Anna and Simeon
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Intro:
Scripture Intro:
According to the Law of Moses
Leviticus 12
Purification for the Mother who gave birth
In this case, Mary...
“… she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, and he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her.
Making atonement for Mary.
Also, how do we know they were poor...
And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”
And we will see in our passage...
the two birds were mentioned as the offering,
not the lamb.
Scripture Reading (“Please stand…”)
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 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
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.
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.
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, 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 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.
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 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
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, 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. 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.
Pray...
Intro:
Intro:
Back in 2016,
A NBC News article reported about a man who thought he had found the love of his life.
Ed Flanagan, “Online Dating: Boyfriend Flies to China, Waits Days at Airport,” NBC News (8-2-16)
Alexander Pieter Cirk, who lived in Holland at the time,
had fallen for a Chinese woman the he met online.
He was tired of the distance between them,
So he got a visa, booked a flight,
and flew 5,000 miles to see her.
He sent her a picture of his itinerary,
but when he arrived at the airport in China,
she was nowhere to be found.
"Convinced that she would eventually come for him,
Cirk decided to stay at the terminal and patiently waited for her."
Patiently, is an understatement:
10 days later...
the "frail-looking Cirk" was taken to a hospital.
But what about his girlfriend?
A Chinese TV team was able to find her,
and "[s]he confessed that she thought Cirk was joking about the trip."
That is typically how we think about “waiting”.
Waiting and the Life of Faith
Waiting and the Life of Faith
(Timer: ___ minutes left)
(Usually between 8:15 and 12:30 to get to 1st point)
(v. 25) and (v. 38) form an inclusio (bookends around a block of verses)
Simeon...
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.
Anna...
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.
Back to Simeon...
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.
Righteous, Devout, and Waiting
Now that would make a good t-shirt,
except nobody who is devout would ever call themselves “devout”
Righteous, Devout, and Waiting
Anna
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, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
A widow.
She was 84 years-old.
Was married for 7 years to her husband,
who passed away while she was young.
If we assume she was in her early 20’s when her husband died,
she was a widow for 60+ years at the time of this passage.
That’s a ton of time to live with things NOT being
as she had hoped and planned for her life.
Yet, the passage says she waited in the temple.
“did not depart” most likely indicates her being there
"all day long.”
Women were not permitted to sleep in the Temple.
The point is that she was in the temple consistently day after day.
(v. 37) “worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.”
Waiting and Hope are two sides of the same coin of “the life of faith”
We live in the tension between what God already done...
And what he will do.
His name will be Jesus,
B/c he will save his people from their sins.
His birth - "now"
His saving - "future"
Simeon and Anna.
Both advanced in years.
Both devout and faithful to God.
Both eyes wide open to God’s work in this world.
Waiting Joined Together with Faith
We think that “waiting” is our problem.
Actually, it’s the “watching”.
Think of children as Christmas approaches.
We all know that the anticipation of Christmas morning...
is far better than the actual experience of Christmas morning.
It is the fact that children waiting with:
eager anticipation
watching and waiting
Longing for it to finally be Christmas Day.
How do they wait?
Watching
Looking for every nuance that changes around the house.
If you put gifts under tree before Christmas Eve,
they notice each and every additional gift.
They’re watching.
Is it for them?
How big is it?
Is it heavy?
Does it rattle?
They wait with “eyes wide open”
Waiting and watching.
Simeon’s watching...
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.
Simeon was looking for “the Lord’s Christ” (v. 26).
Basically, “the Anointed One from the Lord”
or “the Lord’s Messiah”.
Waiting and Faith...
shown in how prayer is present in their lives.
Anna...
She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
Simeon… when he sees Jesus
Bursts into a prayer of praise.
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;
(more on this later)
We’ve learned as a church...
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies
“Waiting on God is an active life based on confidence in his presence and promises, not a passive existence haunted by occasional doubt. Waiting on God isn’t internal torment that results in paralysis. No, waiting on God is internal rest that results in courageous action.” (Paul David Tripp)
Waiting for What Jesus Accomplished
Waiting for What Jesus Accomplished
(Timer: How much time left?)
Before we get deep into the work that Jesus accomplished...
Notice how often the Holy Spirit is mentioned in this passage.
3 times:
(v 25) “the Holy Spirit was upon him.”
(v. 26) “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
(v. 27) “he came in the Spirit into the temple”
“Holy Spirit upon him”
“revealed by the Holy Spirit”
“in the Spirit”...
Which is the language of being led and empowered by God himself.
What is he waiting for “in the Spirit”?
(v. 25) “waiting for the consolation of Israel”
“consolation” - comfort
the long-expected deliverance, rescue, and comfort that God will bring.
Basically, the comfort of God’s salvation.
(v. 38) Anna - “waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem”
The salvation and deliverance of God’s people.
What does Simeon exclaim in praise?
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 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
The work that God promised...
deliverance, salvation.
What he was waiting for his entire life...
he has seen God bring it about.
All of the Old Testament promises...
All of the covenant promises...
Find their fulfillment as God bring his salvation through Jesus.
Even surprising to Joseph and Mary...
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.
Waiting for Jesus Himself
Waiting for Jesus Himself
(Timer: How much time left?)
Don’t miss the fact that the work of God is rooted in the person of Jesus.
The child born to save his people from their sins.
The baby himself
Simeon and Anna were waiting for God’s salvation. Yes.
But they were waiting for the ONE who would come to bring salvation.
Salvation, healing, freedom...
All are found in the person of Jesus.
Salvation is far more than a concept that we experience.
It brings us into relationship with our Savior.
“this child”
Child in his arms… “my eyes have seen your salvation”
Response of Worship
Response of Worship
We already saw Simeon erupt in praise...
Now, Anna overflows with gratitude and praise.
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.
When she encountered Jesus,
she worships.
And she began “to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem”
There is redemption.
It’s found in that little baby.
App. How have you responded to Jesus?
Do you find yourself worshipping him?
Or do you find yourself opposing him?
Those are the only two categories:
Worship or Opposition.
There is a not a casual response to Jesus.
His presence and his glory forces you actively respond.
Response of Opposition
Response of Opposition
Jesus demands a response.
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 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Wow...
“fall and rising of many in Israel”
“a sign that is opposed”
“a sword will pierce through your own soul ALSO”
meaning, this child will be pierced.
Mary, your soul will be pierced as you watch your son suffer and die.
“thoughts from many heart may be revealed”
We have waited for him...
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Close in Prayer
Close in Prayer
Closing Song:
Closing Song:
“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”
Tons of Old Testament references.
Fulfilled in Jesus.
Benediction:
Benediction:
