The long wait has a joyful end

Jesus Presented at the Temple 22 And r when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem s to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in t the Law of the Lord, u “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in t the Law of the Lord, v “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was w righteous and x devout, y waiting for z the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not a see death before he had seen b the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when c the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and d blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant 1 depart e in peace, f according to your word; 30 for g my eyes have seen your h salvation 31 i that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 j a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and k for glory to l your people Israel.” 33 And m his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed n for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign o that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Luke 2:22-35

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22 Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως, ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα παραστῆσαι τῷ κυρίῳ, 23 καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου ὅτι πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἅγιον τῷ κυρίῳ κληθήσεται, 24 καὶ τοῦ δοῦναι θυσίαν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ κυρίου, ζεῦγος τρυγόνων ἢ δύο νοσσοὺς περιστερῶν. 25 Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ἦν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ᾧ ὄνομα Συμεὼν καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος δίκαιος καὶ εὐλαβὴς προσδεχόμενος παράκλησιν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ πνεῦμα ἦν ἅγιον ἐπʼ αὐτόν• 26 καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ κεχρηματισμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον πρὶν [ἢ] ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν χριστὸν κυρίου. 27 καὶ ἦλθεν ἐν τῷ πνεύματι εἰς τὸ ἱερόν• καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰσαγαγεῖν τοὺς γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦν τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὸ εἰθισμένον τοῦ νόμου περὶ αὐτοῦ 28 καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο αὐτὸ εἰς τὰς ἀγκάλας καὶ εὐλόγησεν τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπεν• 29 νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ• 30 ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου, 31 ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν, 32 φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ. 33 καὶ ἦν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ θαυμάζοντες ἐπὶ τοῖς λαλουμένοις περὶ αὐτοῦ. 34 καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς Συμεὼν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Μαριὰμ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ• ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον - 35 καὶ σοῦ [δὲ] αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν διελεύσεται ῥομφαία - ὅπως ἂν ἀποκαλυφθῶσιν ἐκ πολλῶν καρδιῶν διαλογισμοί.

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Sermon notes

The long wait has a joyful end Introduction What we wait a long, long time for reveals what we really love. This passages follows on from the familiar 'Christmas' story of Luke 2. 1. God's faithful people are waiting for him to act (v22-26) Mary and Joseph keeping the law, which was itself a signpost to what was to come. True forgiveness, purity, fellowship with God. Simeon has been waiting, 'righteous and devout', for the 'consolation' of Israel. Allusion to Isaiah 40 onwards; the coming great 'exodus' when God's mighty arm will save. What it means for the Holy Spirit to be upon him, and for him to come in the Spirit into the temple (backstory - loaded language). We can assume he is an old man - the word that he won't 'see death' until he's seen the 'Christ'. 2. Simeon blessed God for keeping his promise (v27-32) What it means to 'bless God' v29 actually language of releasing slaves - deliberate allusion to 'a great exodus' v30-32 in this baby is the great hope and news for all the peoples of the earth. What a claim! How to understand all this? [box set analogy - there is a huge backstory] In short, he has realised that this baby is the Christ. 3. Simeon blesses Jesus and his parents, and warns them of what is coming (v33-35) v34 This child will create great change (how?) This Christmas child is the Easter man - the sign that will be opposed is the cross, and the mother's grief to see him crucified and buried. v35 The cross shows your heart FCF: We oppose the sign, we reject the salvation prepared for all people. -Dismiss (eg science? Come back for the Genesis series) -Or try to live as a Christian whilst rejecting the cross (eg a good life, an intellectual approach, an individualist approach) -Your heart will be revealed Person of Jesus: -This human being, this baby boy, is the salvation. He is the light of revelation. He himself said, I am the way and the truth and the life. Work of Jesus: -The sign opposed was his awful death. -How does God show his mighty salvation? With a cross. How does he untie slaves and release them with a mighty exodus? With the blood of Jesus of Nazareth. Union with Jesus: -How do you respond? -Do you relate to Simeon? -In Jesus, all that is his is yours. You are set free by his blood from this present broken age. -So much more to say than can be mentioned now [next steps] -'I don't have enough faith' - it is not about 'having faith', it's about how faithful is the one talking. Wrap-up Take a tract/gospel; come back to something coming up. The long wait has had a joyful end. Christ has come, he has conquered. Jesus' words: But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matthew 13:16-17 ESV

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