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| Presentation in the Temple (Philippe de Champaigne, 1648) |
Luke
begins his gospel in the Temple with an unbelieving priest, Zechariah, and he
ends the birth narrative at the Temple with a believing man, woman, and the boy
Jesus. Joseph and Mary are careful to keep the requirements of the Law. His
circumcision was apparently in Bethlehem but for the purification they had to
travel to the Temple in Jerusalem. There they are greeted by two remarkable
individuals, both aged and devout, Simeon and Anna, who speak about the future
of the child.
Key Truth: Luke
wrote Luke 2:21-40 to teach believers how the Presentation of Jesus is
a call to consecration for his people, a call to the Glory of the Lord among
the nations, and a call to worshiping intercession before the Lord of the
nations.
Key Application: Today I
want to show you what God’s Word says about God’s call to us in the New Year.
Key Verse: Luke 2:31-32
Pray and Read:
Luke 2:21-40
Sermon Points:
In this New Year we have a
1. Call
to Consecration to the Lord among His people (Luke 2:21-24)
2. Call
to Glory of the Lord among the nations (Luke 2:25-35)
3. Call
to Prayer before the Lord of the nations (Luke 2:36-40)
Exposition: Note
well,
1.
CALL TO CONSECRATION TO THE LORD
AMONG HIS PEOPLE (Luke 2:21-24)
a.
Luke 2:21-24 – the Mosaic Law required (Lev
12:3) that boys be circumcised at eight days of age. Just as with the birth of
John, the baby receives the name Jesus at this time. The Law also required the
redemption of the firstborn son 30 days after childbirth (Num 3:14) and a
service of purification of the mother 40 days after childbirth (Lev 12:4-8).
The ceremony of redeeming the firstborn son is a reminder of the redemption
from slavery in Egypt at Passover (Exod 12:3-14, 21-28; 13:2-16) and of
avoiding the last of the ten plagues (Exod 11:45; 12:29-30). Because of this,
every Israelite family dedicates its firstborn son to God’s service but then
redeems the boy for a payment of five sanctuary shekels (Numbers 18:16). In
return, God accepts instead the Levites, the sons of Levi, for service in the
Temple (Numbers 3:12-13, 45; 8:14-19). Since there is no mention of Mary “redeeming”
their son with five shekels, then he was probably dedicated wholly to the Lord,
after the model of the child Samuel (1 Sam 1-2). Note the echoes in Luke
2:22-23 to 1 Sam 1:24, 28 (cf. Luke 2:34, 40)
b.
The
offering is of a lamb or a pair of turtledoves as a substitute (Exod 13:2, 12;
Lev 12:6-8). This was Joseph’s offering, further evidence of their adverse
poverty. Mary would lay hands on the pigeons, then a priest would take them to
the southwest corner of the altar, wring one bird’s neck as a sin offering and
burning the other as a whole burnt offering in a complete picture of the
Messiah to come.
c.
APPLICATION: In this New Year, the Lord is
calling you and me to a renewed commitment to walk in belief and do the things
that He requires.
d.
One thing that keeps a church
from growing as a body is that the Focus Is on Trying to Please
Everyone. There
is NO church on the planet that will make everyone happy every single week—and
according to the Scriptures, that isn’t really supposed to be our obsession.
Too many times, we become so concerned with offending people that we
actually offend Jesus.[1]
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| Presentation of Christ in the Temple (James Tissot) |
a.
This encounter with Simeon happened no
doubt in the Court of Women. Simeon’s prayer, must more than Zechariah’s
prophecy, marks a transition from the OT era to the NT.
b.
SIMEON
(meaning "One
who hears and obeys").
All we know of Simeon is what Luke
tells us. Simeon is
i.
Clean
(righteous) before God B holiness (Luke 2:25)
ii.
Expecting
the Promises of God (Luke 2:25). His heart is set upon the Messianic promises
of God
iii.
In
the Presence of God (Luke 2:25). The Holy Spirit was upon him.
iv.
Heard
God speak (Luke 2:26) and knew he would live to see the Messiah. He realizes
this baby is He.
v.
Submitted
to the Spirit of God (Luke 2:27)
vi.
Man
of the Word, of prayer and a worshiper (Luke 2:29-32). Simeon likens himself to
a slave who has dutifully scanned the horizon for the long-awaited visitor. Now
he reports to his master that he has fulfilled his trust. Now he claims the
privilege of going off duty.
c.
Luke 2:29-32 – These words are known as the Nunc Dimittis (like Mary’s Magnificat and Zechariah’s Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79). This song, like Mary’s and Zechariah’s, is full of
OT associations. The comfort of Israel is the main subject of the last section
of Isaiah beginning with Isaiah 40 to which Simeon makes a number of allusions.
That comfort was to come only through the Messiah (Isaiah 40:1, 49:13; 51:3; 52:9;
66:13). Simeon draws
heavily on the OT for its style and subject matter. Verses 30-31 are closely
tied to Isaiah 40:5; 52:10. In verse 30, the Heb. Yeshuah renders in Greek (soterion)
as salvation, but there is a definite wordplay here on the name of the Messiah.
i.
Force of Simeon's
Worship: Toward the
Nations (Luke 2:32). “A light to the Goyim. Compare Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 51:4. And
for glory for your people Israel (cf. Isaiah 46:13).
ii.
Symbol of a Watchman for the Nations: Shades
of Isaiah 49:6
d. Luke
2:34-35 - Simeon
then turns to Mary telling her of the great honor she has of raising this son
will include suffering also. Simeon says this baby will cause the rising and
falling of many (see Isaiah 8:14-15; 28:16), an expression used in the early
church (1 Peter 2:6-8). It was a warning that he was a sign that would be
spoken against (Isaiah 8:18; Luke 11:29-30), something she already knew, of a
sword piercing her heart (cf. Psalm 37:15; Ezek 14:17) and an indication of the
way by which salvation would be accomplished.
e. APPLICATION: When a church chooses to focus
only on itself and not on taking the message of Christ to the nations, that is
called disobedience to
the Scriptures. Need examples? Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, 2 Cor 5:16-21, Luke 19:10 … I could go on and on…but we
MUST understand that Jesus didn’t come to Earth, live here for 33 years, give
HIS life for us, and then return back to heaven to intercede for us so that we
could get in little circles and talk about ourselves and condemn those who are
not as good as us. We are called to REACH PEOPLE FOR GOD—PERIOD![2]
3.
CALL TO PRAYER BEFORE THE LORD OF
THE NATIONS (Luke 2:36-40)
a.
Anna
: the NT
form of the OT Hannah (1 Sam 1:2). She is in a category of prophetesses like Miriam
(Exod 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14).
b.
Look
at the characteristics of Anna: She is a woman of prophetic worship and intercession.
She is an example of a worshiping intercessor
i.
In the Presence AShe
never left the Temple (Luke 2:37)
ii.
Of
Asher, a Alost
tribe@
(Luke 2:36) which vanished after the conquest of the northern Ten Tribes in 722
B.C.
iii.
Worshiped,
prayed, fasted (Luke 2:37)
iv.
Full
of Thanksgiving (Luke 2:38)
v.
Full
of Evangelism (Luke 2:38)
vi.
Anna knew the Promises.
She was waiting for Jerusalem to be redeemed or liberated (Luke 2:25; 1:68).
Compare Isaiah 52:9.
c. This entire
passage (Luke 2:25-40) shows the interrelationship of intercessory worship and
a vision for the nations. Luke wants it clear to his largely Gentile
audience that Christ came for all the Nations, not only Jews. Remember that Luke also wrote Acts 1:8!
d. Luke 2:39-40
– Like the description of John in Luke
1:80, it echoes the description of Samuel in 1 Sam 2:21, 26; and Luke 2:52. The
reference to wisdom (Luke 2:40) is related to Isaiah 11:2.
e.
APPLICATION: Many times, we work so hard putting
our ideas together that we actually think there is no need for the supernatural
power of God to be involved. Prayer should not be the good luck charm
that we stick at the beginning or the end of what we do…but rather it should be
our constant desperation to see God do the undeniable among us. Intense
desperation often brings undeniable revelation![3]
f.
In
this New Year, the Lord is calling our church to a greater measure of worship
and intercession before the Lord of the nations. To be in the place of prayer more
individually, with friends, in small groups, corporately as a church, for our
nation and the nations.
Invitation:
[1] Perry Noble, “Eight Reasons Why Some
Churches Never Grow,” http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/perry-noble-8-reasons-why-some-churches-never-grow-1126.asp?
[2] Perry Noble, “Eight Reasons Why Some
Churches Never Grow,” http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/perry-noble-8-reasons-why-some-churches-never-grow-1126.asp?
[3] Perry Noble, “Eight Reasons Why Some
Churches Never Grow,” http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/perry-noble-8-reasons-why-some-churches-never-grow-1126.asp?
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