Christmas Eve 2021 Sermon

Intro/Welcome

Welcome

Merry Christmas

My name is Justin

Welcome you here tonight as we celebrate the birth of the savior.

We want to spend a few moments tonight reflecting on the significance of Christmas.

We are going to be in the Gospel of Luke 2:21-35.

Intro

In Luke 2 we have a series of Witnesses as to the Identity of Jesus

Luke 2:1-7 is the account of the birth of Jesus

Angelic Visitation to Mary and Joseph

Luke 2:8-20 Then Angels reveal themselves to Shepherds and declare that a Savior has been born, the Messiah, the Lord

Luke 2:11 (CSB)

11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

Shepherds and Angels

Luke 2:21-38

Simeon and Anna

God revealed the messiah to these people in unexpected ways.

Today

Today I want to look at just one of those stories

A man named Simeon

A man who was waiting with expectant anticipation and God revealed himself in an unexpected way.

God comes in the most unexpected way to be with us, and so that we could be with HIM.

God reveals himself in the most unexpected ways

reveals himself supernaturally

why did he come

Bible:

We’ll be in Luke 2:21-38 tonight.

Encourage you to go there in your Bibles

Let’s ask the Spirit of God to Work through the Word of God tonight.

Let’s pray.

Pray

Luke 4:18–19 (CSB)

18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Context

Jesus has just been born

Luke 2:21–24 (CSB)

21 When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before he was conceived.

22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord) 24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons).

The journey of Jesus’ parents to the temple in Luke 2:22–24 combines three separate ceremonies as recorded in God’s law:

the purification of a woman forty days after the birth of a child (Lev. 12:2–4, 6),

the presentation of the firstborn to God (Ex. 13:2, 12, 16; 34:19; Num. 18:15–16),

Exodus 13:2 (CSB)

2 “Consecrate every firstborn male to me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is mine.”

and the dedication of the firstborn into the Lord’s service (1 Sam. 1–2).

Forty days after Jesus’ birth is the time of the circumcision (eight days) plus the 33 days of Lev. 12:3–4 counted inclusively

So Jesus is about a month old.

And as they are doing this they meet a man to whom God has already been working.

Simeon

Luke 2:25–26 (CSB)

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.

We don’t know much about Simeon other than what the text tells us here.

he was righteous, upright, trustworthy

he was devoted to the things of God, he walked with and intimacy with God.

He was yearning for the Redemption of Israel

the long awaited hope of all the Israelite people

that God’s messiah, savior would come and rescue them.

And it had been revealed to Him that he would see God’s Messiah before he died.

He is presumably an older gentlemen

How did he know this?

Holy Spirit Revelation

The text says the Holy Spirit was ON HIM

and the Holy Spirit REVEALED it to Him.

We don’t know exactly how the Holy Spirit revealed this to him:

It could have been a dream or a vision

maybe he was reading an OT scroll one day and the H.S. spoke to Him through a text

maybe he heard the voice of the Holy Spirit as Elijah did (the whisper of God (1 Kings 19:11)

or the voice of God (as the boy samuel did (1 Sam 3)

We don’t know, but we do know he believed it

and he waiting in expectant anticipation for when that day would come.

For the ADVENT of the Christ.

This is not unlike the joy and anticipation you felt as a Child for Christmas morning

or if you have kids now

There’s joy b/c you are waiting for a great gift!

This is what Simeon would have felt

and just as you wake up Christmas morning and you see the presents under the tree and you know it’s time

Simeon also knew the Christ as soon as he saw Jesus!

The Savior Revealed

Luke 2:27–32 (CSB)

27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, 29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples— 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.

“Guided by the Spirit”

Again we don’t know exactly how the Spirit Guided him

but Simeon woke up that morning and something drew Him to the temple.

Simeon sees Jesus

and he just knows.

How did he know?

We don’t know

Kind of like how you know you are in love, right you just know.

The mind and the emotions line up.

his heart was filled with joy

just like opening presents on Christmas morning

Simeon’s Expectations

What do you think Simeon expecting?

Do you think he was expecting a month old baby?

More likely, a conquering political hero like the rest of Israel.

But the moment he saw Jesus

this tiny little baby

He KNEW

The Holy Spirit testified with His spirit

That is the ONE.

Maybe it was like Samuel’s Anointing of David

Go through seven sons, then the youngest

the most unlikely.

1 Samuel 16:12 (CSB)

12 So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance.

Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”

So he sees Jesus and he knows “this is the one”

Simeon’s Words about Jesus

He picks the Child up and listen to what he says about this month old Baby Jesus.

There’s four things we learn about this Baby Jesus.

The Lord’s Messiah

Luke 2:26 (CSB)

26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.

He was the Lord’s Messiah, the anointed one, the one who would rescue Israel

the one the OT prophets foretold time and time again

The Lord’s Salvation

He calls Jesus “your Salvation”

Luke 2:30 (CSB)

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.

He is the one who would save Israel

Light to the Gentiles

This Jesus would both be:

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

That’s all believers everywhere.

Glory to Israel

Glory to Israel — the glory of the Lord revealed in the man Jesus.

Who is the Glory of the people of Israel?

The Lord himself.

Jesus

This Jesus is the Savior, the Messiah, a Light to the nations and the glory of Israel.

God came in the most unexpected way.

Why did he come? to Save us from what?

God came to be with us SO THAT we could be with Him (2x)

Let’s unpack that.

Why would God need to come to be with us?

human sin, our decisions to turn away from God and towards

our own ways

our own understandings

our own desires.

You see God didn’t turn away from us, we all turned away from Him.

God came as a man in order to turn us back to God.

He does it by removing Sin:

and he did that be removing the one thing keeping us from God

our sin, our shame, our guilt

He was born so that he could die for the sins of the World.

and having paid the price for sin, the price we all owed

he ransomed us back to God

He pays the price in full and frees us from the penalty of Sin and the power of Sin

and one day will free us from the presence of Sin

as we stand in the presence of our God and Savior.

Illustration: Paid my Debt

Speeding Ticket and fine?

Imagine that ticket was the cost of a mortgage.

Jesus pays the price.

This is what Simeon testifies about Jesus.

It’s Glorious.

God came to be with us, so that we could be with Him.

And he came in the most unexpected way

well not really if they had been paying attention to their Bibles more closely.

But Simeon has one more prophetic word to say about Jesus.

Responses to Jesus

Luke 2:33–35 (CSB)

33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary,

“Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed

—35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—

that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Simeon is prophesying here.

What is he saying?

Jesus is this Great Savior

but not everyone will believe in Him.

Some will not believe

some will oppose him

Some will crucify him

this is the pain that Mary will have to endure,

not just the opposition and rejection of her son

but his execution.

Jesus came to reveal hearts.

Luke 2:35 (CSB)

35 ...that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

What will be revealed?

that all have sinned, all have turned away from God. (Rom 3:10-12

But also to reveal the WAY

John 14:6 (CSB)

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus came to reveal

the truth

that we were far from God, but God was not far from us.

To Make a way:

he came to bring us back Home to God, by dying for our sins.

he was cast out on the cross, so that we could come home.

To Give Eternal LIFE:

That is the greatest Gift we could ever receive.

Eternal life, with eternal joy, with the Eternal One.

Closing

God came in the most unexpected way to be with us, and so that we could be with HIM.

This is the greatest gift the world has ever seen

It’s Christmas morning x 1000

Christmas joy, cookies, cakes, meals

It’s all a picture of what awaits us in Heaven

and what we get a foretaste of now.

But what good is a gift if it is not recognized?

Maybe God is coming to you tonight in a way you might not expect.

or maybe that’s the hundreds of ways God shows up in our lives everyday, but we don’t recognize them as gifts.

Maybe you have not yet opened the Gift of God?

maybe tonight he is calling you to open and enjoy the greatest gift every given

The Gift of Jesus Christ.

The Gift of God’s presence in your life.

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to Move in us just as he did with Simeon.

Let’s Pray

Open the Gift.

Enjoy the Gift

Recognize the gifts you give us each day.

Holy Spirit

Remove obstacles from your relationship:

sins, addictions, busyness

and just sit with God in his word

in praise and prayer

and ask him to speak with you.

Wait on the Lord, just as Simeon did

and in his timing, you also are guided by the Spirit, will experience the fullness of God

Amen!