Jesus Is Marvelous

“[Mary and Joseph] marveled at what was said about him.”

according to your word;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation

Luke 2:33 Text

31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

Picture the scene. Mary and Joesphmake the treck to Jerusalem. They enter the temple and are greeted by Simeon. He takes Jesus into his hands and arms, and looks at the child. He says, "xxx"

and for glory to your people Israel.” "

This child is the LORD's Christ, the Chosen One, the Savior, and Mary and Joseph marvel. They have seen angels shepherds, and magi, and still they marvel once again.

But for how long? How long do you keep marveling--amazed and astonished--before life pushes the marveling to the side?

Think of Mary and Joseph. Sure, they flee to Egypt to avoid King Herod, but then they come back, settling in Nazareth. Joseph sets up his carpenter shop. Mary takes care of the house. Pretty soon, it is one day after another after another. Routine. Maybe somedays it is drudgery. even boring.

Perhaps Roman soldiers ride through the town, and the village folk are afriad. Perhaps Joseph has a tough week in the carpenter shop, and it is a struggle just to make ends meet. The weather turns cold and nasty. They huddle together for warmth. Sickness comes.

The Biblical record doesn't mention Joseph after this. Most believe that he died when Jesus was young, and Mary grieved.

Life comes, and it pushes the marveling and the amazement to the side because it does for us as well.

There are times when we marvel at what the LORD has done. I was able to hold a baby, maybe 40 days old, as old as Jesus when he is presented in the Temple. She had such tiny little fingers and toes. I would hand the child back to his mother who would take care of the baby. The child is so dependent.

And then I think about Jesus with his little, tiny, toes and fingers dependent on Mary who will take care of him. And yet, this is the LORD--the Son of God, God incarnate, our Savior, the LORD's Christ in human flesh right from the start, one of us. It is amazing! It is incredible. It is a marvel to behold this incarnation.

And Jesus grows up. He is the Savior. He is the LORD's Christ. He goes to the cross. He rises from the dead to give us a marvelous hope.

Not long after CHristmas... (Illustration)

What a marvel! Incredible. We look at death, the enemy, and we see victory in Jesus Christ. You just have to be amzed at the hope he gives us!

But then life pushes the marveling aside. It is 40 days after Christmas. 40 days for the gifts to be forgotten. 40 days for bills really to sink in. And less than 40 days for the New Year's weight loss endeavors to be either successful or given up.

It can be routine, It can be drudgery... even boring. Something happens and you are afraid. All of us have felt fear--maybe too close of a car accident. Someone gets sick. Perhaps somone dies.

Something happens and you are afraid. All of us have felt fear--maybe too close of a car accident. Someone gets sick. Perhaps somone dies.xxx

We are not all think different from Mary and Joseph. Life comes and it pushes the marveling aside.

What do you do when the amazement, and the astonishment, and the marveling at what Jesus does has been pushed to the side?

For Mary, when Simeon came and took the child, he not only said that his eyes had seen the glory of the Lord, but he also went on to tell, to give Mary a glimpse of, what Jesus would do. He would divide people. Some would fall, and some would rise. A sword, Mary, a sword will peirce your soul too.

And indeed, some people loved Jesus and some people even followed Jesus with heart and sould and mind. Other people could care less. Some were amzed at what he did. Others wanted him dead.

And on Good Friday, it all comes to a head. The "Hosanna! Hosanna!" on Palm Sunday turns into "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Mary doesn't have a literal sword pierce her soul, but she is pierced. The child that she held as a baby with those little fingers and toes, the childshee took care of , the child she watched grow up is dyingright before her very eyes. Very soon his body will be dead, and a mother's love. Her soul is pierced with grief and agony. Can she marvel?

And Mary doesn't have a literal sword pierce her soul, but she is pierced. The child that she held as a baby with those little fingers and toes, the childshee took care of , the child she watched grow up is dyingright before her very eyes. Very soon his body will be dead, and a mother's love. Her soul is pierced with grief and agony. Can she marvel? Not yet. But she will.

Not yet. But she will. Easter comes, and Jesus rises from the dead. The disciples marvel when they see him alive. The women at the tomb marvel, and Mary his mother, amazed, overjoyed, astonished, marvelled. Jesus is alive once again. Her son who was dead has come back.

Easter comes and Jesus rises from the dead. The disciples marvel when they see him alive. The women at the tomb marvel, and Mary his mother, amzed over joy, astonished, marvelled. He is alive once again. Her son who was dead has come back.

How do you marvel? I am not going to give you some magic formula for recathcing the amazement. Marveling comes when Jesus comes to you. Marvelling comes whether you feel like it or not... because Jesus is still marvelous.

He still divides people today. Some love him. Others will have nothing to do with Him. Some follow him with heart and mind and soul, and others could care less.

But it doesn't matter how you feel. He is still marvelous. When a day is so dull and routine and boring, Jesus is still marvelous. When you're afraid, he is still marvelous. When you are sick, he is still marvelous. When the bills come due, he is still marvelous. When you are grieving, he is still marvelous. When you have lost someone you love, Jesus is still marvelous. Jesus is the same yestereday, today, and forever. He is still marvelous!

There will be tiems when we marvel, but he will be marvelous always.

He comes to us no matter how we feel. He comes to us. In His Word, in His body the CHurch, in deovtions, in the singing of hymns, in the gospel words, in Baptism, and this morning he comes to us in one very special way. Simeon's words--"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”--Simeon's words are our words, the words we sometimes sing after communion. Think of it. Jesus takes Jesus into his hands, and his eyes see the salvation of God.

What we sometimes sing after communion. Think of it. Jesus takes Jesus into his hands, and his eyes see the salvation of God.

Think of it. Jesus takes Jesus into his hands, and his eyes see the salvation of God.

In a few minutes you will come up to the Lord's Altar, and you take into your hand a little bit of bread. Just bread? Far more marvelous than that. The very body, crucified and risen for you and for your savlation. You see it. You hold it in your hand, and Jesus comes to you.

A little sip of wine. Just wine? Far more marvelous. His precious blood sed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins. And you leave the Altar, "Lord, now let your servant go in peace..."

We are only 33 days into a new year. Some days you marvel. Some days, you don't. But when it comes to Jesus, He is still marvelous because he is the LORD's Christ. For Simeon. For Mary. For Joseph. For you and me. Amen.

Picture the scene. Mary and Joseph make the trek to Jerusalem. They enter the temple and are greeted by old Simeon. He takes Jesus into his hands and arms and looks at the child. He says, “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.”

This child is the LORD's Christ, the Chosen One, the Savior, and Mary and Joseph marvel. They have seen angels, shepherds, and magi, and still they marvel once again.

This child is the LORD’s Christ, the Chos“[Mary and Joseph] marveled at what was said about him.”

Picture the scene. Mary and Joseph make the trek to Jerusalem. They enter the temple and are greeted by old Simeon. He takes Jesus into his hands and arms and looks at the child. He says, “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.”

This child is the LORD’s Christ, the Chosen One, the Savior, and Mary marvels. She has seen angels, shepherds, and magi, and still she marvels once again.

But for how long? How long do you keep marveling—amazed and astonished—before life pushes the marveling to the side?

Think of Mary. She and Joseph flee to Egypt to avoid King Herod, but then they come back, settling in Nazareth. Joseph sets up his carpenter shop. Mary takes care of the house. Pretty soon, it is one day after another after another. It is routine. Maybe somedays it is drudgery, even boring.

Perhaps Roman soldiers ride through the town, and the village folk are afraid. Perhaps Joseph has a tough week in the carpenter shop, and it is a struggle just to make ends meet. The weather turns cold and nasty. They huddle together for warmth. Sickness comes.

The Biblical record doesn’t mention Joseph after this. Most believe that he died when Jesus was young, and Mary grieved.

Life comes, and it pushes the marveling and the amazement to the side because it does for us as well.

There are times when we marvel at what the LORD has done. I was able to hold a baby, maybe 40 days old, as old as Jesus when he is presented in the Temple. She had such tiny little fingers and toes. I would hand the child back to his mother who would take care of the baby. The child is so dependent.

And then I think about Jesus with his little, tiny, toes and fingers dependent on Mary who will take care of him. And yet, this is the LORD—the Son of God, God incarnate, our Savior, the LORD’s Christ in human flesh right from the start, one of us. It is amazing! It is incredible. It is a marvel to behold this incarnation.

And Jesus grows up. He is the Savior. He is the LORD’s Christ. He goes to the cross. He rises from the dead to give us a marvelous hope.

Not long after Christmas, I went to a nursing home. An 84 year woman was dying. The family and I gathered around her bed for the Commendation of the Dying, a collection of prayers and biblical readings. It is the Church’s way of commending, that is give over, to God all things—all joys, all sorrows, even the sorrow of death.

Simeon’s words are part of the Commendation, and when I read them, her breathing changed. By the time we completed the prayers, she had died, gone home to her LORD and her eternal reward.

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word…”

What a marvel! Incredible. We look at death, the enemy, and we see victory in Jesus Christ. You just have to be amazed at the hope he gives us!

But then life pushes the marveling aside. It is 40 days after Christmas. 40 days for the gifts to be forgotten. 40 days for bills really to sink in. And less than 40 days for the New Year’s weight loss endeavors to be either successful or given up.

Life can be routine. It can be drudgery... even boring. Something happens and you are afraid. All of us have felt fear. Someone gets sick. Perhaps someone dies. Perhaps we struggle to pay the bills.

We are not all think different from Mary and Joseph. Life comes and it pushes the marveling aside.

What do you do when the amazement, and the astonishment, and the marveling at what Jesus does has been pushed to the side?

For Mary, when Simeon came and took the child, he not only said that his eyes had seen the glory of the Lord, but he also went on to tell, in the verses right after our reading, what Jesus would do. He would divide people. Some would fall, and some would rise. A sword, Mary, a sword will pierce your soul too.

And indeed, some people loved Jesus and some people even followed Jesus with heart and soul and mind. Other people could care less. Some were amazed at what he did. Others wanted him dead.

And on Good Friday, it all comes to a head. The “Hosanna! Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday turns into “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Mary doesn’t have a literal sword pierce her soul, but she is pierced. The child that she held as a baby with those little fingers and toes, the child she took care of, the child she watched grow up dies right before her very eyes. Her soul is pierced with grief and agony. Can she marvel?

Not yet. But she will. Easter comes, and Jesus rises from the dead. The disciples marvel when they see him alive. The women at the tomb marvel, and Mary his mother, amazed, overjoyed, astonished, marveled. Jesus is alive once again. Her son who was dead has come back.

How do you marvel? I am not going to give you some magic formula for recapturing the amazement. Marveling comes when Jesus comes to you. Marveling comes whether you feel like it or not... because Jesus is marvelous.

He still divides people today. Some love him. Others will have nothing to do with Him. Some follow him with heart and mind and soul, and others could care less.

But it doesn’t matter how you feel. It is not about you. He is still marvelous. When a day is so dull and routine and boring, Jesus is still marvelous. When you’re afraid, he is still marvelous. When you are sick, he is still marvelous. When the bills come due, he is still marvelous. When you are grieving, he is still marvelous. When you have lost someone you love, Jesus is still marvelous. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still marvelous!

There will be times when we marvel, but he will be marvelous always.

He comes to us no matter how we feel. He comes to us. In His Word, in His body the Church, in devotions, in the singing of hymns, in the gospel words, in Baptism, and this morning he comes to us in one very special way.

In a few minutes, Simeon’s words become our words—the Nunc Dimittis, the song we sometimes sing after communion. “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.” Think of it. Jesus takes Jesus into his hands, and his eyes see the salvation of God.

In a few minutes you will come up to the Lord’s Altar, and you take into your hand a little bit of bread. Just bread? Far more marvelous than that. The very body of Christ crucified and risen for you and for your salvation. You see it. You hold it in your hand, and Jesus comes to you.

A little sip of wine. Just wine? Far more marvelous. His precious blood shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins. And you leave the Altar, “Lord, now let your servant go in peace... for my eyes have seen your salvation.”

We are only 33 days into a new year. Some days you marvel. Some days, you don’t. But when it comes to Jesus, He is still marvelous because he is the LORD’s Christ—for Simeon, for Mary, for Joseph, for you and me. Amen.en One, the Savior, and Mary and Joseph marvel. They have seen angels, shepherds, and magi, and still they marvel once again.