Sermon Tone Analysis

How many of you remember: Choose Your Own Adventure books?

The way these books are set up is that you enter the particular story as the main character, and at different moments you choose b/t 2-3 options as to where the plot will go.

So there ends up being 10 or more possible endings to the same story.

For example, this week I checked out: Prisoner of the Ant People.

I was drawn to this book b/c I wanted to think through my options if I was ever in such a situation.

In this story on page 22 you are trapped by a purple laser beam, and discover that your friend and colleague is actually the leader of the Ant people, who is planning on taking over the universe.

This is devastating news to you.

But you have choices, and it is up to you to determine your fate.

So, after this awful discovery of betrayal will you: 1) Plead w/ the Ant to let you COOPERATE w/ the ant people, or 2), will you use your powers of mental concentration to RESIST the ant and his purple laser beam?

Talk about a rock and a hard place.

These Choose Your Own Adventure books are pretty fun.

They also serve as a metaphor for how many of us perceive the world.

We believe that WE determine our fate.

It is up to US to determine our future reality.

And in many ways this is true.

If I eat nothing but Twinkies and caramels and never brush my teeth, I will be less healthy than I am now and w/ more cavities.

This also goes along w/ our self-perception as Americans.

As Americans, we believe we can each forge new ground and conquer a new life for ourselves.

This rugged individualism spills into our theology.

Our holiness is up to US.

Our status w/ God is determined by OUR actions.

We believe our salvation is private, and it is all up to us.

As Reformed folk we may proclaim the sovereignty of God, but we often live like we are the ones who determine our fate.

We are now in the middle of the Season of Easter.

This is a 6-week season in between the season of Lent and the season of Pentecost.

The season of Easter begins w/ Easter Sunday and logically focuses on the Resurrection.

So the question I would like to ask this season is: What does the resurrected life look like?

And to help us I want to continue looking at the Gospel of Luke.

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Text

Today we will look at Luke 2:22-35.

So grab a Bible and turn to Luke 2:22.

If you look closely, you will see that throughout Lukes gospel the theme of resurrection is strong.

All the gospels report occasions when Jesus actually raised to life someone who has very recently died, not only as a dramatic instance of healing power but also as a signpost towards what God will do for Jesus.[1]

Luke intended to weave the resurrection throughout his gospel, and this is seen even when JC was still a baby.

So lets look at Luke 2:22-35.

And as we do so, ask yourself what this has to do w/ the resurrection.

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: a pair of doves or two young pigeons.

In these verses, the baby JC is brought to Jerusalem, so mom might be made pure after giving birth, and so that JC could be circumcised.

In v. 22, it says the family came to make offerings required by the law.

The context Luke speaks of is in Leviticus 12, which says:

6 When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.

7 He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.

These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl.

8 But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.

In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.

To our modern eyes this may feel weird and isolating, but the intention of these requirements offer 2 things.

First, they allow for the child to celebrated and introduced into the community.

Circumcision was a rite of introduction into the Jewish community.

Second, for the mom, these requirements allow time for the mother to heal after birth.

As v. 23 says, they are dedicating their 1st born child to God, as required by Exodus 12.

This requirement is placed in the Passover account as moment of gratitude after God saved the Israelites from death in Egypt.

v. 24 of Luke tells us the couple offered the required sacrifice, but subtly shows us that this couple was poor, not being able to afford a lamb for sacrifice.

For us these verses are important b/c they show us that JC was raised in a traditional and faithful Jewish home.

He was a member of the community, being initiated into the national identity.

They were not “out-there on their own,” but rooted Jewish people.

Continuing in Luke 2, in v. 25: “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.

26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lords Messiah.”

Simeon is an interesting man in our passage.

He was a devout man of God, filled w/ the HS during a time before the outpouring of the HS.

He was an observant man, who saw the state of the world and LONGED for redemption.

This is why it says he waited for Gods consolation.

Meaning, as the NLT says, He was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.

He longed for things to made right.

And he must have lived w/ great anticipation and forced patience, b/c the HS told Him He would see the messiah.

So he was a man of waiting, a man who was constantly looking.

Looking at Luke 2:27, it says Simeon was:

27 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, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.

Filled w/ the HS, Simeon is prompted that day to go to the temple.

And seeing JC, the day Simeon has literally been waiting for his whole life comes.

He holds JC and praised God, saying: I have seen Your salvation for all people.

He says: You can take me home now b/c I have seen the messiah who will not just rescue Israel, but everyone.

This is significant b/c even from birth, JC was seen as the savior of all the nations.

He was rooted in His Jewish context and community, but He was savior to all people.

So you can see why in Luke 2:33 it says: “The childs father and mother marveled at what was said about him.”

This was an incredible statement, that their son was the messiah.

Continuing, “34 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, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Simeon blesses Mary and Joseph, and prophesied over JC.

So what does this have to do w/ the resurrection?

Simeon is obviously speaking about how JC is messiah, but what does this have to do w/ the resurrection?

As the New Testament historian NT Wright says: This is a miniature judgment scene.

We do not think about this often, but resurrection is in close relationship to what many call “the end days.”

[Really it is not the end of days, but the days of fulfillment, when all will be made right and evil will be banished forever.

But this is beside the point.]

Simeon says that JC is appointed for the fall and rise of many.

JC will be opposed, so that thoughts may be revealed.

This little prophecy of Simeon points to what will happen on the day of fulfillment or judgment.

The dead will rise, and wrongs will be revealed and made right.

Simeon says peoples inner thoughts will be brought to light.

So when we rise and stand before the throne of grace, our revealed thoughts will be laid bare before the living One.

This is where resurrection and the day of fulfillment happen together.

Luke, knowing where his narrative will end, wants it to be seen that Jesus death and resurrection will not occur privately, but that His fate will determine the fate of Israel itself.

JCs life, work, death, and resurrection all announce that God is bringing about fulfillment, that the dead things are being replaced w/ life.

The fate of JC determines the fate of Israel and all people.

His work is culminated on that day of fulfillment, when all thoughts will be revealed, and all will see the power and goodness of God.[2]

The good news we see in this passage is that even from the beginning it was known that JC is the salvation of the nations.

JC is messiah, and His life would determine Israels fate.