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This morning, the day after Christmas, the first Sunday after Christmas, we conclude our series, Worship Christ.
In our passage, we see Mary & Joseph presenting Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem.
While there, they interact with two people, Simeon and Anna.
These two people are remarkable because they demonstrate God’s faithfulness.
While the world was going to you know where in a hand basket, God had preserved a remnant.
These two represent the faithful minority.
Let’s learn from our text.
What we have this morning is a practical application of what we’ve been looking at these last 5 weeks.
Mary & Joseph
The phrase, “They brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.”
This is exactly what we’d expect Mary and Joseph to do.
Already, we’ve seen their determination to follow God.
They both said yes, together they embarked on a difficult journey, not only in travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, but in light of what God had called them to do.
They leaned upon God, and found greater strength in Him, than in themselves.
Indeed, if not for God’s strength, they would not have been able to get far at all.
As the Law required, they presented their firstborn son to the Lord.
Because they were not Levites, they were able to redeem him from the Lord’s service via a sacrifice.
This they did.
However, Christ came to be sacrifice that would redeem everyone.
His whole life was an offering to the Lord.
In this, Christ fulfilled the requirements of all the Levites, all Israel, all people, with his life.
His was the perfect offering.
But this moment in the temple reminds parents that they have the solemn duty, the blessed privilege to give their children over to the Lord.
They do this by teaching them, rebuking them, correcting them and training them in righteousness, the righteousness of Christ.
This is what God requires of every Christian parent.
Yes, we trust the Lord will care and call our children into the promise.
God gives us great responsibility also.
Simeon
Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel.
Having received from God a prophecy telling him he wouldn’t die until he’d seen the Christ child, he lived his life, going to the temple, waiting to see the newborn messiah.
God’s prophecy applies to us as well.
Are we living our lives in the seriousness of knowing that Christ is coming back like a thief in the night?
Are we mindful of Christ’s command to “Take up our cross and follow him”, and other passages like that?
Simeon, “guided by the Spirit... came into the temple.”
What would our worship be and look like if employed the same attitude?
If the preacher and the parishioners came guided by the Spirit, what kinds of blessings might be evident?
Do we prepare our hearts and our minds knowing that we’re worshipping God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the gathered, visible body of Christ?
Are we mindfully aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives?
Are we resisting him, or allowing him to move freely within us?
Do we see what is actually going on?
The Father and the Son are in heaven above, receiving worship.
The Son pleads our cause before the Father saying, “accept their worship for my sake.
Accept my sacrifice of praise as an acceptable sacrifice.
See me, when you look upon them.”
The Holy Spirit sanctifies our actions, our words, our worship, He moves within us, stirring our hearts though prayer, song, scripture and preaching.
He opens our eyes, our ears, our minds and our hearts to the truth.
He breathes life into our dead bones, willing us to do God’s will.
Simeon refers to God as Sovereign Lord.
Do we think of God in this way?
Do we take comfort from knowing that our whole lives are in his hands?
Even vehicle breakdowns, illness, death, life, birth, changes, work, school, everything is within God’s sphere of power.
This should console us when we face difficulties.
The difficulties faced by Joseph and Mary, Job and many others were mediated by the knowledge that they belonged to God.
The words of Romans 8 ring true, nothing can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ, and God turns everything to our benefit, our good.
Simeon says, “My eyes have seen your salvation.”
Holding a mere babe in his arms, an 8-day-old infant, the Holy Spirit enabled Simeon to see that in him is salvation.
He took the words of prophecy and trusted them.
He held the evidence of that trust in his arms.
He held salvation in his hands.
Faith means seeing!
Simeon looked at the baby Jesus and saw salvation.
Years later, that same Jesus would look at weak Simon Peter and see a rock, Jesus looked toward the cross and saw victory!
May God grant us the grace and the faith to see life with transforming potential!
“Salvation which you have prepared.”
Salvation is God’s gift.
It is not human achievement.
Salvation is Christ, through Christ, on account of Christ.
Don’t be confused.
Don’t be misled.
Don’t fall into the temptation of thinking that you can in any way earn or deserve salvation.
Don’t think you’re entitled to the saviour’s salvation.
There’s considerable error among some Christians on this today.
A popular phrase is, “you don’t need to preach the gospel; you need to be the gospel.”
The Gospel is good news.
The good news is that God sent his Son to save sinners.
The good news is Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension.
How can you be that?
You can’t be an historical event!
The good news has to be preached.
It has to be received.
It has to be understood.
It has to be applied.
You are saved from sin.
You are made forever right with God.
This is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God.
This gift, though it appeared in Jerusalem wasn’t only for those people.
It is in the sight of all people.
It is given to all, made available to all.
Unlike Christmas gifts which are usually given only to individuals (though families might receive gifts that benefit everyone like a Wii system).
This gift of God is tailor made for every single sinner on the planet.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Simeon also said, “This child is set for the falling and rising of many...” Jesus said of himself, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life.”
He’s the dividing line.
He’s the continental divide.
He is either death or life.
There are no other options available.
Those who fall, who humble themselves before him and trust in all his work and promises, they will be raised to life.
Those who remain proud, who depend upon themselves their own work their own intellect, their own understanding will fall.
The significance of Christ is evident everywhere.
Christmas celebrations.
Crosses adorning people, buildings, even the heavens.
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