dawned, it was just Mary, Joseph and this new baby, who looked and acted like any other child.

Was this tiny baby really the promised Messiah?

Was this child truly God in human flesh?

God had arranged for the shepherds' visit to confirm that this was a supernatural birth, but the words about the angel visitation faded quickly in the morning light.

But our loving heavenly Father had several additional times of encouragement waiting for these new parents.

This morning we are going to examine one of those encouraging times which occurred several weeks after the birth.

It continually amazes me how God works so beautifully in the lives of His faithful servants, interweaving our lives together.

In Jerusalem there were two older saints-we could call them "Senior citizens"-who had been faithful to God for many, many years.

We can see how God rewarded two faithful saints, and in the same way provided tremendous encouragement for the parents of our Savior.

While our culture tends to "shelve" older people.

God does not.

I would direct our thoughts this morning to Simeon and Anna, spoken of in the second chapter of Luke's Gospel.

Turn to Luke 2, beginning in verse 21 where we will begin.

(Read through v. 24)

I. THE OCCASION FOR THE MEETING

It will help us understand the significance of this meeting if we have a bit of background.

Jesus was born into a Jewish family, a member of God's chosen people; born under the Law and its requirements.

There were a number of rituals which were required in the birth of a firstborn son.

Verse 21 tells us that Jesus was circumcised receiving the sign of the Covenant when He was eight days old.

It was then that He formally was named "Jesus", the name given to Mary by Gabriel.

Another requirement of the Law was what the Jews called "purification" and involved the ritual cleansing of the mother after childbirth.

This period of waiting was 40 days in length after the birth of a son, after which it involved going to a priest and offering a sacrifice.

It is interesting to note the sacrifice offered by Mary, for it reveals something about God's choice of the family which would raise Jesus.

In Leviticus 5, these offerings are listed and there are different sacrifices depending upon your economic status: for the wealthy, one offered a lamb.

If a lamb would constitute economic hardship, two pigeons or turtledoves would suffice.

If the couple were impoverished, an amount of flour could be offered.

This tells us that Mary and Joseph were of the middle class, not wealthy, yet not in the lowest economic grouping in Israel.

Joseph was a member of the honest, working middle class which is always the pillar of society.

History has demonstrated that any society which has only a rich class and a poor class is unhealthy, and ultimately short-lived.

We here today would have been like Mary and Joseph, in the "two-turtledove" class of society.

Mary and Joseph went up to the Temple in Jerusalem for this purpose of purification.

However, there was another reason for them to make the seven-mile trip with a five-week-old infant: although not mentioned, another requirement was to pay the redemption price of the firstborn son.

In Exodus 3, God told the Israelites that "every first-born of man among your sons, you shall redeem."

This was to remind Israel that they had been redeemed by the blood of a lamb from the plague of death in Egypt, whereas the first born of the Egyptians had been slain.

The Law stated that every first- born male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.

The redemption price was set at 5 shekels of silver.

Luke does not mention this payment, I believe because as the firstborn of God Jesus needed not to be redeemed, as God in the flesh, He was already fully consecrated to God.

In Hebrews we see that Jesus is a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, a priest fully consecrated to God.

While these rituals did not have to be done at the Temple at Jerusalem, it strikes me that God arranged the birth of Jesus to be near the Temple so Jesus could be presented in the most sacred place in Israel.

God had not only planned this small detail, but also provided for the mutual encouragement of the holy family and two elderly saints of God.

We continue in verse 25: (Read vv.

25-35)

II.

SIMEON, A MAN RIGHTEOUS AND DEVOUT

While Mary and Joseph were at the Temple, an elderly man named Simeon entered.

The name "Simeon" means "hearing" or "one who hears".

Remember the second son of Jacob was named Simeon, for Jacob's first wife Leah said, "The Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has heretofore given me this son also."

This Simeon is aptly named, for God had heard his request that he might see the Lord's Christ-the Messiah of Israel before he died.

That day God spoke to Simeon: "Go to the Temple" and Simeon listened.

In accordance to his name, he "heard" God when He spoke.

What kind of a man does God hear?

What are the characteristics of someone God would honor in such a way that he would be allowed to hold the very Son of God in his arms?

What can we surmise about Simeon from these few short verses?

First, Simeon is said to be righteous and devout.

The same adjective "righteous" is also used of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist.

God's word adds to Simeon's description, "Walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord".

I would call your attention to the term "walking".

Not just believing or agreeing that one should do these things-not just having his mind full of the requirements of God but living in accordance to them.

And while God graciously extends mercy and compassion to all His children, God's best and fullest blessings-His visible answers to His promises to us, come to those who walk uprightly-who have their behavior in line with God's requirements.

Simeon was such a man; not perfect, but faithful and obedient.

Secondly, Simeon was looking for the "Consolation of Israel"-another name for the Messiah.

What does this tell us about this Godly man?

It tells us first that he was a student of the Old Testament, for he knew the promises God had made to Israel.

More importantly, this man believed God's promises.

We would say today that he truly believed the Bible and centered his life around it.

We get the impression that nothing was more important to Simeon than the things of God.

He was looking for the coming of the Messiah.

This speaks to us: Are we eagerly looking for and longing for the second coming of the Lord Jesus?

Could it be said of us, "We are people of the Word?"

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon; He was "Holy Spirit led".

This is in the fashion of the Old Testament ministry of the Holy Spirit; Simeon was not indwelt by the Spirit as believers are today, but he certainly was the sort of man the Spirit could use, and in fact, did use.

God today promises to lead His children, if we, like Simeon, will listen.

Daily we need to check whether we are "filled with the Holy Spirit", meaning we are yielding to His control and empowerment.

How did God reward such a godly and righteous man?

First, God answered his prayer to see the Messiah before he died.

God made Simeon a personal promise.

God communicated to him.

God speaks to those of His children who are living in accordance to His Word-both then and today.

When we pray "Come Lord Jesus" are we expressing a true desire of our hearts?

Next, God led Simeon.