First Sunday after Christmas - 12-28-08

The Church Season of Christmas,
1st Sunday after Christmas,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 28, 2008)
One Year Series

“See Your Salvation”

Readings:
Is 11:1-5
Gal. 4:1-7
Luke 2:22-40


Sermon Form: Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 2nd chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse.

Luke 2:22-40 (NIV)

26 It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 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, 28 Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

The day we have long waited for has arrived, the baby of Bethlehem was born on Christmas Day, for us. Christ the child who can not be contained or constrained waited for 9 months His mother’s womb, but now the world can see His face. The shepherds, and onlookers had all come and now they had all gone. And the sacred face of this Christ child is revealed so that lowly mankind can see God and live, just as Isaiah had prophesied, “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(Is 40:5)

So the glory of the Lord was revealed in Bethlehem in this Christ child, even from the eighth day after His birth, the eighth day after Christmas, this Christ child shed His blood for us when He was circumcised according to the Law. And at the close of a total of forty days His mother, His earthly father and their child would enter into the temple and offer a sacrifice of purification (Lev. 12:1–8; Luke 2:22), to see that the Lord’s Law was fulfilled.

Today’s Gospel lesson tells us that the forty days after Jesus' birth in Bethlehem had been completed. Christ’s earthly parents took Him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. And the Lord was in the Temple waiting to see His Son. For under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a man named Simeon was waiting for the arrival of the Lord’s Christ. So when Simeon saw Jesus he took the baby in his arms, praised God and spoke the words which we still sing in our liturgy to this day, words which we call “The Nunc Dimitis.” Simeon said, “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.”(Luke 2:28-32) In keeping with God's promise, Simeon saw God's salvation with his own eyes.

To see his salvation with his own eyes was enough for Simeon. Simeon recognized the Lord, the Messiah, this Christ child, was not only in the temple, but being cradled in his very hands. Simeon said to Mary, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel”(v. 33) It is also very ironic at the very moment that Simeon was speaking to this Christ-child, a prophetess named Anna walked up, saw the child and, “she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward for the redemption of Jerusalem.”(v. 38)

Anna saw the same thing that Simeon did they both saw the Lord’s Christ. Just like Simeon, Anna had waited for the Lord’s Christ to come to God’s temple. And while she waited we are told Anna, “worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”(v.37) So Anna waited in faith for a very long, long time to see the Lord come to her.

In this reunion of strangers four people gathered around Christ to look upon Him. Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna, these were people who were from various stages in life, a mother, a father, a widow, a married couple, a woman, a man, and a baby was there too. This Christ child would be a revelation for the gentiles and glory for His people of Israel. Yet Christ had come for one and for all, for the Jews, and the Gentiles but more than that, His birth revealed that all mankind would be subject to His mercy.

Yet we do not hear Simeon and Anna grumbling or complaining that they had to wait for the Messiah for many years. No, they had waited patiently, praying and fasting, worshipping at the temple and listening to God’s word being read. And when Jesus was presented, Anna and Simeon saw the baby, and proclaimed this was the Lord’s Christ who would bring salvation to all who believe in Him.

We would like to think that we are just like Anna, just like Simeon...faithful our entire lives, doing no wrong, patiently waiting for the Lord. Yet unlike them, we get tangled in the business of our lives. And in all this complex busyness of our world, we loose sight of the fact that God sent His Son in the very simple form of a child to offer salvation for everyone. We are blinded by sin and fail to see that Christ came to save the rich and the poor, the well dressed and the poorly dressed, those of high stature and those of no stature. This Christ child who came into the world even for those people seem to prosper without any faith, without believing in God, without praying, or without going to church. Yes, God’s salvation is offered even to those people, who we think have earned nothing before God. And indeed they have done nothing to earn their way before God, but neither have we. To be truthful we should repent and admit it, that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Yet the Christ child the babe of Bethlehem came for us, and He still comes to you too.

Jesus came to the temple forty days old and Simeon held Jesus in his hands. This Christ child in the arms of Simeon sees injustice in the world and comes to bring peace on earth, goodwill toward men. For if we ever feel poor in spirit, He brings us salvation which is wealth beyond measure. This Christ child Jesus brings us faith in the hearing of His Holy Word. This Christ child Jesus brings us salvation in the waters of our baptism. This Christ child Jesus brings us forgiveness of sins, renews, and refreshes our faith by giving His true body and blood to us in Holy Communion. Simeon and Anna looked upon this Christ child and saw that their salvation had come to them. Look upon the manger not just today, or this season, but every day throughout the year and you will see that your salvation has come to you too.

This Christ child who came to see to it that He would fulfill His Father’s Law. And even before the human eyes of this child of Bethlehem could focus, Christ the Son of God had his eyes firming focused on you and your salvation. For He had prepared all the things of this world and He Himself came to see it through for you, His people. This is the Christ child who was brought to the Temple by Mary and Joseph who became the Christ man who brought Himself to the cross to pay for our sins. Jesus Christ, was both God and man, whose eyes looked down from heaven and saw the world He created. Jesus Christ was both God and man who looked down from the cross and saw to it that He completed your salvation. And because of all that He has done, all of us who are His servants may depart this world in everlasting peace, according to His Word. And according to Christ’s Word you will see Him for He has done all that needs to be done so that you may eternally see your salvation.

AMEN
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