Christmas According to Simeon
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· 5 viewsJesus is the promised child who represents Israel's comfort and salvation to nations to all who gladly receive him.
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Introduction:
The Bible is full Irony. I read a fascinating book this week by
One NT Scholar G.K. Beale has written a book entitled Redemptive Reversals defines an irony “is saying something or the doing of something that implies the opposite”
And that God often works with human in ironic ways.
For example:
The Last are First.
The Greatest must be the Least and Servant of All.
Those who find their lives lose their lives.
The Proud will be made Low.
The lowly will be exalted.
And one of the greatest ironies we find in the Christian faith besides the cross of Jesus is the irony of Christmas.
That Creator becomes creature.
That the Timeless One enters time in History.
That the Infinite One becomes finite.
That the All-powerful One becomes weak.
That the One who lives forever is subjected to death.
Our culture likes to sentimentalize Christmas with holiday songs and time with family and gifts to love ones, but Christians understand the irony of Christmas.
That God became man in the person of Christ Jesus.
That the Infinite One became a finite baby that was held in the arms of lowly parents, and greeted by lowly shepherds and nobodies.
Another irony we see in the Christmas story is that God revealed himself to the nobodies and very ordinary people.
Today, we are going to look at the irony of Christmas from the perspective of an ordinary person we know really nothing about outside of these few verses, so that we can celebrate the true meaning and irony of Christmas. Those who understand the irony of Christmas will see it is the greatest message that has been ever given to man.
“We see Jesus endure a human birth to give us a new spiritual birth. He occupied a stable that we might occupy a mansion. He had an earthly mother so that we might have a heavenly Father. He become subject that we might be free. He left His glory to give us glory. He was poor that we might be rich. He was welcomed by shepherds at His birth whereas we at our birth are welcomed by angels. He was hunted by Herod that we might be delivered from the grasp of Satan. That is the great paradox of the Christmas story. It is that which makes it irresistibly attractive. It is the reversal of roles at God’s cost for our benefit” James Boice
Main Idea: Christmas according to Simeon is that Jesus was born under the Law to be Israel’s promised comfort and Savior for the world to all who gladly receive Him.
I. Jesus was Born under the Law (vv. 22-24)
I. Jesus was Born under the Law (vv. 22-24)
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.”
Fulfilling the Law
According to OT Law, a woman would be considered unclean for seven days. It refers to ceremonial uncleanness. She would not be able to touch anything sacred or holy, or enter into the Temple.
The on the eight day, the child would be circumcised, showing that he was marked off as belonging to the covenant people. And the woman would be considered unclean for another 33 days.
It was after this time, Mary and Joseph went to Jersualem according to the Law of Moses. And what is interesting that the Law of Moses and Law of the Lord is repeated 3x.
Mary and Joseph were God-fearing parents. They revered the Word of God and they wanted to obey the Word of God.
First, they come to to ritually purified according to .
Second, they come to dedicated their child to the Lord according to .
“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.”
And third, they came into Jerusalem to offer sacrifice for purification.
“And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, 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. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. 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 when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, 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. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. 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.”
Levitcus 1
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary was immaculate, or that she did not inherit original sin by virtue of the merits of Christ. And the assumption of Mary means that she was taken to heaven because she had no sins, so she didn’t die a normal death.
But Luke clearly teaches that Mary was a sinner who needed purification. That is not to diminish her godliness. Mary was a God-fearing woman. And Joseph was a God fearing man. Jesus was raised in a God-fearing home who revered the Scriptures and obeyed the Law of God.
Parents: Do you want your children to love God? Do you want your children to be love Christ? Do you want your children to grow up with godly influences?
The greatest stumbling block to children’s worship is parents who do not cherish their own worship. They do not love it. Children can feel the difference between duty and delight. They know whether or not Dad loves being here. John Piper
The greatest stumbling block to children’s worship is parents who do not cherish their own worship. They do not love it. Children can feel the difference between duty and delight. They know whether or not Dad loves being here. Jon Piper
“And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, 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. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. 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.”
Leviticus 12:
Dedicated to the Lord
“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.”
Mary and Joseph were God-worshippers. God-fearers. The submitted to the Law of God.
Humble Circumstances
and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
And what is remarkable is that Joseph did not have enough money to pay for a lamb for the Temple Sacrifice. They only had enough money for what poor people could offer, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Jesus was born in humble circumstances to humble parents to display is humility. The irony of all it is that the King of Heaven who owns all things lives under a roof of ordinary blue-collar parents.
The people who took notice of Jesus were not the Caesars, or the Philosophers, or the Religious Elites of the Day, but the Shepherds, the Gentile Wise Men, His Parents, and we will see a nobody named Simeon....
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
1 Corinthians 1:
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
Why all this talk about Law in these three verses?
Secular society think that Laws are subjective and are made according to the culture or decisions of the majority. But God’s Law is higher than human law. Human laws can often be wicked when they goes against God’s unchanging Law.
And as Divine Judge, God is not only the Law-giver, but the Law-executioner. He not only gives the Law, he judges and sentences according to the Law.
And the significance of Jesus’ birth is that He is born under the Law to fulfill the Law.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
He had to go through these rituals to be our perfect representative for law breakers like you and I. That is good news!
Non-Christian—If you are not a Christian, you have broken God’s Law. You have failed to love God with all your heart soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself. And every violation of your failure to love God and love neighbor will be punished. The penalty will be paid by you, or by another. And that is the good news of Christmas.
Christians—As Christians, we are not those who disregard God’s Law. Yes, we are under the New Covenant, not the Old, but the Law of God is still precious to us as it is a mirror that reveals our sin and it is a guide in showing us what pleases God.
Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:
Poverty is not sin. It was popular belief back then and even today if you lived in poverty, you were not blessed by God. But just look at Jesus. Look at his humble circumstances. His upbringing was part of his preparation to be the Servant of His People.
Parents—If you want your children to love God, make sure you are loving God yourself. Be the example. Nurture an environment in your home and in the church where they really see that Jesus is the priority of your life. Children can discern what you really value in what you do and where you spend your time.
Church—We have a obligation to care for the poor in our midst. We are not responsible to solve the world’s poverty problem. Even Jesus said, “You will always have the poor with you”. But we are responsible to do what we can and help those in need.
and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Transition: Christmas according to Simeon meant that Jesus was born under the Law to fulfill the Law…but secondly, Simeon believed that Jesus was the comfort of Israel
II. Jesus was the Comfort of Israel (vv. 25-26)
II. Jesus was the Comfort of Israel (vv. 25-26)
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
O come, O come, true prophet of the Lord
And turn the key to heaven’s door
Be Thou our comforter and guide
And lead us to the Father’s side
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall by His word our darkness dispel
Israel was in Exile. Even though they were in the Land, they were governed by foreign rulers who did not worship Israel’s God. For centuries, Israel was waiting for their Messiah to come to bring back their land and restore Israel’s rule.
Luke
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.
Simeon was a common name. It was the name of one of Jacob’s son. Simeon means “God has heard.” We really know nothing about this man except for his Spiritual condition. He was in Jerusalem, meaning he was probably worshipping in the Temple.
Righteous and Devout
When the Bible speaks of righteous, it speaks of people who believed in God’s promise and were eagerly waiting for God’s promise.
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Habakkuk
He was devout. The word can be translated god-fearing, or reverent. Righteous people believe God’s Word, and believe that God will fulfill His Word even though it may not happen in their lifetime.
And I used the word comfort deliberately because that is what our text says…waiting for the consolation of Israel..Consolation means comfort and encouragement. To better understand the context of the Word, we have to look at Isaiah’s prophecy. The first 39 chapters of the book of Isaiah is God’s indictment upon the nations and Israel and the coming Assyrian Invasion. In other words, both Israel and the Nations will be judged. But even in judgment, God will restore His people.
Think about the oppression of Israel throughout the ages. Oppressed by Egyptians. Oppressed by Assyrians. By the Babylonians. By the Greeks. By the Romans. And down throughout the ages the Devil and Spiritual forces of darkness would constantly oppose God and His people.
But God would judge the nations and restore Israel. He would bring comfort through the Servant.
Righteous People wait for the fulfilment upon God’s Promise
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.
For the Lord comforts Zion;
he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.
Righteous People are enlightened by the Holy Spirit
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.
Righteous People are enlightened by the Holy Spirit
And the Holy Spirit was upon Him. It has been REVEALED to him by the Holy Spirit he would see death before he had seen Christ.
The Holy Spirit is the One who opens your eyes to see Christ for who He truly Is. That He is the Lord’s Christ. The Lord’s Messiah or the Lord’s Anointed One. Jesus is the Promised One and Promised Servant would would bring comfort to His people and restore His people.
But people’s expectations of Jesus back then and even today were wrong. They thought he would immediately rule first. They thought he would form an army to overthrow Gentile oppression.
How can a carpenter's son bring any comfort to Israel? How can One born in such humble settings restore Israel? Do you see the dilemma people faced back then and today?
The opposite of Comfort is distress and anxiety, misery, and sadness, The Bible paints of dark picture of man in his unregenerate state. That we are born in sin. We are born without hope and are lost. We are born in darkness unless light come from outside to within our dark hearts.
And it is the Holy Spirit who reveals that beauty of Christ to us.
Non-Christian—How can I see? It normally accompanies the preached Word. Conversion normally occurs when the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to open your eyes to see the Word of God incarnate.
Christian—If you have eyes to see, it was revealed to you not because you were brighter or smarter, but because of divine grace that you were able to comprehend. Because we too were once darkened in our understanding.
Righteous People—Are not those who try to work themselves up to get themselves on God’s nice list. This is not a gospel of santa claus where good boys and good little girls get gifts while bad boys and bad girls get nothing but a lump of coal.
Righteous people according to the Bible are those who know they are unrighteous, but believe God who is righteous who makes righteous promises and in his righteousness and perfect character will fulfill those promises to those who are waiting upon Him.
That was Simeon. And that can be you and me.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Transition: Christmas according to Simeon was not only that Jesus was born under the Law to fulfill the Law and be Israel’s comforter, but thirdly, Christmas according to Simeon meant that Jesus was the Salvation in the World.
III. Jesus was the Salvation of the World (vv. 27-35)
III. Jesus was the Salvation of the World (vv. 27-35)
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,
The Spirit led him to the place of Worship. It is no coincidence that Simeon is in the central place of Worship. And when the parents brought the child and took him up his arms and blessed God and said:
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;
Luke
Simeon’s Praise
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
“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.”
His heart is overjoyed. Some say this was a psalm of praise. Master, you are letting your servant depart in peace. My life has been complete. I am blessed and I am ready to go. Simeon may have been a old man. Remember, godly people sometimes don’t see God’s promises come to pass in their own lifetime. Just look at . But God was gracious to Simeon because he takes the baby and understands who the child really is. God is fulfilling His Word in Simeon’s lifetime and now he is blessed.
You know that my favorite musical is Les Miserables right? It is the final scene where the main character Jean Valjean is sitting in a chair alone reflecting on his life. He stole a loaf of bread, was convicted as a criminal, released to cruel world where everyone hated him and no one wanted him.
And then one day he was shown hospitality by a priest. He stole from the priest and was caught. Yet the priest showed him kindness and gave to him what he stole. And he was a changed man. He vowed to serve God from that day forward. He would be righteous and just man from that day forward. He would raise an orphan in his care.
And in the finale, he is there as an old man. He raised an orphan as his own daughter. She saved the man would become her husband. His daughter, newly married, come with her husband to tell Jean Valjean to come home with them.
But he is old and frail is ready to die.
VALJEAN:
Now you are here again beside me now i can die in peace for now my life is blessed
I can depart in peace and die now because I see the beauty of your life has become.
That is what Simeon’s says. I have seen hard days. I have seen long days. But because of this child, my life is know been blessed.
The Reason for Simeon’s Praise
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
Luke
My eyes have seen your salvation. That is interesting that he saying that. Salvation seems like an abstract term. It means deliverance.
But as he looks at this one month child, he is saying, I am looking at your salvation. This child is for the salvation of the world.
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
His people would not only include Jews, but people from all nations.
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
Again, back in Isaiah. God’s plan was to save the whole world through his people Israel. But his people utterly failed to be a light. They become apostate. So God would raise up a Servant.
he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Psalm
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
To see Jesus is to see God’s Salvation—Bock
“God is acting for his people Israel. He is saving them according to his plan and promise. That salvation is found in Jesus.” Bock
Jesus is God’s plan to save Israel, and God’s plan to save the world for all who repent and believe in Him.
Christianity is fundamentally about a person. Christmas is about a person. It’s ablll about Jesus.
Gospel is for all people—It is for all people.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
If you have Jesus, you can die in peace—If you have Jesus, you too can say with Simeon I can depart in peace because Jesus has secured our peace with God.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Spirit of God reveals the true Person of Christ—We will know see the glory of Christ unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to us.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:
Church—Let us make sure we are loving His Word like Simeon. Let us make sure we are loving the Christ revealed in His Word. Let us make sure that the gospel we preach is for all people.
Salvation achieved through Suffering
Salvation achieved through Suffering
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.”
Mary and Joseph were amazed at all the things that were being said about Jesus. Every Christmas, Jesus can be ignored by the world today like he was back then.
Luke
Simeon Prophecy
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
In other words, this child would bring opposition or acceptance. This child would bring judgment or salvation. The fall who reject Him, the rising (resurrection) of those who receive Him.
This child would be a sign to reveal the hearts of men where they truly stood before God.
And the word of the Lord will be to them
precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little,
that they may go, and fall backward,
and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers,
who rule this people in Jerusalem!
Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
and with Sheol we have an agreement,
when the overwhelming whip passes through
it will not come to us,
for we have made lies our refuge,
and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;
therefore thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
therefore thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
Isaiah 28:
(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
The figure of speech points to large sword that will pierce through Mary’s soul. It is pointing to the future grief Mary would experience as Jesus mother to see her Son be rejected and even suffer on a cross, so that the thoughts of many will be revealed.
The figure points to Jesus’ bringing extreme emotional pain to his mother.
VALJEAN:
Now you are here
again beside me
now i can die in peace
for now my life is blessed
What you believe about Jesus shows you what you believe about God?
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”
And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.
Jesus is and will be the dividing line between humanity. Humanity divided into two categories. Those who trust in Christ and those who don’t
And every Christmas, those same lines are drawn. Those who treasure Christ and those who treasure something else besides Christ.
What you believe about Jesus reveals what you think about God.
Non-Christian—You either love Christ or ignore Christ. And it is an irony that people love the feelings of Christmas without ever considering the Christ of Christmas. Christmas can be just another holiday you ignore Christ for family or gifts or whatever tradition you have. Or Christmas can mean something truly special as it meant for Simeon if you understand who Jesus is.
Christians—Be not surprised when people oppose Jesus. They did it back then and they will do it today.
Expect those who will be receptive Christ in the most unlikely places. The shepherds, the Gentile Wise men, an elderly man named Simeon and a god-fearing woman named Anna.
No one can be neutral when it comes to Jesus.
This is the irony of Christmas. And the irony of the Gospel.
Those who receive the God-man who died on the cross for their sins and was raised on their behalf will receive eternal salvation.
Those who reject and ignore the God-man will face eternal punishment because there is no other way of escape from God’s wrath.
“We see Jesus endure a human birth to give us a new spiritual birth. He occupied a stable that we might occupy a mansion. He had an earthly mother so that we might have a heavenly Father. He become subject that we might be free. He left His glory to give us glory. He was poor that we might be rich. He was welcomed by shepherds at His birth whereas we at our birth are welcomed by angels. He was hunted by Herod that we might be delivered from the grasp of Satan. That is the great paradox of the Christmas story. It is that which makes it irresistibly attractive. It is the reversal of roles at God’s cost for our benefit” James Boice
Do you see the beauty in the Irony of Christmas?
“We see Jesus endure a human birth to give us a new spiritual birth. He occupied a stable that we might occupy a mansion. He had an earthly mother so that we might have a heavenly Father. He become subject that we might be free. He left His glory to give us glory. He was poor that we might be rich. He was welcomed by shepherds at His birth whereas we at our birth are welcomed by angels. He was hunted by Herod that we might be delivered from the grasp of Satan. That is the great paradox of the Christmas story. It is that which makes it irresistibly attractive. It is the reversal of roles at God’s cost for our benefit” James Boice
What did Christmas mean according to Simeon? Christmas was Christ-shaped. Christmas was all about Jesus.
Christ who was born under the Law.
Christ who would be Israel’s comfort.
Christ who would bring salvation for the world to all who gladly receive Him.
If you are Christian, ponder these truths again this season. If you aren’t receive the glad tidings and good news of Christmas.