The “End” of Christmas - Luke 2:25-38 - December 24, 2012
Series: Advent 2012 - #5
I remember that as a child, Christmas was really a month long event. It began, each year, on December 1st when the tree went up, the lights were hung, and the decorations set to adorn the house. That’s when the Christmas records came out – and yes, I said “records,” – not CD’s or MP3’s – not 8-tracks either though! - and the stockings were hung and the Christmas baking began. There was a nearly tangible air of anticipation that filled the house. It grew with each passing day until it reached a frenzy Christmas Eve, exploded in excitement and laughter Christmas morning, and then faded away for another year on December 31st when the tree and the decorations would come down. I loved the sense of wonder that filled my heart each Christmas. But I didn’t like the waiting. And as a child it’s the waiting for Christmas morning that I remember so well. Knowing that there were gifts under the tree, something special chosen just for me, but waiting for the moment when I would be able to truly make it my very own.
Generally speaking, even as adults, we don’t like waiting, but most of us find ourselves waiting for something none-the-less, don’t we? And I’m not simply speaking of waiting in lines or for a meal to be ready. I’m thinking of the waiting so many of us do – waiting for that moment in life when a dream comes true, when we suddenly realize that we’re living the life we’d set our hearts on, that moment when expectations and hopes come together in the same place and time. Or maybe you’re waiting for that day when life will begin to make sense again – because right now it doesn’t - and deep inside you’re wondering if it ever will again. You’re longing for that intangible future day when the heartache and grief you experience are bound up and healed. There are so many things like these that we find ourselves waiting for, hoping for, longing for - and so it is that maybe you find yourself waiting for something during this Christmas season. And it won’t be found wrapped up in a box, nor under a tree; you’re waiting for something not sure what it’ll be – not even sure if you could put a finger on it, and call it by name - but desperately longing for it none-the-less.
If so, you’re not alone. It has often been this way. Till the birth of Christ the whole nation of Israel had been waiting to hear from God. It had been 400 years of silence. 400 years when the prophets had not spoken. 400 years since the people had heard from God. 400 years of longing for the hand of God to touch their lives and the Spirit of God to fall upon them. 400 years of anticipation and hope, of wondering and desire, of brokenness and need. 400 years of waiting.
But friends, in the events of that first Christmas, God was moving. God was stirring the world, God was doing that which no eye had seen, nor ear had ever heard; He was doing that which had never been done before. And in the midst of it all we hear the faithful cry, of one man, and one woman – a man and a woman who had been waiting for so very long - yet who never lost hope. A man and a woman who discovered the very things they had been longing for, waiting for, desperately needing, in the birth of Jesus. And I want to share their stories with you tonight because some of you are waiting. Waiting to hear from God. Waiting for Him to enter into the brokenness, the need, the moments, of your life. If you have your Bible with you, and would like to follow along, you can turn to the Gospel of Luke. Luke, chapter 2 and we’ll begin reading in verse 25 …
And keep in mind that the stories of these two lives don’t find their way into the pages of the Bible by accident - God chose for Luke to record their testimonies for a reason. Yet at first glance neither seems to be a likely candidate for such an honor. But as is written in Scripture, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” [1 Corinthians 1:27] And so it is in this case for there is nothing extraordinary about the lives of these two people - unless it be their faith in God. There is nothing seemingly special about them that would set them apart - but for these few, brief moments of time, their lives intersected with that of the Christ child, and all the longing, all the waiting, all the hoping of the years, was realized in their hearts. This is what we read beginning in verse 25 …
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“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.”
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then 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.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” [Luke 2:21-38] This is the Word of the Lord.
Folks, when a child is born, the parents rejoice, and the relatives take note. When a king is born a people celebrate and a nation is riveted. When the Savior was born, though his birth was foretold of in the pages of Scripture, though it was heralded by a bright new star shining in the heavens, though it was proclaimed by angels, though it was rejoiced of in heavenly places, scarcely anyone on earth took note. There were a few exceptions of course – the shepherds understood that something wonderful had happened. The wise men understood that a king above all kings had been born. Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah understood that this tiny infant was an extraordinary expression of God’s love. But to most of the people who would have been gathered in the temple on that day, Jesus was just another baby born to a poor Jewish couple and they, like so many today, would never give Him a second thought.
In the midst of this scene Simeon and Anna stand out in stark contrast to everyone else. To them this baby is not just another child – one among thousands – to them he is the ONE. He is the one for whom they have been waiting. He is the chosen one of God. He is the Messiah, the Savior, the Christ child. He is the hope of the nation! He is the salvation of the world!
And perhaps in the end it is not so surprising that the Holy Spirit revealed to these two the true nature of that precious baby after all. For we are told that Simeon was “righteous and devout” and that Anna “worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.” These were two for whom faith was very real. God was not distant and far off – He was near and close at hand - and they knew this and so they lived lives of worship loving the lord their God with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind, with all their strength.
And so when the Christ enters into their presence, in the temple, Simeon knows – this is the One – this is the consolation – this is comfort - this is the hope of Israel. And Anna knows that in the life of this tiny child is the redemption – the forgiveness, the salvation – the hope of her people. Their waiting is over! God has come to do what only God could do! He’s kept His word. He’s kept the faith. He’s sent His Son.
Friends, “Christmas is a great reminder that we’ve not been forgotten. … In her book “The Whisper Test,” Mary Ann Bird writes:
I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it. I was born with a cleft palate, and when I started school, my classmates made it clear to me how I looked to others: a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled speech.
When schoolmates asked, “What happened to your lip?” I’d tell them I’d fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than to have been born different. I was convinced that no one outside my family could love me.
There was, however, a teacher in the second grade whom we all adored -- Mrs. Leonard by name. She was short, round, happy -- a sparkling lady.
Annually we had a hearing test...Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everyone in the class, and finally it was my turn. I knew from past years that as we stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper something, and we would have to repeat it back--things like “The sky is blue” or “Do you have new shoes?” I waited there for those words that God must have put into her mouth, those seven words that changed my life. Mrs. Leonard said, in her whisper, “I wish you were my little girl.”
[Friends, what do you hear in the whisper of Christmas? Do you hear the heartbeat of the Lord? Do you hear the profound depth of God’s love for you and me? Do you hear the answer to that which you’ve been waiting for? Simeon and Anna did. They heard that which so many others missed, and are still missing today some 2000 years later. They heard God whispering their names, calling to them, revealing His heart, inviting them to be a part of His family, and to do life with Him. That’s the good news of Christmas. It’s not about reindeer and presents and eggnog and decorated trees. It’s not about parties and meals and family gatherings. Its’ about God entering into our world, the divine taking on flesh, the infinite becoming an infant, and doing life with us. It’s about God being present with us today.
So folks, let me ask you again: Do you hear the whisper of God this Christmas?] Christ is the creator, and the Lord is life and light. (Brian Bill, When the Infinite Became an Infant, www.sermoncentral.com) Jesus is God’s gift to us! He’s the one for whom the world has been waiting.
He is the consolation – the comfort – that Simeon had been waiting and longing for. In the midst of pain and suffering, of heartbreak and sorrow, illness and death and grief, we find comfort, hope, strength and life, in Jesus.
He is the redemption that Anna had been seeking and waiting to experience. We live in a world broken by sin. We live lives filled with darkness. We’re in bondage to that which breaks the heart of God and that which separates us from Him. The Bibles tells us that we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) but, that, “because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4–5) This is the redemption that Anna knew she, and all peoples, so desperately need. And we have that redemption, that forgiveness of sins, that reconciliation and peace with God, not by our good works, but by faith in Jesus who has redeemed us from all sin!
And so our thoughts turn back to Simeon and Anna for in them we find two people coming face to face with God’s incredible love and God’s amazing grace - the love and grace of God made manifest in Jesus Christ. In Him they found the fulfillment of so many prophecies made in years past, for now, as the prophet Isaiah had foretold: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. … They can say in the words of Isaiah, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” [Isaiah 9:2, 6-7]. And friends the zeal of the Lord Almighty has accomplished this, and Simeon and Anna saw it, and they believed.
And I invite you to see in Jesus, that which Simeon and Anna saw in Him, that you might know the joy and the hope that they knew, and that you might respond as they did – in praise and glory to God! So don’t ignore Him; don’t reject Him. He’s the one that you’ve been waiting for even if you were not able to name the longing of your heart. He’s whispering your name and inviting you to be His son; His daughter.
Listen to Simeon’s words to Mary once again, “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.” Jesus Christ is the “Revealer of Hearts.” And what’s in our hearts will be shown in our response to Jesus this Christmas – and indeed in each and every day. For Scripture teaches that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks [Matthew 12:34] and the person acts. And all we say and do is a revealing of what is in our hearts and how we’ve chosen to respond to the Christ child.
In the Christmas story God is with us in the person of Christ. In fact Jesus is also called “Immanuel” meaning “God with us.” And God is with us here today in these moments as well, and as He does again and again, He is revealing Himself as a great light to a people living in darkness – the darkness of sin, despair, grief, pain, sorrow and shame. And He’s offering to them, to us, something better. He offers redemption – deliverance, He offers consolation – comfort, He brings with Him a peace that so many are lacking today, and He lays them before us and says, “Here. These are my gifts for you. Take and enjoy. Take and live!”
That’s what the Christmas story is all about – an end to the waiting - God coming into the world – but even more importantly – God coming to you and offering you love and hope, forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. And if once we understand that and accept it for ourselves, once we believe as Simeon and Anna did, then we will respond in faith as they did too. For when Simeon saw the Messiah - praise to God rang forth from his lips. And when Anna saw Him her heart was moved to thanksgiving as she recognized the love of God in that tiny child.
And so this season, my hope, my prayer, is that each and every one of us might recognize our Savior in the Christ child of the Christmas story, that praises may ring forth from our lips and thanksgiving overflow from our hearts, and hope live in our souls, as we celebrate the love of God for us, in Jesus Christ.
Take time in these days to see the wonder of Christmas – to see what Simeon and Anna saw. To understand what it means that God humbled Himself and walked amongst us in the flesh. Take time to know and experience, to live and receive, the comfort and the redemption that is found in the Christmas story for we live in a broken world and our hope is in God alone. May you hear God whispering your name this Christmas!
Let’s pray …
