Luke 25:25-40
During Advent we think about the Holy Birth of Jesus and will celebrate it at Christmas time. Speaking of birth, let’s go back sixty years or so, a more civilized time, when an expectant father drove their wife to the hospital, put her in the care of doctors and nurses, then went to the waiting room to chain smoke cigarettes and drink vending machine coffee. These are the golden olden days of child delivery!
Anyway, the scene is a room full of “Nervous Nelsons,” all waiting eagerly for word on the fate of wife and baby. There are four men in the maternity waiting room this September night. There is little conversation, each man concealing his fears of disaster. Into this scene come a nurse. Almost all the men jump to their feet, hopeful for a report. The nurse crosses to one of the soon-to-be fathers and congratulates him on being the father of twins.
After a round of slaps on the back and congratulations, the new papa says, “That’s quite a coincidence! I play baseball for the Minnesota Twins!”
The other men resume their seats as the happy ballplayer is escorted out to meet his new children.
Interminable minutes pass.
Then – the sound of footsteps in the hall. The door parts and another nurse steps in. The scene is repeated.
This time she tells the man he is the father of triplets!
He smacks himself on the forehead in disbelief. “That’s amazing!” he said. “I work for the 3M company!”
Suddenly one of the expectant fathers slumped to the floor. He fainted!
Moments later, the nurse has him awake and asks, “Sir, are you alright?”
“No,” he responded, “you see, I work for Seven-Up!”
We’re seeing that Jesus’ birth is to be understood with a similar sense of destiny. However, at the time, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were just another peasant family who’d journeyed to Jerusalem to fulfill their religious duties as the Law of Moses demanded. To the general public, they were invisible, indistinguishable from all the rest of the crowd. However, on this day that they appeared in the temple, two faithful saints would be given the spiritual vision to see the true identity of the child Jesus.
Context: Joseph & Mary's faithfulness (22-24), Joseph and Mary were faithful to observe the Law in all its particulars. It was time for Mary’s purification offering after having given birth. This was a period of 40 days after birth if the first born was a son, 80 days if the child was a female (Leviticus 12:3-4). During this time the mother was not allowed to leave the house and was considered "unclean."
The consecration rite was for baby Jesus, as the Law dictated, the firstborn son had to be "redeemed." This was because the firstborn male of all species were considered to belong to the LORD (see Exodus 13:2; 34:19; Numbers 18:15-16).
Two people who faithfully frequented the temple in Jerusalem were given the privilege of knowing Jesus’ true nature.
1. Jerusalem.
The Hebrew name for the city, “Urusalim,” means “the foundation of God.” Above all other spots on Earth, the Most Holy place in the temple in Jerusalem was understood to be the place God resided.
Located in the hill country of Judah, Jerusalem has a rugged and treacherous landscape that protected access to the city from the east and west. “Biblical Jerusalem was built on two parallel north–south ridges. The western ridge, the higher and broader one, is bounded on the west and south by the Hinnom Valley. The narrower and lower eastern ridge is bounded on the east by the Kidron Valley, which in the Jerusalem area flows basically north to south.” (Zondervan Academic.com) Though it was far removed from the coastal and the Transjordanian highways, it still became an important capital in the region because of the success of the reigns of King David and his son Solomon.
The Bible mentions Jerusalem more than any other place: about 800 times. This fact reflects the exalted status God bestowed on the city and its place in history.
The role Jerusalem played in Jesus’ life is similarly central. Jerusalem was the site of the single greatest event in history, Jesus’ death and Resurrection. It is arguably the most important place in the Gospel accounts. When He comes again, Jesus will appear in Jerusalem.
2. Simeon was overjoyed to see the Messiah (25-35).
Luke provides us with significant detail about Simeon's qualifications as a man of God. Luke called Simeon RIGHTEOUS or "just;" Simeon was faithful in his dealings with both God and man. He said Simeon was DEVOUT or "feared God." Luke uses this word to describe Jews who carefully kept the Law of Moses.
Simeon had been WAITING FOR THE MESSIAH TO COME AND RESCUE ISRAEL by sending a leader who would lead His people to true freedom. This was Simeon’s greatest hope and desire.
Most importantly, THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS UPON HIM. At this time in history, (prior to the Pentecost experience in Acts 2), the Holy Spirit was only given to specific persons to do a specific job, and then withdrawn. THE HOLY SPIRIT... REVEALED 2 things to Simeon. First, that he WOULD NOT DIE UNTIL HE HAD SEEN THE LORD’S CHRIST. He may’ve been waiting a long time; the non-biblical “Gospel of the Nativity of Mary” sets Simeon’s age at 113. Second, the Spirit revealed to Simeon the true nature of the baby Jesus. I’m sure there was nothing about baby Jesus or His family that stood out to the unaided eye. The Spirit gave Simeon true insight.
The statement that THE SPIRIT LED HIM (v. 27) means that God put Simeon at the right place at the right time to reveal the truth to him. Here are the things the Spirit revealed to Simeon.
- The baby would be the means of SALVATION God prepared for His people (v. 30). We are saved because of what God has done for us, never by what we do for Him.
- The universal offer of salvation is also affirmed in the phrase FOR ALL PEOPLE (v. 31). Simeon, had Spirit-led eyes of faith, could understand that fact.
- He would be A LIGHT TO REVEAL GOD TO THE GENTILES (v. 32) so that non-Jews could be saved.
- He would bring GLORY to Israel because He was one of their own; a Jew (v. 32). We need to remember that non-Jewish (Gentile) folks like us were ADDED to the Kingdom of God.
- He was DESTINED TO CAUSE MANY IN ISRAEL TO FALL (v. 34). Jesus is the standard that will condemn some as sinners and commend others as saints. An individual’s destiny chosen by themselves in relation to Christ.
- HE WILL BE SENT AS A SIGN FROM GOD, BUT MANY WILL OPPOSE HIM (v. 34). A SIGN is a symbol; something we can see that points to and explains something unseen. Jesus would be opposed because He revealed things from God that people did not want to hear because THE DEEPEST THOUGHTS OF MANY HEARTS WILL BE REVEALED (v. 35). The inner state of every person is revealed by their reaction to Jesus. By faith in Him and their righteous living, the true followers of Jesus reveal themselves. Jesus supernaturally knew what others around Him were thinking (see Mark 2:8).
What Simeon prophesied about Mary in v. 35 is dramatic: A SWORD WILL PIERCE YOUR OWN HEART TOO. This SWORD was a symbol of particularly strong grief.
We know Simeon found joy in Jesus because HE TOOK THE CHILD IN HIS ARMS (v. 28). Joseph and Mary may have been surprised at Simeon’s sudden action. After all, Simeon was not a priest, so he had no reason to take the baby like that. Having waited all those years, we can understand if Simeon were a excited and a little ahead of himself.
Simeon PRAISED GOD (v. 28). THIS was the most praiseworthy moment in his life. He blessed Joseph, Mary & Jesus.
His joy was so complete that Simeon was content to die. Now that God's promise to him (v. 26) had been kept, his greatest desire fulfilled, he had no further use for life in this world.
3. Anna was overjoyed to see the Messiah (36-38).
Likewise, Luke explores Anna's qualifications as a woman of God. First Anna was recognized as a PROPHET at a time when no men were recognized as prophets. The office of prophet ceased with Malachi and there had been 400 years of silence, no prophecies given.
Second, her family was bona fide: she was a DAUGHTER OF PENUEL FROM THE TRIBE OF ASHER. Women of this tribe were known for their beauty and were frequently wed to important people. The text mentions the length of her brief marriage to establish that Anna was a godly woman and to show how long she had been a widow. The reader would understand that Anna is on equal footing with Simeon in terms of religious authority.
Third, Luke noted that Anna NEVER LEFT THE TEMPLE. Technically, only the priests resided in the temple district. If this verse is literally true, then Anna was exceptional in this detail too. Anna did not just take up space in the temple courts: she worshipped DAY AND NIGHT with FASTING AND PRAYER; godly Jews fasted at least two days a week.
Anna's relationship with God was manifest in a gift of witnessing. The phrase AT THAT VERY MOMENT means she heard what Simeon prophesied about Jesus & added her affirmation. It’s important to connect these two events.
Her witness was not only immediate, but ongoing; SHE TALKED ABOUT THE CHILD TO EVERYONE WHO HAD BEEN WAITING EXPECTANTLY FOR GOD TO RESCUE JERUSALEM. Like the shepherds, Anna went from the presence of the infant Jesus and told everyone about Him. We know Anna found joy in Jesus because SHE GAVE THANKS TO GOD and TALKED ABOUT THE CHILD.
4. Joseph & Mary were joyful at what they heard. (33, 39-40)
V. 33 tells us they were AMAZED AT WHAT WAS BEING SAID ABOUT HIM (v. 33). Amazement is what we feel when we don’t fully understand something, but still regard it as something great. We welcome it even though we don’t have enough information to accurately gauge its importance.
Vs. 39-40 make it clear that they raised Jesus to share their faith. (Luke made a similar summary statement about the childhood of John the Baptist in 1:80.) The point of these verses is two-fold:
- One, that Joseph & Mary continued to observe the law of Moses in all its details and that they raised Jesus to do the same.
- That Jesus was fully human; He grew as all human beings grow. He was born a baby and grew up through all the stages of life common to our experience.
Two people who faithfully frequented the temple in Jerusalem were given the privilege of knowing Jesus’ true nature.
We need to see Jesus through the eyes of faith. We need the Holy Spirit’s help to understand who Jesus was and His role in providing us salvation. Just as God made Jesus’ true nature apparent to Simeon and Anna, we must perceive Him with the senses that faith gives us.
Just like Joseph and Mary, we must be continually AMAZED by what we learn about Him. In 2 Kings 6:8-21, there is an account of an actual event that demonstrates the need for spiritual vision. The prophet Elisha had been given insight form God that frustrated the plans of the enemies of the Jews. In retaliation, they thought they’d trapped Elisha by surrounding the city of Dothan. I’ll read just a portion of it for you:
When the servant of [Elisha] got
up early the next morning and
went outside, there were troops,
horses, and chariots everywhere.
“Oh, sir, what will we do now?”
the young man cried to Elisha.
“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told
him, “For there are more on our
side then on theirs!” Then Elisha
prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes
and let him see!” The LORD
opened the young man’s eyes,
and when he looked up, he saw
that the hillside around Elisha
was filled with horses and
chariots of fire.
When God gave Elisha’s servant spiritual vision, he could see what was invisible to him only moments ago. God gave Simeon and Anna eyes to see the ordinariness of the provincial family of three. May we have eyes to behold our Savior in all His glory and beholding Him, trust that He will save us in every way that truly counts.
RESOURCES:
Message #1498
Information about Jerusalem: https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/the-history-of-jerusalem-in-the-bible, retrieved on 12 December 2024.
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