ADVENT 2018 “Songs” of the Christmas Story Simeon—Luke 2:25-35 Layne Lebo December 23, 2018 The details of the Christmas story, found in the Bible—like the Christmas carols we sing every December—are so familiar to us that if we’re not careful, they lose their power. But make no mistake; the events surrounding Jesus’ birth were miraculous. God was doing a new thing and He wanted to make sure everyone knew it. The Jewish Messiah whom Isaiah and other prophets had been pointing to for 700 years was coming and God’s salvation would soon be available to all people. Listen with fresh ears to these familiar yet miraculous events from the Christmas story… • Zechariah & Elizabeth, an elderly couple, who had been unable to give birth, were told by an angel that they would have a son who would walk in the spirit and power of Elijah. • A young teenage Jewish girl—a virgin—was informed by the angel, Gabriel, that she was pregnant with the Son of God. • The same angel appeared to Mary’s fiancé, Joseph, and told him not to leave Mary, but to take her as his wife, because the baby inside her was God’s Son. • When Mary visited her elderly relative Elizabeth, baby John leapt inside his mother’s belly, and God let her in on the secret that Mary was pregnant with the Messiah. • Mary & Zechariah made God-inspired prophetic announcements about who Jesus was and what his coming would mean for all people. • On the night Jesus was born a heavenly host of angels appeared to a group of shepherds on a hillside outside of Bethlehem and announced the news “a Savior has been born in Bethlehem.” • Later, wise men from the east were led by a star in the sky to travel a great distance to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem so they might offer Jesus gifts for a king. In supernatural ways God repeatedly announced the message that salvation was coming, not just for his people—the Jews—but for all people. Young teens, middle age adults and 1 senior citizens had divine encounters and become mouthpieces for the new thing God was doing. Our Heavenly Father ignored cultural and socio-economic protocol and worked through the poor and the downtrodden—people the wealthy and powerful looked down their noses at. In a highly male-dominant society, God filled women with his Spirit, resulting in a miraculous conception and in a barren, elderly woman giving birth to a son, and those women became messengers of the good news. And rather than working through the established religious system of priests and scholars and the temple, God partnered with the poor, Mary & Joseph; with foreigners, wise men from a distant country; and, with Shepherds, who were viewed as unclean by devout Jews. The past 2 Sundays we’ve looked at Mary’s and Zechariah’s songs. Their words were declared in the Holy Spirit’s power even before Jesus was born. And then on the night of Jesus’ birth the angels spoke these words to the shepherds on a hill outside of Bethlehem. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:10-11 & 14 Simeon’s song, which we’re looking at today, is found in Luke chapter 2 verses 25-35. It occurred after the events of the “Christmas story,” but God wasn’t done making sure people understood that Jesus was the Messiah and a new day had dawned… We live in a time of polarization. Even though we’ve made significant progress, the dividing lines between people of different races, ages, gender, socio-economic status and religion are clearly drawn. But as disheartened as we are by the lack of unity we see around us, 1st Century Israel was even more divided. Interaction between people of different ethnicities was highly regulated. The lines between young and old were clearly drawn, with little value given to children, teens and even young adults. The culture Jesus was born into was highly patriarchal. Women were granted few rights and were viewed as little more than the property of men, for whom they hopefully were able to provide heirs. The divisions between people of different socio-economic levels resembled the caste system in India with little interaction between classes and little opportunity for a person to improve their status. And closely tied into the fabric of these differences was religion with its impenetrable walls between 2 Jews and Gentiles, between the religious faithful and those who failed to observe the Law fully and between the trained priests and rabbis and the common laity. 1st Century Israel was a polarized, divided place. The songs we’ve been studying during Advent were prophetic words spoken from the heart of God through people in the Christmas story—John the Baptist, Mary and Zechariah. The message God wanted to communicate was that He was fulfilling his promises to his people Israel AND He was instituting a new day in which his salvation was available to ALL PEOPLE. Listen to these excerpts from the songs we’ve looked at during Advent. When she was filled with the Holy Spirit, Mary announced… • “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:54 & 55 And, • “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation…He has performed mighty deeds with his arm…He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” Luke 1:50-53 selected And Zechariah declared… • “Praise be to the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago).” Luke 1:68-70 And, • “…the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:78 & 79 And John the Baptist’s message was… • “And all people will see God’s salvation.” Luke 3:6 Jesus was 40 days old when the events we’re about to read took place, but God wasn’t finished helping people understand that Jesus is the Messiah and a new day has dawned. I encourage you to follow along as I read Luke chapter 2 verses 22-24. Again this week I’m going to read from The MESSAGE paraphrase, because of its fresh words and images… Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him up to Jerusalem to offer him to God as commanded in God’s Law: “Every male who opens the womb shall be a holy 3 offering to God,” and also to sacrifice the “pair of doves or two young pigeons” prescribed in God’s Law. Luke 2:22-24 The MESSAGE Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem in fulfillment of the Old Testament Law, which required that the first-born son be dedicated to God. This ancient practice was instituted after the Passover in Egypt, in which God spared the first born sons of families who had followed God’s command to put the blood of lamb over the doorframes of their homes by having the angel of death “pass over” the homes where there was blood on the door post. Verse 25 introduces us to Simeon… In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God: Luke 2:25-28 Listen now to Simeon’s words: God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation; it’s now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non- Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel. Luke 2:29-32 I’ll finish this portion of Scripture by reading verses 33-38 Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother, This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel, A figure misunderstood and contradicted—the pain of a sword-thrust through you— But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are. Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.