Last week we just celebrated the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. Now as adults, when we celebrate birthdays we usually try to keep them low key. We try not to get too excited, but we really play up the birthdays for the children. I guess we kind of do the same thing with Christmas. We play it up for the children but as an adult its something we have become accustomed too. It’s old hat to us. Nothing really special anymore, it appears, at least not for us, its all for the children. Let me ask you something, do you think that was God’s intent? For Christmas to be something for children? Are children the only ones who were to get excited about the coming of the Messiah, the Christ?
As I looked through the various Christmas stories in the Scriptures I tried to count all the children that were excited about this baby’s birth and you know how many I found? None. Not even the little drummer boy. But you know how many adults I found excited, shouting, almost jumping in excitement? Nearly all of them, except for king Herod and some of his wise men. Yet in a very real way even he was excited and moved to action at the report of this child being born. Because Christmas is supposed to evoke action, not because of all the toys that need assembled, or the decorations that need to go up and come down, but because the world has been changed by God stepping foot into it. This is a time to celebrate!
Let’s look at one example of this from the book of Luke of a man who realized this was reason to celebrate, Simeon. In the second chapter of Luke, starting in verse 22 we see the story of Simeon. Of course this is after the angels have already appeared and proclaimed the good news, after the shepherds have gone out and told everyone they could find about this savior who was born, after he was circumcised on the eighth day and given the name Jesus, now, Joseph and Mary were taking Jesus to the temple. Luke 2:22-33
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 [23] (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), [24] and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
There are a few important details here that I want us to make sure we catch. First, Jesus, and his parents were good Jews. They were following the letter of the law as found in Leviticus 12. This took place a when Jesus was a little more than a month old. And notice that the offering that was given was the offering of a poor family, two turtledoves. Why was this important? Because it proves that what was about to happen with Simeon was not tipped off by some pomp and circumstance. That Jesus, Mary and Joseph came as humble poor people to the temple to do what devotion required, as they desired to fulfill all the laws of the Lord. But as the story continues, these were not ordinary poor folk from Bethlehem, for this was no ordinary child. This was the long awaited child, as Simeon was about to announce.
[25] Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. [26] It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. [27] Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple;
So what do we know about Simeon. He was righteous and devout. He was a good Jew. He was looking forward to the consolation of Israel, which means he was expecting God to do something. He was not one of those who believed things were okay the way the were. He knew that God would do something to change the status of Israel, of God’s people, and he longed for it. I think this is something that our religious fervor lacks today, it lacks the expectancy that God is going to do something. In most places it lacks the possibility that God can do something. Yet even in those places where we believe that God can do something, we really don’t long for it. We kind of hope God holds off for a while. We would really like him to wait until we see our children married, or our grandchildren married, or until we get married. It may be that we hope he waits until we get that job we always wanted, or until we get that house we always wanted or take that vacation we always wanted. It would almost be okay if we were hoping he would hold off so that our friends and relatives could come to salvation, come to know him, and perhaps for some of us that is the reason we would rather he wait. But I wish we could be more like Simeon hope with expectancy and longing such that we would desire to see God’s plan unfold. That we would desire to see the salvation of the world. That we would desire to see the Lord’s Messiah, the Christ, above all other desires.
Of course we also have a clue as to why this was Simeons desire and hope, because he was a man that had the Holy Spirit and was guided by the Holy Spirit. As we have said many times, a person guided by the Holy Spirit, guided by God himself has different desires, different plans and goals than one who is guided by his own spirit. It is so much better to be guided by the Holy Spirit than to be guided by the solely Spirit.
So as he was guided by the Spirit, he went to the temple (v 27b)
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, [28] Simeon took him in his arms and praised God,
As the Holy Spirit led him to be in this place, he led him to have his deepest desire fulfilled. This may be a prooftext for the idea that if you want your deepest desires fulfilled, let them come from the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, look at his reaction. Right away he recognized this child and he wanted to touch him. And when he lifted him in his arms, his face probably filled with so much excitement he couldn’t contain the smile, he began praising God. Listen to what he says…
[29] "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
[30] for my eyes have seen your salvation,
[31] which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
[32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."
Now I can go in peace because I have seen your salvation. A light that will reveal you to the Gentiles, and your glory for the Jews. This is who was brought into the temple. This is who this child is. Oh that the world would recognize, both Jew and Gentile who this child we celebrate at Christmas is. If the world would recognize, then perhaps we would spend the day praising God for God has been revealed, salvation has been made possible, God has come to earth. Simeon thought this was something to shout about, something to praise God for. He might have even jumped for joy!
Is that how Christmas makes you feel? Is that how Jesus makes you feel? To know that God has stepped down to earth to be reveal himself to you so that you may know him! Doesn’t that make you just want to shout hallelujah? To know that God has reached down into our hurting, sinful try to be religious as we might, world and said, I am here for you, doesn’t that make you want to jump and shout? You see I don’t think we know who God is if we don’t want to. I don’t think we understand what it means to have a savior. I don’t think we understand what it means to know God if we can just sit back and think “oh that’s God, that’s nice”. None of the people in the Christmas story in the Bible could do it! Except for those that were so awestruck and spellbound that they couldn’t say a thing. Maybe that’s where we are today. And there maybe times for that, but I would rather be jumping for joy at Jesus. Knowing that God loves me so much that he would send himself to come and get me. Wow! That’s better than any hole in one, or any Superbowl victory, that’s better than any straight A report card or clean bill of health. That’s better than anything this world could ever imagine, because God loves you! Hallelujah! Let’s praise him! Let’s celebrate Jesus!
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