Sermon Tone Analysis

Midweek Lenten Series, Part 6: Signs of Salvation

*The Sign Spoken Against*

*Luke 2:34*

 

Three weeks ago the sign of salvation was the sign of a baby, based on Lk 2:12.

On the night of Jesus' birth the angel told the shepherds, /"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger"/ (Lk 2:12).

Today, our sign is based on another verse from that same chapter.

Jesus was 40 days old and his parents took him to the temple in Jerusalem to "present him to the Lord" (Lk 2:22), as the Law required for firstborn sons.

You remember the story; an elderly, pious man by the name of Simeon was in the temple that day.

The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that this six-week-old baby was the Messiah.

Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God with words that have come to be known as the /Nunc Dimittis: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel"/ (Lk 2:29-30).

Luke tells us /"the child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him" /(Lk 2:33).

Then, according to the next verses (vv 34-35), /"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.'"/

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A Prophecy Fulfilled

Mary and Joseph must have shuddered when they heard those ominous words.

/"A sign spoken against."/

That prophecy was cer­tainly fulfilled.

In Luke's Gospel alone we see Jesus spoken against many, many times.

At the very beginning of his ministry Jesus spoke in the synagogue in Nazareth-the town in which he spent his boyhood years.

At first, the hometown crowd was amazed at the authority that marked Jesus' teaching.

But when Jesus' words begin to hit a little too close to home, Luke tells us, /"All the people in the syna­gogue were furious"/ (Lk 4:28).

They were so enraged that they drove him out of town and wanted to throw him off the edge of a cliff.

But Jesus escaped.

Imagine the talk in Nazareth in the days that followed.

Imagine how he must have been spoken against.

Later in Luke' s Gospel a man who was paralyzed was brought to Jesus.

Jesus tells the man that his sins were forgiv­en.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law accuse him of blasphemy (Lk 5: 17-21).

A little later they speak against Jesus because he and his disciples did not fast (Lk 5:33).

In the next chapter they speak against him because he and his disciples pluck some ears of grain on the Sabbath (Lk 6:1-2).

That same day Jesus heals a man whose right hand was shriv­eled.

They condemn him for healing on the Sabbath, and Luke concludes this chapter, /"They were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus"/ (Lk 6:11).

Jesus was indeed a sign spoken against.

When a sinful woman anointed Jesus' feet with per­fume, they speak against him and say, /"If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is-that she is a sinner" /(Lk 7:39).

In the next chapter even Jesus' mother and brothers get into the act.

They thought he was going off the deep end and wanted to talk some sense into him (Lk 8:19-21).

There were some who accused Jesus of casting out demons through the power of the prince of demons (Lk 11:15).

Later, when Jesus heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath, the ruler of the syna­gogue becomes indignant and speaks against Jesus to any­one who would listen (Lk 13:10-14).

Luke tells us, /"The tax //collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him!

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered,  'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them'" /(Lk 15:1-2).

Jesus was indeed a sign spoken against.

And we all know what happened at the end of Jesus' life.

His disciple Judas joined in the plot against him.

At Jesus' trial -first before the high priest and then before Pontius Pilate-all kinds of false witnesses were brought forward to speak against him.

Even Peter spoke against him as he denied him.

When he was on the cross, they continued to speak against him-mocking and jeering.

Even the criminals who were crucified with him joined in speaking against him!

*How Do We Speak about Jesus?*

/"This child [will be] ...a sign that will be spoken against," /Simeon had prophesied.

How true it was.

His hometown people, the members of his family, the Pharisees, the experts in the law, the high priest, the Jewish leaders, the Roman authorities, the Roman soldiers, the disciples, the criminals crucified with him-all spoke against Jesus.

How do we speak about Jesus?

What do we say about him?

We would not be here if we intentionally speak against Jesus.

Most of us would probably admit that we do not speak very much about him at all.

But do we ever speak his name in vain?

Are the terms "Jesus" and "Christ" used by us in positive ways or are they sometimes used as expletives?

If we speak his name recklessly, we are actually speaking against him!

If we are involved in a conversation about reli­gion and the tenor of the conversation is that all religions are the same and it doesn't make any difference what you believe so long as you believe, do we speak up for Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life?

Or do we speak against him with our silence?

When an opportunity to share our faith with a friend or relative presents itself, and we change the subject, we are in fact speaking against Jesus with our silence.

And it is true that actions often speak loud­er than words.

What do we say about Jesus with our daily lives?

If our daily lives do not reflect our Christian faith, then we are speaking against Christ with our actions.

Jesus still is being spoken against-not just by atheists, not just by the irreligious, and not just by enemies of the church.

Sadly, he is, sometimes spoken against by us.

Sometimes we speak against him with our words.

Sometimes we speak against him with our silence.

And sometimes we speak against him with our actions and our attitudes.

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There Is Forgiveness

The apostle John says in one of his letters:

/If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

My children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.

But if anybody does sin [and now listen carefully to this], we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

/(1 Jn 1:8-2:1)

Imagine that!

When we sin—including our sins of speaking against Jesus—Jesus speaks up /for us! "Father, forgive them,"/ he says, /"for they do not know what they are doing."

"Father, forgive them," /he says, /"for /I have already suffered the punishment for those sins."

/"Father, forgive them, he says, "for /they are my friends, and I laid down my life for them."