I invite you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke. In the bulletin is written Luke 22, but there's an extra 2 in there. So that was my fault. It's Luke 2, 22 to 38. So a few 2's there and got an extra 1. But Luke chapter 2, if you're using the Pew Bibles, That's found on page 1019, 1019. Luke 2, beginning at verse 22, we'll read down to verse 38. However, we're really going to focus our attention down to verse 35. But for context, we'll read all the way down to 38. Luke chapter 2, beginning at verse 22. And when the time came for their purification, according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. As is written in the law of the Lord, every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ and he came in the Spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phineal, of the tribe of Asher. she was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin and then as a widow until she was 84 she did not depart from the temple worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day and coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to god and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of israel i don't know how you feel about this text but i love this text this is a text that has always brought to me so much comfort and joy and i think it's the case because this is a text that is filled with anticipation and fulfillment it's a great reminder this text of the privilege we have to celebrate advent to celebrate christmas jesus once said to his disciples blessed are your eyes that see and your ears that hear for i tell you the truth many prophets and righteous men long to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it jesus says this to his disciples, but Jesus could have easily have said this of the man Simeon. In fact, Jesus could easily say this to us tonight. We are a privileged people. We are a blessed people. We stand this Sunday evening, 22 days before Christmas, in a position which many long to see and many waited for we like the disciples like simeon have heard and seen what prophets and righteous men long to see and hear we know the wonderful culmination of the plan of god the climax of all of history found in the person and the work of jesus christ and that fulfillment that anticipation is what this story here of Simeon is all about but it's not just about the privilege of a man named Simeon this is really about the privilege of knowing Jesus Christ the Savior see we find in this story here it to be a story of the fulfillment of the Messiah The story of the Christ who came to bring consolation for Israel. Christ who came to bring salvation for the world. Christ who came to be the dividing line of all. And so I want to focus our attention this evening on those very three things that are brought up in this text. The consolation of Israel. the salvation of the world and the dividing line of all the text begins with giving us the setting of this story mary and joseph take the baby jesus up to the temple in order to fulfill the legal responsibility that they have as parents we're told that the law of moses and leviticus 12 requires the offering of a sacrifice since every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. Now the sacrifice that was required was ordinarily a lamb a year old as a burnt offering and then a pigeon or a turtle dove as a sin offering. Now if the couple could not afford because of poverty could not afford a lamb then the law made an exception. The parents could bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons and that's indeed what we see Mary and Joseph do in this case so they take the infant baby jesus to jerusalem up to the temple for this sacrifice and at this point it's where this the uh the passage in verse 25 of our text tells us that they come across a man named simeon the text says now there was a man in jerusalem whose name was Simeon. There's not much known about this man except for what we are briefly told here. Many have speculated as to who he is or what he would have been known by, but the text just simply doesn't tell us all that much. The text does tell us, however, that he is a righteous and devout man it says that he is waiting for the consolation of israel and that the holy spirit was upon him i think it's clear that this man simeon was indeed righteous and devout given that the holy spirit was upon him we see the uh the the devotion and the righteousness of this man expressed really through the way that he quotes scripture within this story we'll see that over and over he draws on many different texts of the old testament but really the first way that we see that this text focuses us upon simeon here is to describe him as one who is waiting one who is waiting for the lord you know waiting is a a rich theme that is found throughout all of scripture god often asks his people to wait upon him psalm 27 says i believe that i shall look upon the goodness of the lord in the land of the living wait for the lord be strong and let your heart take courage wait for the lord psalm 130 says i wait for the lord my soul does wait and in his word i put my hope i say a 40 which is quoted here in our text says this even youths shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint I imagine that's a text given the quotes here that Simeon uses I imagine that's a text that Simeon thought of as an old man waiting upon the Lord. Now waiting is quite possibly one of the most difficult things for people to do. We're all familiar with waiting in one way or another, right? We wait in line, we wait for others, we wait on the phone, we wait for the phone, we wait in traffic. Kids, I imagine that you're waiting today. You're waiting for Christmas to come. 22 days away and it can't come fast enough for you. But waiting itself is really only the half of it, right? We're not just familiar with waiting, but we're familiar with how difficult waiting is are you good at waiting how does waiting make you feel i don't know if it's this way in your house but when i grew up my parents couldn't put out the christmas gifts too early because they knew that me and my brothers couldn't wait to go poking around at the gifts in fact i don't think they could even purchase the gifts all that early because we would search the house for things that they purchased for us. Waiting is difficult. Waiting at times can seem like a test, a test of patience, a test of our trust. And I think that's why the Lord oftentimes uses waiting as a test of faith for his people. I think when I think of waiting, I think of Abraham and Sarah. God promised them a child, didn't he? And yet they had to wait for the fulfillment of that promise. Decades went by. They got impatient and sadly took things into their own hands. Maybe today you're waiting for something, waiting for something that you've prayed for over and over. Well, friend, I encourage you, continue to wait. Continue to wait patiently. Continue to wait in faith and trust in the Lord. In fact, I think waiting on the Lord is a beautiful expression of the faith that we have in Him. It's often when we can't wait upon Him, when we take matters into our own hands, that we get ourselves in trouble like Abraham and Sarah. But waiting is an expression of faith faith is expressed through our waiting and that's really what we see here in the man simeon simeon was a man of faith he was a righteous devout man because he was a man of faith he was a man who was waiting upon the lord and although the text doesn't say explicitly I think it's clear that Simeon was waiting well. He was waiting well. The text tells us in verse 26, it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Again, I think it's expressed here in the text that Simeon waits, yes, in eager expectation but he waits wow i think you get the same sense from the text uh um that that follows this the passage that we read that we won't specifically get into about the the prophetess anna but we're sure we're said it says there to us that she never departed from the temple as she worshipped and fasted day and night before the Lord. It's a beautiful picture of someone waiting well. Now our text doesn't say that about Simeon, but I think we could easily read between the lines here. Both Anna and Simeon were eagerly waiting the expectation of the Messiah and they were waiting well. And it's the expectation of the Messiah indeed is what they were waiting for and that's what verse 25 tells us it tells us Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel now that phrase consolation of Israel has a rich and and robust meaning to it it's a it's a reference to the comfort that comes to the people of God at the arrival of God's promised Messiah it speaks to the arrival of the messianic age an age that the people longed for an age of hope of anticipation of joy and celebration it's interesting but the christmas season kind of gives that to us as well doesn't it it does but you see the age of the messiah the coming of the promised one is supposed to bring hope and celebration and joy for god's people all the time all the time and that is what christ does for his people doesn't he you see it's this hope and anticipation that isaiah 40 summarized for god's people when it declared comfort comfort my people says your god speak tenderly to jerusalem and cry to her that her welfare is ended her iniquity is pardoned she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. It's this comfort, this consolation that would come to the people of God through the Messiah. It's this comfort that Simeon saw in the one he was waiting for, the Christ child. See, the people of Israel had had their full share of suffering, hadn't they? They were slaves in Egypt. They suffered for their sins while in the promised land. They were exiled for those sins. They were then brought back into the promised land, only again to deal with more sin as well as to be under the yoke of foreign nations. See, the people, Simeon included, were primed for the consolation of Israel. And that's why Simeon waited upon the Lord with such eager expectation. The truth is, today, God's people are again called to wait upon Him, aren't we? We're called to be a people who express our faith and trust in our God by waiting for Him. But you see, we no longer wait as Simeon once waited. We wait as Simeon after he had the joy of the consolation of Israel in his very arms. We wait as those who know the comfort of Jesus Christ. We wait as those who know the forgiveness of sins that comes to us in Jesus Christ. We wait as those who know that He came and lived and suffered and died to set us free from our sin and misery and the punishment of our sins. We wait today as a victorious people, brothers and sisters. We wait today as a people who have victory in jesus christ our lord the messiah and so today we wait with all the more faith and trust in the lord and that's why we can today sing songs like joy to the world the lord is come as we wait for the return of our joy and consolation and so we're a privileged people today we're privileged to know the consolation that simeon knew the consolation that brought salvation and that's what we see this passage focus on next christ as the salvation of the world verse 27 tells us simeon came in the spirit into the temple and when the parents of jesus brought him in to do for him according to the custom of the law simeon took him up in his arms and blessed God, and then he says, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, that you have prepared in the presence of all people a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. Simeon here speaks of peace. He speaks of salvation. He speaks of a light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of the people of Israel it's clear from the words of this hymn the impact that this baby had upon Simeon having waited all his life for this revelation his eyes now behold the promised one children I'm sure this Christmas you have some expectations in terms of desires and things that you hope to get for christmas well i want to remind you children that the greatest gift ever given was god giving his son to us simeon realizes this and having the greatest gift ever given in his arms he expresses his joy here when he says lord you are letting your servant depart in peace a title that this hymn will come to be known as essentially permission to depart simeon here speaks of his departing speaks of his death but not just any death a peaceful death the death of one who has no fear of death the death of one who dies in perfect satisfaction and joy children again imagine with me this christmas receiving a gift so good so wonderful so satisfying that you say that's it that's it i don't i don't need anything else i am completely satisfied i'm so satisfied that if i was to die today i would die in perfect peace and joy that would be something wouldn't it i think it's difficult to imagine the gifts that we often desire satisfying us like that because the things that we often desire of this world they one moment were satisfied the next moment we're desiring more or something different the things of this world are unsatisfying the truth is there's only one who satisfies us there's only one who perfectly satisfies us jesus christ it's clear to simeon that since it was revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the lord's messiah that now having held that child in his arms, he can die. He can depart. What a beautiful admission Simeon makes here. In the baby Jesus, Simeon sees the peace that sinners can have even in the face of death. Simeon knows the peace of God in this child. Even without knowing the life and the ministry of this child. Even without knowing the suffering and the death that this child must endure for the sins of his people. Simeon knows this because he knows the Word of God. He knows that Isaiah 53 speaks of this child being pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brings us peace would be upon him. That's what Simeon saw in this baby who was in his arms. Peace, joy, satisfaction. what he ultimately saw was salvation having jesus in his arms he says in verse 3 or 30 my eyes have seen your salvation simeon indeed was a privileged man wasn't he there are many times in the new testament gives uh many many names that the new testament gives to jesus we just heard one of them in verse 25 the consolation of israel but here Simeon calls Jesus Christ the salvation of God what an appropriate name to refer to Jesus remember what the angel told Joseph about the name of Jesus he will be called Jesus for he will save his people from their sins the name Jesus means Yahweh saves Jesus is the salvation of God he is the Savior of His people. He lived for us. He died for us. And through His life and death, He reconciled the world to His Heavenly Father. You see, Christ wasn't simply the Savior of Israel, was He? He was the Savior of the world. He was the Savior of all kinds of people, Jews and Gentiles both. That's what Isaiah 42 and 49 prophesied about the Messiah. Listen to Isaiah 42. It says here in regards to the Messiah, I am the Lord. I have called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you. I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison, and those who sit in darkness. Then Isaiah 49, It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and bring back the preserved of Israel. I will make you as a light for the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Simeon understood this. Although Christ would be the consolation of Israel, That consolation means salvation for all kinds of people. And so, to this very day, anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus Christ will indeed be saved. For salvation is found in no other name. For there is no other name under heaven by which one may be saved. Jesus is the only Savior. Jesus is the only Savior. of the world friend if you're here tonight and you don't know jesus as savior if you don't know jesus as lord i implore you look to him place your faith in him trust in him for the forgiveness of your sins see god is indeed a just god but he's also a merciful and gracious god he's provided his son to save you from your sins trust in the one that he has provided trust in the life and death of jesus christ for the forgiveness of your sins today is still the day of salvation. Two thousand years ago or so, Simeon saw with his own eyes the salvation of the Lord. We don't have that privilege. We have the privilege of setting the eyes of our faith upon Jesus Christ, our Savior. Call upon him. Call upon the name of Jesus Christ. Well, at this point in the text it focuses our attention back upon mary and joseph in verse 33 it's interesting but luke doesn't tell us about the reaction of mary and joseph to this man simeon until after simeon takes the baby and confesses these words you see i would imagine as young first-time parents that mary and joseph could have been quite adverse to this strange man taking their baby into his arms this is in part while i think that the text implies that simeon was often in the temple waiting upon the lord and if he was it's likely that he would be known by many he would be a a familiar face a familiar man that's the man who is waiting for the revelation of the messiah with that in mind it wouldn't have been all that surprising then when simeon came and took the baby jesus into his arms either way here in verse 33 the text focuses us back on mary and joseph and their reaction to simeon and in this verse here and following the text really transitions us from the salvation of the world to the rise and fall of many. We're told that Mary and Joseph marvel at what was said about the child. They marvel at what Simeon just declares about their newborn baby boy. And so Simeon blesses them. He blesses Mary and Joseph. He realizes that the parent of this child, the parents are indeed blessed. They're the mother and father of the promised one. They're certainly blessed people. Now, if you're a parent, you know it's a blessing to be a parent, right? Contrary to the way that our culture thinks of children today as burdens and hindrances, children are indeed blessings. Think about your children if you have had the privilege of having children. You're blessed to be their parent. God has graciously given them to you and he has entrusted you with a great responsibility to be their parent. That's what God has entrusted you with. How much more for Joseph and Mary here? Mary said in her Magnificat just a few verses prior to the text here before us, all generations will call me blessed and blessed she was. Simeon understands the great privilege and blessing that belongs to Mary and Joseph and so he blesses them but along with knowing the blessing that belongs to them he also knows what the scriptures speak in regards to this child and so filled with the spirit Simeon cannot help but include in his blessing the truth about what this child means and will bring for many verse 34 Simeon says behold this child is appointed for Simeon speaks here of the various responses that people will have in regards to the Christ child. The reference of the fall and rising of many in Israel is likely taken from Isaiah 8 and 28 where the prophet there speaks of the Lord becoming a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling. But then at the same time, for others, he becomes a foundation stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone. You're probably familiar with that language maybe a little bit. It's the same language that Peter picks up in 1 Peter 2 when he says, as you come to Him, referring to Christ, a living stone rejected by men, but in the sight of God, chosen and precious, for it stands in Scripture. And then Peter quotes Isaiah 28. Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame. But then Peter goes on to say to his listeners, So the honor is for you who believe. But for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone and a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense. Simeon, here leaning upon the word of the Lord, knows and acknowledges to Mary and Joseph what their child will bring about. He will serve as a dividing line between those who truly belong to the Lord and those who simply play the part. The rest of the book of Luke, the whole New Testament for that matter, bears that reality out. Sadly, this dear child who should be celebrated because he will bring salvation, this dear child who should be celebrated because he will bring consolation for Israel, sadly because of the hardness of people's hearts, this child will lead to the fall of many. Not because He came to condemn the world. No, He came to save it, He says. For whoever believes in Him is not condemned. But whoever does not believe in Him stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. The reality is this. Jesus indeed is the Savior of the world, but He also is the dividing line of that same world. He is a dividing line between those who will believe and will be saved and those who refuse to believe and stand condemned already. So however hopeful and joyful this text is, it's also a sober warning and reminder to all of us. Unless we trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, we too will stand condemned. And so friend, again, I plead with you. Look to Christ. Trust in Christ. Acknowledge the privilege you have to know Christ. Acknowledge the honor that Peter references. The knowledge of Christ as the foundation and cornerstone of god's people you see if you're here tonight and you have faith in christ you indeed are truly honored truly blessed truly privileged that's an honor and privilege that not everyone will have so if you find yourself on the side of faith in jesus christ don't boast in yourself don't take pride in yourself boast in christ the savior of the world now if you find yourself on the other side of faith of christ again i employ you trust in christ trust in the one who came to bring comfort consolation and hope trust in the one who came to bring salvation and peace for there's no name under heaven by which anyone can be saved but christ brothers and sisters continue to trust in him continue to look to your savior let's pray lord what a beautiful text this is before us tonight a text of joy a text of comfort a text of anticipation and fulfillment and yet lord it also brings to us the sober warning that we must continue to trust and rest our faith in no one other than Jesus Christ. Father, we thank You for Christ. We thank You for the faith that we have to believe and trust in Him. Continue, Father, to work faith in our weak hearts. And may we respond with thankfulness, Praise, joy, and adoration. For we pray this all in Christ's name. Amen.