Eager Expectation

Introduction

Putting out the Nativity set is a family tradition that kids remember all of their lives. One creative dad decided that he would build excitement for Christmas while teaching his kids to keep Christmas focused on the Savior’s birth. He carefully set out the Nativity - with Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and Angels. But instead of putting baby Jesus in the manger, he put a mystery note with a clue as to where they could find baby Jesus. Every day the children would run downstairs to get their clue and see search for baby Jesus. Every night, dad would create another clue and hide the Main Attraction of Christmas. Those children searched daily for Jesus. For the next four weeks, we will be studying about the people in the Christmas story who searched for Jesus, with the hope that each one of us will find Jesus and put him in the proper place of priority in our lives

WE ALL ANTICIPATE CERTAIN THINGS IN LIFE. CHILDREN SIT AT CHRISTMAS WITH EAGER ANTICIPATION WAITING ON THEIR CHRISTMAS GIFTS

The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting. Andy Warhol

Anticipation is a gift. Perhaps there is none greater. Anticipation is born of hope. Indeed, it is hope's finest expression. Steven L. Peck

SOME FACTS

You will spend 2 years of your life waiting in lines

People feel left anxious when in one single line then multiple lines

It takes a lifetime to get Green Bay Packers season tickets. Only 90 or so are released every year. With a wait-list of over 130,000 fans (many of whom were added by their parents when they were born), you’re talking about decades of playing wait-and-see

Good news: approximate wait times make lines seem shorter!

Women lost their patience after waiting in line for about eighteen minutes. Most men lose it after fifteen minutes.

Background

Jewish went 400 years of silence between the OT and NT during which God did not speak

The Roman Empire conquered Jerusalem in 63 BC and ruled over the land. Israel was just a mere puppet kingdom

It certainly seemed as though God has forgotten them. Nothing externally points towards the imminent coming of the Messiah.

That explains why John the Baptist’s ministry was so significant. He was in fact the first prophet called by God since Malachi some 400 years earlier.

Yet despite this challenging circumstance, we read in the various Christmas accounts the faith of a small group of remnants.

They were willing to believe the Word of God, when confronted with the news of Jesus’ birth.

And under very difficult circumstances, for Joseph and Mary, after 400 years of silence without any prophet speaking the Word of God.

Luke 2:25–38 NIV

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Introduction to Characters

Simeon

He was the Lord’s bond-servant (v29) (doulos (lit. a slave)) Sometimes we may think that people are too old, too frail or too limited to be of much use to God, but Simeon life is a rejection of that notion. Simeon obviously didn’t look at himself this way. He viewed himself even now as a servant of God who could do something. He saw that his life did not belong to him, but to God.

We need to be guided by the Spirit

Luke 2:25 NIV

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

He walked with God or in other words he was righteous

Luke 2:25 NIV

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

He was devout

He was waiting on the messiah to deliver Israel

He lived in expectation

He is a prophet

In verses 31–32 Simeon reveals the purpose for which Christ was born. The consolation of Israel is also the light of the world. This babe will bring the light and glory of salvation not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. He is to be the Savior of the world! All the nations will come to him for light and life. Simeon has a 1-1-6 moment, the Gospel equivalent of Paul’s declaration in Romans 1:16 that he is “not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.” Simeon is not finished. The gladness of verses 31 and 32 come also with hints of sorrow in verses 34–35. The old man turned his cloudy eyes to the parents. Simeon blessed them with strange words. This child will be a light, but he will be the kind of light that exposes. Because he exposes, he will face opposition. That opposition will be a violent piercing—a piercing that will penetrate his mother’s heart also.

Anyabwile, Thabiti. Exalting Jesus in Luke. Holman Reference, 2018, p. 52.

Anna

Widowhood she was very old, had been married for seven years, was a widow for 84 years (or, depending on how you read the text, was now 84 years old, and so a widow for well over 60 years). The girls of Israel commonly married at 12 to 14 years of age, and it's safe to assume that Anna married at the average age. But she "lived with a husband seven years from her virginity"; by the time she was, say, 20, she was a widow

She led a life of worship

She prayed and fasted

She is thankful

She shared the good news

Learning to wait with expectation

We need to be watchful

Matthew 25:13 NIV

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

We need to be in the right place

Acts 2:1 NIV

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

We need to be doing the right thing

We need to pray with expectation

Luke 2:25 NIV

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

We need to look for the deliverer

We need to be grateful