A sermon of Pastor D.E. Buffaloe
Luke 2:22-35 "And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; [23] (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) [24] And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. [25] And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. [26] And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. [27] And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, [28] Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, [29] Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: [30] For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, [31] Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; [32] A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. [33] And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. [34] And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; [35] (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." How committed are you to God? This is the first question I feel God laying on my heart this morning, to ask each and every one of us to examine our commitment, our dedication, to the Creator of all life. This is a fair question. In our modern day commitment is often measured in years, days, or even hours - yet God expects more than a shallow commitment from each one of us. He expects our all - the best loyalty we can show to He who died for us. Commitment. Remember last week we discussed Jesus' birth, how He was born in a lowly manger, a place for feeding the animals. As the Christmas season is still upon us, I'm certain we'll go back and examine other events that happened at the time of that beautiful and glorious Birth. Yet, today, we're going to look at an event that occurred in the life of the infant Jesus, and we're going to look at commitment. As our story opens we see that Mary and Joseph were committed to their God. According to Jewish law a woman, even Mary, became ceremonially unclean on the birth of a child. Eight days after the birth the baby was circumcised (Genesis 17.12), and after this circumcision the mother was considered unclean for another 33 days (Leviticus 12.1-5) - a total of 41 days from the birth. Following this 41 day period the mother offered a sacrifice at the Temple: a lamb if the parents were well off, two doves or young pigeons if they were poor. Note:
Luke 2.24 "And to offer a sacrifice
according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves,
or two young pigeons."
Mary and Joseph were not well off.
In fact, they were poor, and offered the two doves, a poor offering, in homage
to God. In our modern times we have heard people blame their lack of interest in
God because of their poverty, or because they "are too busy earning a living",
but Mary and Joseph were committed to their God.
If anyone had a good reason to ignore God,
Mary and Joseph had one. When Jesus was born, Joseph had to endure the
humiliation of watching the woman he loved bear a child in a filthy stable. Mary
had to endure the humiliation of bearing the child by herself then, after the
birth, wrapping her child in rags and laying him in a manger. Many of us would
have shook our fists heavenward, angry with God that we were in such a terrible
predicament. Many among men would have cursed God, and abandoned His Church.
After all, I'm a good person - I don't deserve such treatment. It's not fair!
It's not fair!!
The other day I met a woman who used to be
a faithful member of the Church - not this Church, but another I attended. A
fight broke out in the Church, and the Pastor was pushed aside by the conflict.
The woman left the Church, and when I saw her she said that she hasn't been in
Church for some time, she's stopped seeking, her faith is weak and all but gone.
And with sadness in my heart I realized that, perhaps, she had never really put
her trust in Christ. She had never really believed in that baby in the manger,
but she put her faith in the Pastor, and in the Church. She put her belief in
the Pastor, the Church, but not in the One who has the power of life over death.
How tragic!
For when we place our trust in the Church,
the Pastor, our environment, or in our riches, we often miss out on the blessing
of Christmas. We make the promises of God naught when we misdirect our
faith.
Mary and Joseph refused to misdirect their
faith. Sure, their situation was lousy. Brothers and Sisters, life is often
lousy! The devil throws up as many barriers as he can to try and get you to
stumble. If you have accepted Jesus, the Reason for the Season, then you are
not a friend of the world. The world hates you, your family
misunderstands you, and you may have kin who think you're a "fanatic". Mary and
Joseph ignored their situation and went to the Temple anyway to do as God asked.
And you know what?
They Were Blessed By
Simeon!
We don't know who Simeon was. Some people
think he was a priest, but the truth is, we don't know anymore about him than
what these Scriptures tell us here. We do know this: Simeon was a man who loved
God deeply, so much so that God was able to use him in a magnificent way. When
Mary and Joseph came across this old man, he prophesied one of the greatest
sermons of all time - the events and fate of the Messiah's life. Look at
Simeon's character:
Luke 2.25 "And, behold, there was a man
in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout,
waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon
him."
1. Simeon was just and devout. "Just", the Greek DIKAIOS, means
that he was a righteous man, living as God asked him to live. "Devout", EULABES, means that Simeon
was cautious and careful in his relationship with God. He was never flippant
with his Creator, but knew God for what He is - the Sovereign King of all. In
other words, Simeon was committed in his personal life to God, and kept his eyes
"on the Cross" that was ever before him. This is the type of person God looks
for, the person who is willing to serve Him at all costs.
We do not know if Simeon was rich or poor,
well dressed or in rags. The only thing we know is that, no matter what his
state, he was single-mindedly "waiting for the
consolation of Israel". He knew that the Messiah
was coming, because God told him he would not see death until he saw the
Messiah. So Simeon focused on this, and waited day after day at the Temple. He
knew Messiah would have to come to the Temple, because he knew Messiah would be
of the throne of David, the God-Man, and knew that Messiah's guardians would
bring Him to be dedicated. So he waited, and watched, waited, and watched. Each
child that was brought to the Temple, Simeon would go over and look the child
over to see if he was Messiah. Day after day Simeon looked over children and
came away unsatisfied, yet each new day he came back and looked
again.
If you desire Jesus' presence, then weep
after it! If you desire Jesus' presence in our services, come looking for
Him! If we live our lives like Simeon, looking for the Christ, living devotedly
to Him, serving - YES SERVING Him in this assembly, then we cannot help but find
Him. Though we be in poverty, He will be more real than the weekly paycheck.
Though we be in pain, He will be more real than the pain killer, more real than
the doctors. Though we suffer loss, and the devil try to shake us, Jesus will be
our anchor - but we must open our hearts to His presence, not to
despair.
So many people fail the test. Joseph and Mary could have failed the test by dwelling on their poverty, and thus missed the blessing waiting for them at the Temple. Simeon could have become disheartened by waiting, and missed coming to the Temple the day Jesus came. Yet all three retained their commitment to God, and because of this were blessed beyond measure.
Simeon's Song - Nunc
Dimittis
Suddenly, Mary and Joseph's faithfulness
and Simeon's devotion came together in the Temple, and the end result was song.
Yes, Simeon's prophecy was proceeded by a song of thanksgiving called "Nunc
Dimittis", after the first words of this text in the Latin
Vulgate:
Luke 2.29-32 "Lord, now lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace, according to thy word: [30] For mine eyes have seen thy
salvation, [31] Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; [32] A
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel."
Look how different these words are from
those who have not embraced Christ. Simeon saw the Christ Child, picked Him up,
held Him to His breast (verse 28 "Then took he him
up in his arms, and blessed God ...), just as he
had held Him to his heart for oh so very long. When he embraced the Christ to
himself, all the cares of this world dropped away. He had seen, touched, hugged
the "salvation" of
God, the Source of peace for the whole world. He praised God for fulfilling His
promise "according to thy word". God promised, Simeon believed, and when the promise was
fulfilled it was more than he had hoped for - so much more, that he could not
help but break out into song! When this Child later grew to be a man He would
say:
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
and
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken
unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
There is peace in trusting the promises of
God. Peace in accepting Jesus Christ, embracing Him to your breast, accepting
Him into your heart. The peace that Jesus brings is not for any one nation or
group of people, but for all people. There are Churches in America, perhaps in
our area, that have divided because "the wrong sort of people" came in. By this
they mean the wrong color of skin. Yet Jesus came as "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel", a light for all men and women. Jesus
Christ would break the racial barriers that men erected, dying on the Cross for
all people. Paying the penalty for any who would receive Him, regardless of
color or status.
Faith in the Church will not save you, nor
will faith in the Pastor, a religious speaker, a system, or even in Billy
Graham. Your faith must be in that Child, born poor, born in a stable and laid
in a manger. Christ can either be a foundation for your life, or a stumbling
block:
1 Peter 2:7-8 "Unto you therefore which
believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the
builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, [8] And a stone
of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word,
being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."
Jesus Christ demands that every man
make a choice, demands that you make a choice today. You can reject the
Messiah because of your circumstances, the trials of your life, because of your
environment, and fall over that Stone as you find something to believe in other
than Him. Or you can accept the Savior, the Christ Child, and rise to eternal
life with Him as the cornerstone of your life.
Simeon's
Prophecy
Luke 2.34-35 "And Simeon blessed them,
and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising
again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; [35]
(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many
hearts may be revealed."
Simeon told Mary and Joseph that the
Child's fate was sealed. He was "a sign which
shall be spoken against", and would minister from
age 30 to 33, blessing everyone He came in contact with. Christ was a sign of
God's love and punishment, a sign that would cause men to react. Men want a god
that allows them to live as they desire, not a God who demands obedience and
self sacrifice. They want a god of license, not One of demanding
Love.
I am sure that Mary remembered these words
when her child was nailed to the tree, when He was spat on and cursed. On that
day "a sword"
pierced through her soul as she watched her child, the baby in the manger, the
child of her youth, pour out His lifeblood for all mankind.
Have you embraced that Baby? Do you know
Jesus?
Man hungers for the Son to rise! Let Jesus arise in your hearts today! 1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
Read more at - http://www.bibleteacher.org/12-12.htm
Luke 2:22-35 "And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; [23] (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) [24] And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. [25] And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. [26] And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. [27] And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, [28] Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, [29] Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: [30] For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, [31] Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; [32] A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. [33] And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. [34] And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; [35] (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." How committed are you to God? This is the first question I feel God laying on my heart this morning, to ask each and every one of us to examine our commitment, our dedication, to the Creator of all life. This is a fair question. In our modern day commitment is often measured in years, days, or even hours - yet God expects more than a shallow commitment from each one of us. He expects our all - the best loyalty we can show to He who died for us. Commitment. Remember last week we discussed Jesus' birth, how He was born in a lowly manger, a place for feeding the animals. As the Christmas season is still upon us, I'm certain we'll go back and examine other events that happened at the time of that beautiful and glorious Birth. Yet, today, we're going to look at an event that occurred in the life of the infant Jesus, and we're going to look at commitment. As our story opens we see that Mary and Joseph were committed to their God. According to Jewish law a woman, even Mary, became ceremonially unclean on the birth of a child. Eight days after the birth the baby was circumcised (Genesis 17.12), and after this circumcision the mother was considered unclean for another 33 days (Leviticus 12.1-5) - a total of 41 days from the birth. Following this 41 day period the mother offered a sacrifice at the Temple: a lamb if the parents were well off, two doves or young pigeons if they were poor. Note:
| The Army lieutenant stood up from his bench, straightened his
uniform, and studied the crowd of people going through Grand Central Station. He
looked for a girl that he loved, but had never seen her face. Many months before
he found her address in a library book, wrote her to conquer his loneliness, and
she, surprisingly, replied. The lieutenant went off to serve his country in World War II, and for thirteen months they corresponded while he was overseas. As they wrote back and forth, they began to fall in love with one another. He wrote and asked her for a photograph, and she wrote back, "No. If you love me, you won't care what I look like". So they continued corresponding, and their love grew. When the lieutenant was to return stateside, he asked that she meet him in the Grand Central Station in New York. She agreed, and said that he would recognize her by the rose she wore. So the lieutenant looked - and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in a green suit. As he started toward her, he stopped, for behind her he saw a woman wearing a red, red rose. The woman with the rose was well past 50 years old, plump, with thick ankles shoved into low heeled shoes. Her gray hair was tucked under a floppy, worn hat. The woman in the green suit walked away, and the young man nearly followed her. Here he was confronted with a choice, the young woman, or the old, spinster. Yet as he thought about it, the letters they had written to each other jumped out in his mind. He squared his shoulders, walked up to the older woman, and said, "I'm lieutenant John Blanchard. You must be Miss Maynell. I'm so glad to meet you, could I take you to dinner?" The woman's face lit up, and she said, "I don't know what this is about, son, but the young lady in the green suit who just walked past asked me to wear this rose. I was supposed to tell you, if you came up, that she is waiting for you in the restaurant across the street. She said, this was a kind of test!" |
So many people fail the test. Joseph and Mary could have failed the test by dwelling on their poverty, and thus missed the blessing waiting for them at the Temple. Simeon could have become disheartened by waiting, and missed coming to the Temple the day Jesus came. Yet all three retained their commitment to God, and because of this were blessed beyond measure.
| A man named Rudd told what it was like to live at the North Pole during three months of darkness. "You never see the sun", he said, "I ached and hungered to see the dawn". Then one morning in February he climbed atop a wind swept ridge and sat quietly, facing east. The sky was a gray sheet. Then it became a pale blue, which deepened. There was a silent rush of color as the sun rose. Rudd sat blinking with frozen tears on his cheeks. |
Man hungers for the Son to rise! Let Jesus arise in your hearts today! 1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
Read more at - http://www.bibleteacher.org/12-12.htm