The Work of Immanuel (Lk 2:22-38)

Introduction:

In this year’s advent series entitled, Immanuel: God With Us, we have followed Isaiah’s prophesies of Immanuel from his throne in heaven in Isaiah 6, in The Glory of Immanuel, to his coming as a sign to wicked King Ahaz in Isaiah 7, in The Promise of Immanuel, then on to the description of his complete sovereign reign over all things in The Domain of Immanuel from Isaiah 9, to finally this morning, we saw his arrival as we come to the New Testament as a fulfillment of those prophesies in The Coming of Immanuel from Matthew 1.

Ok, so Immanuel has come, and we saw this morning that Immanuel’s name was Jesus and that he was miraculously conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, thus showing that he had no earthly father, and therefore no sin nature. But is that it? Are we done here? The wonderful scene that made up the first Christmas night was so serene, so miraculous, is that the end? Many of us have been planning for Christmas for 3-6 months…but some will, the day or week after Christmas, take down all decorations, put the tree out to the curb, and seek to transfer life back to normal. However, God the Father has been planning for Christmas from before he created the heavens and the earth, and Christmas Day was the beginning of its ultimate purpose, this we will unpack here tonight as we look at The Work of Immanuel from Luke 2:22-38. We continue with our readings from Luke 2…

Text: Luke 2:22-38

Luke 2:22–38 ESV

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 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. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Main Idea: Since Immanuel has come and his name is Jesus, we must understand that his ultimate purpose for coming was to save his people from their sins.

I. His Dedication (22-24)

(22) And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses - The need for purification arose from the mother’s being ceremonially unclean for seven days after the birth of a son. According to the Mosaic law, for another thirty-three days she was to keep away from holy things (Lev. 12:1–5).

they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord - Mary and Joseph were truly a godly couple and were concerned about obeying God’s laws to his people, so they traveled the six miles north from Bethlehem to the city of Jerusalem, in order to fulfill their responsibilities given in the law.

(23) (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)

Exodus 13:2 ESV

2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

Exodus 13:12 ESV

12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s.

The first male was symbolic of God’s blessing on the family, and was therefore given the family name, twice the inheritance of the others, and was responsible for the spiritual training of the family when the father passed on.

(24) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

The first male child of every mother is presented to the Lord, then redeemed through a substitute (Ex. 13:2).

A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons - indicates that Joseph and Mary were poor, or of modest means (cf. Lev. 12:8), at least not among the more well-to-do who could afford to offer a lamb.

II. His Purpose (25-35)

(25) Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. (26) 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.

Nothing else is known historically concerning Simeon, accept that he was…

He was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel - “Consolation” (Gk. paraklēsis, “consolation,” “comfort”) is the hope that God would come to rescue and comfort his people.

The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, indicating the powerful anointing and manifest presence of the Holy Spirit, who gave him special revelation that…

he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (anointed)- The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would see the Messiah before he died. This of course was no small thing since every Jew wanted to be there when the Messiah appeared, and every Jewish woman wanted to be the bearer of the Messiah.

(27) And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, - Under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit.

(28) he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, (29)“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; (30) for my eyes have seen your salvation (31) that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, (32) a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, - Simeon’s Blessing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit revealed the purpose and work of Christ’s coming:

Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; - he was now ready to die, since he saw the Messiah, and witnessed God’s…

your salvation - God’s salvation…

prepared in the presence of all peoples - as a sacrifice is prepared to be offered, and shows that this sacrifice will include of all kinds of people…

a light for revelation to the Gentiles - Gentiles, who have not had the light of God’s revelation would be included…

glory to your people Israel. - Immanuel, God with us, would be the glory of God, similar to how God’s glory was revealed in the Old Testament to the Jews.

The inclusion of both Jew and Gentile was a fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant:

Genesis 12:1–3 ESV

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Simeon’s blessing was specifically aimed at a salvation that was inclusive of all people, both Jew and Gentle alike. But what was this salvation? It was what we learned this morning when the angel declared to Joesph why it was okay to take Mary as his wife even though she was pregnant:

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

In other words, this salvation would be an atoning sacrifice for his people, just like the substitutional sacrifice he received from the doves and pigeons.

(33) And his father and his mother marveled (thaumazō [pre, act, par] - kept being amazed at that what is outside the norm) at what was said about him.

(34) And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed

Simeon blessed them - Simeon’s blessing now turns to Mary and Joseph…

Fall refers to the judgment of the haughty and arrogant; rising refers to the salvation of the humble and meek

A sign that is opposed - Simeon’s allusion to the servant songs in Isaiah brings into view the opposition and suffering that await Jesus in pursuit of His saving mission (Is. 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12) and that await the church in its obedient service to Jesus (Acts 28:22).

(35) (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” - The sword imagery means that all this will not be without cost to Mary as she sees her son rejected and crucified (John 19:25).

III. His Worship (36-38)

(36) And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, - Prophets were rare in Israel in those days, but the aged Anna was a prophetess from Asher, one of the ten northern tribes conquered and dispersed by the Assyrians.

(37) and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.

as a widow until she was eighty-four - Over her many decades of widowhood, Anna has relied utterly on God and served others through prayer on their behalf.

worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day - God reveals his secret purposes in history to humble servants who continually live in his presence.

(38) And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

she began to give thanks to God - she began to worship and give thanks to God as she saw the Christ child, and…

to speak of him - Now an aged widow and prophetess, Anna, like the shepherds, bears witness to the Messiah’s arrival.

waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem - This is another way of referring to “the consolation of Israel” (v. 25), since Jerusalem as Israel’s capital could stand for the whole nation. She understood that this child was the Messiah, the one who would redeem, or buy back from the slave market of sin, his people, with his own shed blood, as the substitutional atonement for their sins.

So What?

Do we understand that the coming of Immanuel, had a greater purpose then just a peaceful manger scene, that is used as a quick, temporary celebration once a year?

Do we realize, that Christmas and the Cross form a unified bond that causes us who have been saved by Jesus to celebrate 365 days a year?