Podcasts about then simeon

Up to this moment, all the contemporary news about Jesus has been rainbows and puppies.  Then Simeon gives the 1st BAD NEWS about Jesus:  He will be opposed and will be revealing the thoughts of everybody.  It won't be pretty. (that's why a rescue mission was called for in the first place). Here's the super bad news for today:  One of those people who's heart and soul is exposed is YOU.  And that is where the trouble starts.  You too can oppose him in your soul, even if you are a believer; even if you are a devout person.And there are consequences. Some Fall.  Some Rise.  God raised us up with him. Lord, what is there in my thoughts that needs to be revealed and agreed to and repented of and to be sorry for and not to oppose You over?  Thank you for listening and doing this hard work in your soul.   Retweet this.

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge. . . . 1 Corinthians 12:8 In the distribution of spiritual gifts, the Spirit of God pours out knowledge and gives wisdom and discernment for the use of that knowledge. For example, the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon “that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah” (Luke 2:26). And when Jesus was born and his parents, Mary and Joseph, brought him to the temple, Simeon saw the Christ child with his own eyes. Then Simeon used words of wisdom to say a blessing and to prophesy about Mary's future (Luke 2:28-35). Paul received a gift of discernment of spirits when he was on his first missionary journey. The Holy Spirit sometimes works in powerful and miraculous ways when the gospel, the good news of Jesus, is being introduced in a new area. That's because those areas tend to be influenced by evil powers that want to resist the spread of God's Word. On Cyprus Paul met a man named Elymas who was a sorcerer and a false prophet. Rebuking Elymas, Paul said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of every­thing that is right! . . . Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10). Then Paul said Elymas would be blinded for a time, and immediately Elymas couldn't see. All of this took place in front of a military commander who had wanted to hear the Word of God—and “when he saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed about the teaching of the Lord” (Acts 13:12). Spirit of God, we ask for knowledge, wisdom, and discernment so that we can represent you wisely. In Jesus' name, Amen.

February 23, 2021Seven Last Words Series #3Looking Beyond OurselvesEpisode 44John 19:25 (NIV) 25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. What Mary experienced at the cross.Luke 2:34-35 (NLT) 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”Mary’s sister was there as well. John doesn’t mention Mary’s sisters’ name, but Matthew & Mark do tell us her name. It was Salome. We learn from Salome to humbly accept rebuke and learn from it. Salome was the one that asked Jesus if her two sons (James & John) could sit on either side of him (places of prestige) when he established his kingdom. Jesus had rebuked her for that request? Well, even though she had been rebuked and perhaps a bit embarrassed she was there by his side at the cross. The main characters of this passage are Jesus, his mother Mary, and John. Take a look at the 26th verse. John 19:26-27 (NIV) 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.In these verses the 3rd word that Jesus spoke is revealed, and that word is “affection.” He expressed affection or caring for his mother. Jesus gives us a wonderful example here in this passage. In the norm we would expect him to be focused on his own suffering. There is a spiritual principle that weaves thru-out the Scripture and Paul mentions it in his letter to the church at Philippi. Philippians 2:3 (NLT) 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.John's faithfulness to Jesus. Oh to be drawn closer to Jesus and to love him more and more. And to be more like Jesus so that we will not focus on ourselves, but rather we will be faithful to focus on others even as Jesus did as he hung there upon the cross. Looking beyond ourselves.

Luke 2:22-40 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word.for my eyes have seen your salvation,which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Brendan McClenahan and Wendi Kapenga read and reflect on Luke 2:22-40. Please make sure to subscribe to this podcast! For the full Bible Reading Plan, head to victorypoint.org. To find out more about the context of Luke 2:22-40 head to https://thebibleproject.com/explore/luke. We would love to include your input on this podcast. Send us an email at brendanmcclenahan@victorypoint.org or leave a voice message by clicking the link below. There is more going on at VictoryPoint! (head to victorypoint.org for more trainings, events, worship gatherings, discipleship opportunities, giving, and ways to get connected). Here's the full text from today's scripture: 2:22 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 2:23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ""Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord""), 2:24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ""a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."" 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 2:26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 2:27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 2:28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 2:29 ""Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 2:30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 2:31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."" 2:33 And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 2:34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ""This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 2:35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed--and a sword will pierce your own soul too."" 2:36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 2:37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 2:38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 2:39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 2:40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/biblereadingplanvp/message

GOSPEL POWER |FEBRUARY 2, 2021 TUESDAY | PRESENTATION OF THE LORD Gospel: LK 2: 22-40 (OR 2:22-32) When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought the child up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed — and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. REFLECTION Righteous people in the Bible are portrayed as obedient to the law, not only because they felt duty-bound to comply with the letter of the law, but because they understood its underlying spirit. Having given birth to the All Holy One could not have defiled Mary, thus she did not really need purification. Jesus did not need any ritual of dedication to God, for he belonged completely to God as his Son. But Mary and Joseph, being truly righteous, were not concerned with entitlements and privileges. Rather, obedience to the law meant putting their lives completely in the hands of God. It was all about a relationship-of-trust. Thus, in Mary and Joseph, Jesus had the best teachers in obedience. And by obedience, which was his relationship-of-trust with the heavenly Father, Jesus would save the world. PRAYER Lord Jesus, help us to understand that it is obedience that proves the genuineness of love. Amen.

FIRST READING Hebrews 2: 14-end Since the children share flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. SECOND READING Luke 2: 22-40 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord'), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated 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; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.' And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed - and a sword will pierce your own soul too.' There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

Brendan McClenahan and Matt Yount read and reflect on Luke 2:22-40. Please make sure to subscribe to this podcast! For the full Bible Reading Plan, head to victorypoint.org. To find out more about the context of Luke 2:22-40 head to https://thebibleproject.com/explore/luke. We would love to include your input on this podcast. Send us an email at brendanmcclenahan@victorypoint.org or leave a voice message by clicking the link below. There is more going on at VictoryPoint! (head to victorypoint.org for more trainings, events, worship gatherings, discipleship opportunities, giving, and ways to get connected). Here's the full text from today's scripture: 2:22 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 2:23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ""Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord""), 2:24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ""a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."" 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 2:26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 2:27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 2:28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 2:29 ""Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 2:30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 2:31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."" 2:33 And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 2:34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ""This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 2:35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed--and a sword will pierce your own soul too."" 2:36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 2:37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 2:38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 2:39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 2:40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/biblereadingplanvp/message

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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 him in his arms and praised God, saying:29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[a] your servant in peace.30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”-Luke 2:25-35 (NIV)

Pastor Smith preaches from Luke 2:34-35 on December 27, 2020. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

The gift of worship.    What happens next?    The truth is we don’t know what tomorrow holds.    Is my heart in tune with the Holy Spirit?    Luke 2:21-38   'Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord .” So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.' Luke 2:21-38 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/LUK.2.21-38   Keeping my eyes on Jesus    Simeon and Anna were   Hungry to know God  Aligned with God’s heart  Public in their witness about Christ  Willing to wait faithfully for God’s will to play out Ready to stop when God’s Spirit moved   

GOSPEL POWER - DECEMBER 29, 2020 - TUESDAY Gospel: Lk 2:22-35 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought the child up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” REFLECTION Today's Gospel episode marks the transition of the eras. It stands as a bridge between the two testaments of the Christian Scriptures. The old era with its promises and hopes serenely gives way to the new era of faithful fulfillment. The silent actor is God who, in the person of the child presented at the temple, has made human history “his story.” Simeon is a representative-figure, standing in for all the holy people of the old era who have lived their lives longing and hoping for the realization of the divine promise of deliverance. In the person of Simeon, those eyes and ears that will never experience the blessedness of seeing and hearing what the disciples of Jesus will later see and hear, receive nonetheless the consolation of a momentary glimpse of the dawning salvation. God does not disappoint those who hope in him. “In Jesus, all the promises of God find their ‘Yes'” (2 Cor 1:20). PRAYER Lord Jesus, you are our guarantee that God is a keeper of promises. Amen.

Luke 2:22-40 (NRSV)22 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 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon;[a] this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.[b] 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon[c] came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon[d] took him in his arms and praised God, saying,29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant[e] in peace, according to your word;30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon[f] blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”36 There was also a prophet, Anna[g] the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child[h] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Luke 2:25-35 New International Version (NIV)25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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 him in his arms and praised God, saying:29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”Matthew 2:1-11 New International Version (NIV)The Magi Visit the Messiah2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehemin Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

GOSPEL POWER - DECEMBER 27, 2020 - SUNDAY HOLY FAMILY Gospel: Lk 2:22-40 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought the child up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. REFLECTION The family is a divinely-willed, divinely-created, and divinely-sustained institution. God himself entered the world to be in solidarity with us by being born into and becoming a member of a human family. The readings of today's feast are tightly woven together by the themes of faith and obedience—the indispensable ingredients of a stable and healthy family life. The first and second readings are all about Abraham who, against all odds, became the father of an ever-growing family, because he put his faith in God's promises and obeyed God in all matters. In the Gospel, Joseph and Mary, whose engagement underwent a severe trial, became husband and wife through faith in and obedience to God's revelation and action in their lives. Today, as the institution of the family is assailed by evil forces that seek to destroy it, the liturgical readings invite us to turn to God in faith and obedience, for He alone can see this well-loved institution through every ordeal and restore it to its designated place in his plan. PRAYER Lord Jesus, help all families to weather the storms that threaten to break them up. Amen.

AN ERA OF PEACE A prophet called Micah made an amazing prophecy that foretold the birthplace of Jesus over seven hundred years before Jesus was born. This verse also tells us that he would be our peace. Micah 5:2. "O Bethlehem, you are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past!" God will allow the conflict and disorder to remain until she who is to give birth has her son. And he shall feed his flock in the strength of the Lord… and he will be greatly honoured throughout the world. He will be our Peace. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph had to bring Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated. The prescribed time for dedication and purification was forty days according to Jewish Law. A man named Simeon was also in the Temple, The Holy Spirit having prompted him to go to the Temple that day. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen Jesus, God's anointed King, which was Simeon’s lifelong prayer, forever waiting and expecting the Messiah to come soon. And so when Mary and Joseph arrived to present the baby Jesus to the Lord in obedience to the law, The Spirit bore witness to Simeon that his prayer had been answered, and he greeted them, taking the child in his arms and began praising God.‘Lord’ he said, I have seen him as you promised me I would. I have seen the Saviour you have given to the world. He is the Light that will shine upon the nations, and he will be the glory of your people Israel! now I can die in peace. (Luke 2:29)On that day this prophetic man Simeon took his place in entering the era of peace that had come upon all of humanity.  Joseph and Mary just stood there, marvelling at what was being said about Jesus.Then Simeon blessed them all and said to Mary about her son Jesus;‘This one is assigned for the fall and rise of many in Israel and as a sign that will be opposed and denied by multitudes in all the earth, so that the thoughts of their hearts might be revealed. This momentous prophesy declares Jesus as the one who stands at the centre of the scales of every life. This challenges us to either respond to or reject the truth of his virgin birth, his life, death and resurrection. This truth is the challenge that provokes opposition and denial in the human heart, where all of our inner conflicts between light and darkness are deliberated and judged, bringing every human heart into account.  Jesus now stands in the middle of every decision we make, to give us his wisdom and truth. This is ours if we let him into our heart - and it is on offer for all of mankind. But who wants it? A woman named Anna was also there in the Temple that day, a prophetess of the Jewish tribe of Asher, and was eighty four years old. She lived a cloistered life in the Temple, dwelling there night and day, worshiping God in praying and often fasting.She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and The Spirit also bore witness to her that this was the promised Saviour and that the Messiah had finally arrived. She began thanking God and proclaiming this truth to everyone in Jerusalem.She too had now entered that era of peace that had come upon the world.The word for peace in the bible is Eirene. This word actually means ‘oneness’ which in its fullest sense means oneness and harmony with God. That is why we say ‘He is our peace’ Meanwhile, a group of highly esteemed Wise Men called Magi set out from Babylon in the East. Babylon was the first civilization in the East to study and interpret the movement of the stars and planets as far back as 700 BC. Planets in those times were also referred to as stars and sometimes as wandering stars. There were many such Magi, astrologers and astronomers who served the kings of Babylon. These men also knew the writings of the Jewish scrolls, and would have had knowledge of the prophesies concerning the Messiah and the predicted whereabouts of his birth. This was because of the influence of the Jewish religion during the seventy years internment of Israel in Babylon, where there was a cross assimilation of both cultures, and the impact of such an inspirational prophetic hero as Daniel They would have also studied any unusual or momentous activity of a night star in the heavens, as this was often interpreted by astrologers to be the sign of the birth of a great ruler. These Wise Men would have been observing the charts of the heavens and calculated the timing of a convergence of two great planets that would have shone as an exceedingly bright star for some weeks in the eastern night sky, and which would have shone at its brightest as that great light that shone at the birth of Jesus.  They had followed this great light to the region of the special birth and had been asking questions around Jerusalem. They were asking about the birth of the new king of Israel and his whereabouts, and their presence in the city and the line of questioning and discussion they were having with the local people came to the ears of the local ruler, Herod.  Herod had been appointed by Caesar Augustus to oversee several local regions, including the region of Jerusalem. Herod was a local tribal king who acted as an intermediary to Caesar, and he worked with the proconsuls and the military leadership. He had become extremely agitated about the news of this supposed special child whose birth had been predicted, and he was threatened by it. He heard that Israel had a record in their Scriptures of such an event heralding the birth of a Messiah or a new king to rule over them. It was rumoured that this special child would begin a new kingdom in the earth, and Herod did not quite know what this meant, but he didn’t want that sort of competition. He had his own dynasty to create. Driven by his urgency to know all that he could about this child, he called for a conference with the priests and leaders and pressed them concerning the predicted time and place of this special birth. Certain scribes and teachers knew from the Scriptures the Bethlehem region of the child’s birth, as we first read in Micah 5:2, and   that a great star would appear at that time. Armed with this knowledge Herod secretly summonsed the Wise Men to his palace and told them the whereabouts of the region where they might find news of the child. He asked them to come back and inform him of the child’s exact location, telling them that he too wanted to worship this new king. Afterwards he congratulated himself. They were no match for his cunning and had promised to report back to him. All he needed to know was where to send his garrison of soldiers so that the child could be killed. After their meeting with Herod the Wise Men followed the star which remained bright in the sky, and were guided to the house where Joseph and Mary and the child Jesus were still staying. When the men were invited to see the child they went down on their knees and worshipped him. They then presented him with gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These peculiar gifts have a spiritual message for us today who understand what it means to live a life shared with God.Gold speaks to us of the nature of God on display in a human life. Frankincense speaks to us of sweet prayer ascending from a true heart. Myrrh speaks to us of accepting the necessary reality of suffering, and its meaning for our life, because without that there is no spiritual growth. That same night Gabriel gave a message to the Wise Men in a dream warning them not to report back to Herod, so the men departed and returned to their homeland another way. After their departure the Angel also appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, and to stay there until he brought further word. He warned him that Herod was seeking the young child to destroy him, so Joseph took Mary and the young child and departed for Egypt that night.  Then Herod, when he realized that he had been out-manoeuvred by the wise men, became infuriated and he commanded a garrison of soldiers to go out and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its surrounding districts, from two years old and under. This tragic event was prophesied by Jeremiah; ‘In Rama a voice of weeping was heard and lamentation and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, unable to be comforted because of her loss. (Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:18) Herod died soon after this, and Gabriel spoke to Joseph in another dream that it was now safe to leave Egypt, fulfilling another prophecy which was spoken through the prophet Hosea; ‘Out of Egypt I called My Son’ (Hosea 11:1).  However when Joseph learned that the son of Herod, who now ruled in his father’s place, was as treacherous and murderous as his father, he was afraid to go back to the area, but Gabriel appeared to Joseph again in a dream and told him to go to a quiet lakeside village in Galilee where they would be safe. So they came and settled in a city called Nazareth, and yet another prophesy was fulfilled, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene’ (Matthew 2:23). They settled there as a family for many years, where Jesus grew from a child into an adult.  During this growing up time in the life of Jesus there is an account of one special incident when Jesus was twelve years old. His parents took him to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, which they did every year. The feast was always very crowded and lasted for seven full days and there was a lot of activity and celebration of Israel’s exodus out of Egypt, and they travelled to and from the feast in a caravan of hundreds of people, pitching tents and camping on the journey. When they were on the journey home, and one day out from Jerusalem Mary and Joseph noticed that they had not seen Jesus for the whole day, and they supposed that he was mingling with relatives and friends in the crowd, but when they asked around it was clear that he was not with the caravan, and when they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him. It was only after three days of searching and making inquiries that they finally found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers of the Law, discussing deep questions with them and astounding everyone with the depth of his questions and the wisdom of his answers. However his parents were perplexed, not knowing what to think, and his mother asked him in her distress why he had done that to them. Mary told him that she and his father had been frantic, searching for him everywhere. Jesus asked them why they felt they had to search for him and why they didn’t realize that he would be here in his Father’s house, sharing in his Father’s work. But they didn't understand what he meant. It could have appeared to be insubordination, which was puzzling and very uncharacteristic of him, to not respect his sonship in their family. But Jesus had not betrayed his sonship. In fact he had had no intention of dishonouring either of his sonships, either to his earthly family or his heavenly Father. Here, however, in the encounter with his distressed parents, this maturing child was wisely coming to grips with the complexity of the relationship between his identity as Son of God and as a son in the family of Joseph. He did this for us too, as with everything else he did for us, knowing we would grapple with this earthly and heavenly fatherhood quandary in our own lives, and would graciously come be made whole in God the Father’s unconditional love. So he went home with them and was subject to them. Jesus continued to grow in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and was admired and respected by all the people in that place.  Through the birth of this child divine life had been embedded into human life. This had never happened before, this new form of life, God and man together, a new creation. Because of this new creation a new connection between man and God would be possible. Through what this man would accomplish in his short journey in the earth, the bond of oneness (peace) which he would experience with his Heavenly Father would become available to all of us, to grow and mature together as sons and daughters in his family.   

Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: This child is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. Indeed, as a result of him… Continue Reading "Christmas Devotions: Sacrifice"

In this episode, we continue our four part Advent series on the nature and character of Mary, our Mother. We discuss the call for women to be tender and strong, to fight for those we love with the power of the feminine genius. We chat about the tender strength required to watch Jesus suffer and die and the importance of trust, surrender and strength submitted under the will of God. Mary is offering her motherhood to us if we are willing to receive her invitation of protection. Michelle’s one thing - In Full Boom - Claire Swinarski Michelle’s other one thing - Rekindled - Mallory Smyth Sister Miriam’s one thing - Essays on Women - Edith Stein. ENDOW also created an online study on these writings that you can purchase online here. Heather’s one thing - Watching epic movies like Gladiator and Braveheart with her family  Discussion questions:     What struck you from this week’s episode? How can we invite Mary into our lives as a real person, more than just a statue in our church or a figure of piety in the Bible? What does it look like for women to wield their swords? What does it look like for women to fight for those that they love using the feminine genius and avoiding bitterness and manipulation?  Where has the enemy distracted you with a small battle that has pulled your attention and intention away from what the Lord has for you? Journal Questions: How do you need Mary to fight for you? What attack from the serpent do you want her to crush? What snare do you want her to free you from? What knot do you want her to untie?  What struggle in your life have you resigned to just “tough it out” instead of opening to restoration? How is God inviting you to grow in surrender, vulnerability and strength through laying down resignation, grasping, and control?  Take some time in prayer to invite Mary’s protection and defense from the enemy.   Quote to Ponder:  One instant in a still light, He saw Our Lady then, Her dress was soft as western sky, And she was queen most womanly– But she was queen of men. Over the iron forest He saw Our Lady stand; Her eyes were sad withouten art, And seven swords were in her heart– But one was in her hand.  - G.K. Chesterton, The Ballad of the White Horse Scripture for Lectio Divina -  Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:  “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,  you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation  which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” - Luke 2: 25-35 This episode is sponsored by Project Light Ministries. Project Light Ministries resources are designed to create space and starting points for conversations where the secular can intersect with the sacred. Their resources make no assumptions and meet each person right where they are. They use the power of storytelling on film because each one of us needs to know we are not alone. The aim of creating a film is not just about getting a message out there. The process dictates that our media is raw, honest, and beautiful. For this reason, they make documentary style films, a specialty of their partner 4PM Media. They achieve captivating cinematography by appealing to truth and beauty in everything they approach.‍ Nine years ago, they dreamed of helping others create a safe space where individuals could sit and find the courage to tell their story. Where men & women, young & old, would affirm their worth by sharing bits of brokenness of their past chapters & current struggles. A space that would confront the uncomfortable, talk about the “taboo” and shine light into the darkest parts of our hearts. A place that would offer hope, grace, mercy and an invitation to rewrite the script of society. We are the ones called to speak truth over one another of a God who calls us by name who can redeem the darkest parts of our story. You can find Project Light Ministries films as a DVD or digital download at www.projectlightministries.com. Enter the code "abide10" for 10% off of the DVD Bundle which includes a copy of both "Speaking to Sparrows" and "The 4th Man". This episode is created under the patronage of Our Lady of Sorrows. Learn more about the novena to our Lady of Sorrows here or the Seven Sorrows Rosary here. 

Why do we feel so good after finishing a big project? Honestly, there are so many emotions tied to it. When you look back on the project though, would you do it all over again? It's your morning moment.  Mary, Did You Know – Voctave ft. Mark Lowry  The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”                                                                        Luke 2:33-35Facebook YouTubeInstagram If you enjoyed today's podcast, please subscribe, and then share. We want to share this message with the everyone, so that they too can experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ 

Songs of Advent: Simeon’s Song by Kathy Maskell Luke 2:25-35 5 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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 him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[a] your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Sermon - Rev. Sujanna Raj Gospel - Luke 2:22-40 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 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 it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

A Homily for The Presentation of Christ February 2, 2019 All Saints Anglican Church, Prescott, AZ   Text: Luke 2:29-32   Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen.               On January 3, 1957 four missionaries landed their plane upon a small sand strip in the Curary River in the jungle of Ecuador, some time be for this the young men had sensed a call from the Lord to reach the Huaorani people, who were known for being a particularly violent and relatively unreached people group. They had flown over the village and made initial contact and were hoping to soon make further contact, they knew this calling was dangerous, and perhaps deadly.             After three days a small group from the Huaorani reticently made contact with the missionaries. They took one of the young man flying on the plane, and at first all seemed peaceable. However, the leaders of the tribe became suspicious, and rightly so, because other outsiders were equally eager to make contact, but this contact was in hopes of taking away their land.             Soon jealousy over whelmed the leaders of the Huaorani and they planned an attack on the missionaries. At 3 pm on January 8th, the Huaorani made contact again, but this time with the intent of attacking and killing the four men. Shortly after this the missionaries were dead, and fearing retribution the Huaorani torched their village and fled.              One of the missionaries names was Jim Elliot – he perhaps is the most well know of the four for a number of reasons but one thing he is remembered for is a short statement he wrote in his journal: “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Elliot and his four friends gave their lives which they knew they could not keep – in order to glorify God, and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.                Perhaps to some of us this sounds absurd, but this morning we meet another man who is waiting with eager expectations to meet Christ, eager to know Christ, and to see his captive people set free. This morning we meet Simeon the prophet.             As I was studying and thinking about this passage – I was taken away by the thought of how in Christ’s early childhood narratives, he is barely seen, he is simply an infant given to the will of his earthly parents, and as such – shepherds, magi, angels, his parents, and two prophets become the focus of the narrative. Yet – even in this Christ is glorified, and we come to a deeper understand of who he is as our savior and incarnate Lord.             We of course know Simeon’s song well as it is sung or recited during Evening Prayer, and we refer to it as the Nunc Dimittis. The song was traditionally used by monks during their last time of prayer of the day. The words from Latin mean “now you dismiss” referring to Simeon’s prayer of “Lord now let your servant depart in peace,” which of course is Simeon saying “now I am ready to die, ready to be with you.”             The monks use this prayer as a closing song for the day as a part of their intentional reminder to habitually lay their lives down, to habitually die to themselves, which is our calling as well. For the monks of old the end of the day was another call to repent of the sins of that past day, to die to themselves, that come the next morning, if the Lord willed it they may rise to new life.              He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.               The English translations of Simeon’s song begins with an address to God, using the word “Lord.” However, this is fascinating because the word that is used is not the word typically used when Scripture refers to God the father as Lord, nor as Christ the son. Instead it is a far less common word that is used a mere ten times in the New Testament.             In almost all other cases the ESV translates it to “master,” one other time it is translated as “Lord,” and once, when used in conjunction with the typical word for “Lord” it is translated “sovereign.” These translational choices give us a glimpse as to what Simeon is trying to say – he isn’t saying “God, let me rest now,” no, he is saying “My master, my king, my ruler, my sovereign, dear owner of my soul, let me lay down my head, let me rest in your sweet mercy.”             Simeon sees God not as some distant sky fairy, not as a benevolent grandfather, for Simeon God is not far off, but He is the ruler, and possessor of him as a human being and by extension we are called to rest in God in the same way. And this begs the first question: Are we willing to give up our entire lives for God, are we willing to say to God “our lives are in your hands”? Are we willing to trust God with every detail of our lives from the grand to the minute? Do we believe that:             He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose?               Then Simeon prays for death – “now let your servant depart in peace.” Do you find your satisfaction in Christ in the same way that Simeon did? Do we see that his coming into the world and into our lives is the culmination of all Good things that God has planned for his people? If God took our lives today – would we smile and say “my life is complete, I have done all that God has called me to do?” or would know somewhere deep down inside we had failed to glorify God, to love God with our total being, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Are we willing to let Christ be our everything?             My friends – the bar for being Christian is high and you will fail to meet it. I have failed to meet it time and again, I am the chief amongst sinners, I fall down, I fail to love well, I chase false gods, my eyes wander, I doubt, I grow weary, and grumbly like the Israelites in the desert and wonder “how long o Lord?”             Recently, I have felt the need to abide more richly in Christ, to renew my trust that He is good, and sovereign, and ruler over my life. I know of God’s sovereignty intellectually, but sometimes I grow distressed that things are not working out the way I want them to. Yet, I have seen God provide. I have never been without, I have never wanted, I have never gone hungry, I’ve always had a roof over my head, a friend to talk to. I have rarely had a lot, but the little I have is enough to get by.             God has always faithfully provided – I have seen this throughout my life with Christ – in the tears and joys, in the anxiety and peace, in the seasons of a little and in the seasons of a lot he has been there – if he can provide in this way – surely he will provide in every other way, surely he will guide me – surely, he has proven himself a faithful and good master  – and now I must abide.             Beloved – we will sin, we will fail, we will feel utterly unworthy of our calling into Christ – because we are– but Christ is the father who runs out to meet the prodigal son in the field, who puts upon us the best robe in the closet, who celebrates and kills the fatted calf for us. Christ rejoices and embraces us when we’ve wandered and return home, Christ will leave the 99 for the one lost sheep, Christ will come for us, guide us, heal us, forgive us, and love us, so let us not fret for one moment.                 We have not and cannot earn our salvation – and that is the point of Christ’s death for in His death and resurrection we find grace and forgiveness and in that we are called to reside in Him, we are called to trust him with every aspect of our lives, we are called to know that He is our sovereign master, we are called to abide richly in him, we are called to die to ourselves, so that he may live abundantly in us, and we may live abundantly in him.             He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.               I hope we can see vividly that God calls us to obedience, calls us to give up our lives, calls us to see Him as our sovereign Lord and master, but how do we know what it is that God calls us to do?             Simeon says that these things are according to God’s word – and we know from verse 26 that God had revealed to Simeon through the Holy Spirit that “he would not see death before had seen the Lord’s Christ.” But how do we live such spirit filled lives? For aren’t we promised that if we are in Christ we are given the Holy Spirit?             A wise man once told me “you give the Holy Spirit words by knowing God’s word.” Of course we know that the Holy Spirit is actively drawing us closer to God, is actively re-forming our heart, is actively giving us a deeper conscious, a deeper understanding of right and wrong, we know that when the church is uniformly drawn to some purpose, it is probably the spirit moving her to do so, but how do we habitually live in submission to the Holy Spirit?             It begins with knowing the word of God, it begins with reading it voraciously, reading it as it is the bread of life, and where we will find the living water, letting the word renew our minds. It is here that we find the pure form of the word of God, it is here that we see how he has acted for the millenniums before the coming of Christ, and how he came to die to set his captive people free, it is in God’s word that we come to know his character, of his goodness, his love, his mercy, his justice.             Let us be devoted in the task of knowing God – not to earn anything – but that we would know Him and he would know us, and in that we would learn to be conformed to His will, that we would be better servants and children, that we would be able to pray Simeon’s prayer more faithfully, and that we would know – that he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.               Perhaps Simeon is endued with some great wisdom, perhaps we knows that Christ must die a death of shame to take away our own death, sin, and shame, perhaps Simeon knows that Christ will be scorned and rejected, perhaps Simeon is wiser and more faithful than Christ’s disciples will prove to be at the crucifixion, but nothing stands to tell us this is the case. No – Simeon simply prays “my eyes have seen your salvation,” for he is endued with the Holy Spirit and simply recognizes Jesus as the Christ, simply recognizes that Jesus will be the one to bring freedom to God’s people.             Simeon knows who this little baby is, but does not know how God will act – and that is enough for him. We too know of God’s deliverance, we too know that we are given peace in our abiding in Christ, we too know the end of the story – but we do not know how we will get there. So when the earth trembles and nations rage, when people are evil, when they plot or when they gossip, let us not waver, let us not faulter but say “mine eyes have seen your salvation,” and persevere with faithfulness, and remember:             He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.               But now Simeon says something amazing – think for a moment about the disciples – they all seemed to believe that Christ came to be the temporal king of Jerusalem and Israel, to drive the Romans out of the nation, and to reestablish the state of Israel, to sit upon his ancestor, David’s earthly throne. But Simeon seems to recognize that maybe, just maybe Jesus is more than an earthly king.             For it is before all people that Christ is prepared – it is before all people that Christ comes to and it is Christ who will judge all people at the end of time, it is to Christ that every knee shall bow. At the coming of Christ two thousand years ago, we find the beginning of this, but not the end, we find the beginning of the end.             And then Simeon does a double unfolding – he recognizes that Chris is light for the gentiles and the glory of God’s people, Israel.             This day in the Christian year is commonly called Candlemas, it was the day that the church traditionally blessed their candles for the year, and people would bring their candles for their homes to be blessed as well. Nothing in the church building is there by accident or happenstance, rather everything has meaning including candles.             We have intentionally set this building aside for one purpose – to worship God, we have set it aside to be a sacred space. Like all thing in the church, the candles have meaning. We light them as a habitual reminder of Christ’s light coming into the world to save sinners. We light a fire at the Easter vigil and carry that light into the church, proclaiming the light of Christ coming into the world, the light of Christ being resurrected, proclaiming that all hope is never lost. The priest or deacon sings the exultet at the vigil to remind us of the importance of that light in our lives and in the world, the candles are lit from the paschal candle, and act to remind us of the light of Christ in our lives and so when you see the candles on the altar, let them trigger your memory – that Christ came into the world to enlighten you and I, that Christ came into the world to set us free from the darkness of our sin, that Christ is our light and our hope.             But he is also the glory of His people Israel – Israel is God’s people, Israel was set aside to be a blessing to all nations – and this blessing is the coming of Christ. By bringing Christ into the world Israel glorified God, and in such Israel is glorified.             Yesterday as I was driving home around sunset and I was thinking about the beauty of the earth. My favorite time to come up from Phoenix to Sunset point is that hour before sunset. It sparks in me such an appreciation for God’s creative power. Yesterday my thoughts wandered to how one day God will re-create the earth and when God restores all things to how they were meant to be how much more beautiful it will be. Then, I realized – what will be truly beautiful will be to experience God’s glory – for now we see through a glass dimly – but then we will see fully, experience fully, we will not be separated from the glory of God by our sin, but will bask in his love and glory perfectly.             This is what God does for sinful humanity in Christ Jesus, he makes us free, and makes us to know Him, and though this is out of love – more importantly it glorifies God, because another has recognized that God is the good and sovereign master of their lives. Another has recognized that he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.             I started this sermon with the story of four missionaries who died on a sandbar in the Ecuadorian jungle and you may wonder how we know so much about them? Well, a few years later two of their widows went to live with the tribe, through this several of the Huaorani people came to know Christ, came to know his freedom, and came to be faithful followers of Christ. The four families became inextricably interlinked with the Huaorani people.             One of their sons came to be friends with one of the men who killed his father – and a reporter said to him “I understand forgiving someone who had killed your father, but how can you love him?” The man thought for awhile and then came to that old saying that perhaps we all know “hurting people hurt people,” and realized perhaps – “forgiven people forgive people” and loved people love people. We are forgiven and we are loved – and as such – we are to be forgiving and loving.             If we are residing in Christ, if Christ is our sovereign Lord, if we have given Christ the total of our being – then we know that the words Jim Elliot scribbled in his journal nearly seventy years ago are not folly but true -  He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose, for what incredible goodness we gain when we reside in Christ!             In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

As Christ was presented in the Temple, 40 days after his birth, the prophetic church is prefigured, foreshadowed in the ministries of Simeon and Anna the Prophetess. Christ is revealed, worshiped and proclaimed. The Return of Yahweh to His Temple: Malachi 3:1-4 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. The Fulfillment of Malachi 3: Luke 2:22-40 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[a]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[b] 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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 him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[c] your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Luke 2:22-40   When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too." There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Luke 2:22-40   When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too." There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Luke 2:22-40   When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too." There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:25-38 https://my.bible.com/bible/111/LUK.2.25-38

The stories of Simeon and Anna in the temple with the newborn Jesus reveal to us the power of faith in daily life and the wisdom of the overlooked   LINK "Expecting God to act" essay from the Anglican Journal   READING Luke 2:22-40 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too." There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.   MUSIC Come My Way, My Truth, My Life, Blackfriar Music Be Though My Vision, Jaimie Jorge Celtic Hymn, Aural Axiom

Christ didn’t come to unify? Mary and Joseph are amazed! Your sins are forgiven.This week on Scripture First Dr. Chris Croghan joins Adam, Kiri, and Mason to discuss the sermon Mary and Joseph get from Simeon in Luke 2:22-40.Things we discussed in the episode:What does it mean that the Holy Spirit is "on" you?Why is it offensive for Jesus to forgive sins?What is the glory of Israel?Luke 2:22-4022 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 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”36 There was also a prophet, Anna[g] the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child[h] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.The Return to Nazareth39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.Support the show (https://www.lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate)

Son of Man: IncarnationThe Long Awaited GiftDecember 29, 201921 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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 him in his arms and praised God, saying:29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. (Luke 2:21-40)Anticipation(Philippians 1:18-20)(Psalm 27:13-14)Preparation(Philippians 1:21-24)(2 Timothy 2:20-21)Satisfaction(Philippians 1:25-26)(1 Timothy 6:6)(Psalm 65:4)

The Holy Spirit moved him to go to the temple. So he goes, he sees the salvation, and then he gives a prophetic word. Now, I love this and let’s read this real quick what he has to say to Mary, Jesus parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon bless […]

Pastor Ross preaches on Luke 2:22-35 where he showed how Christmas gives us hope against the curse of sin. Christmas and the Curse-Breaker Christmas and the Curse Ross Tenneson / General The Gospel of Luke / Suffering; Christmas / Luke 2:22–38 Jesus comes to save his fallen creation from the curse that has long afflicted it. Summary Exegetical Main Point: Jesus is the savior of the world who will save many while facing rejection from others. Sermon Main Point: We must long for Christ to come again to destroy the curse of sin and suffering. Sticky: The curse-breaker has come on Christmas and will come again. -Or- We must long for Christ to come again and break the curse. Connection (me) I want to begin by sharing with you about one of the worst days of my life. In September, I went on a prayer retreat in rural Wisconsin. I wasn’t feeling very well when I left and hoped to rest and heal up out there. Instead of getting better, I got an uncomfortable rash on my hands and feet. Next, my throat became sore, and it didn’t stop there. It continued to become so painful that I could hardly even swallow or drink. I was part in utter agony and part in awe that my throat could hurt so bad— I could not figure out what was going on. Then, I used my skills of deduction: “hand”… “foot”… “mouth,” oh no! I had somehow caught it from our kids here when it went around. As I suffered in isolation, my phone rang. It was my mom. She shared with me that my grandma had just past away. She was so special to me; we had shared a special bond my entire life. My aunt asked me later to come and speak at the funeral— I wanted so badly the opportunity to talk about how this woman had loved Jesus to my unbelieving family members. But I couldn’t even swallow without tears coming into my eyes and I could hardly talk. Also, I was contagious with a horrible sickness. I had to cancel the airline tickets I had just bought and sit put and just…suffer. Tension (we) It doesn’t take long to discover that we live in a broken, fallen world where things are not as they should be. Have you ever wondered what God’s answer is to suffering in our world? I have titled my message today “Christmas and the curse.” In our text, we are going to witness what God’s response is to the brokenness and pain that has ravished his creation. My message has three points: (1) The Curse all People Live Under (vv. 22-24) (2) The Curse-breaker Has Come (vv.25-33) (3) How the Curse-breaker Triumphs (v. 35) Revelation (God) The Curse All People Live Under (vv. 22-24) The New International Version Chapter 2 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord Our text begins with Mary and Joseph journeying to Jerusalem with baby Jesus to bring him to the temple. Luke says they came “for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses…[and] to present him to the Lord.” Why are Jesus’s parents doing these religious ceremonies? Very briefly, in the Bible there is an Old Covenant and a New Covenant. A covenant is an agreement between God and man (which God makes) on how someone can live in a relationship with him. When Jesus came, he brought in a New Covenant. Yet, when he lived, the Old Covenant was still in place (“the law of Moses”). These religious ceremonies we see in this text belong to the Old Covenant. And in his life, he lived perfectly and was the only person who completely kept all of the Old Covenant. So what are these “purification rites” Luke mentions and why do they matter? We can find these purification rights relating to child birth in Leviticus chapter 12. Part of the Old Covenant was that many things relating to ordinary life like childbirth could make someone unclean. When someone is unclean, it would not be right for them to come near to the Lord at his temple until they became clean. Then, there after a span of time, there is a ceremony (like making an offering) that would make someone clean. Then, they could come back into the presence of the Lord. We will go into way more detail on this on our podcast if you have any interest. Now, being unclean in the Old Covenant didn’t mean that you did something specifically wrong (it was more of a reminder that there is something wrong with everything). It would happen with the ordinary things in life. Uncleanness would happen with things that are closely related to the fall into sin of Adam and Eve and the curse and death that followed.[1] Ceremonial, or you could even say “symbolic,” uncleanness was meant to call people’s attention back to the fact that (thought the earth was created good) it has fallen and broken. The affliction of the world with suffering, death, and separation from God is what I mean when I say the world is under a curse. It is cursed because of the sin and disobedience of our first ancestors Adam and Eve. The pain a woman experiences in childbirth is actually one of the primary effects of the curse that God mentions in the book of Genesis (hence why Mary is unclean and has come for purification). The unbelievable pain, the blood, and the agonizing among of time it takes to bring a little life into the world is a piercing reminder of how broken our world is (Calvin). I’ve never been in the room for this event, but there are a handful of new mothers and fathers in our family who have fresh memories of this ordeal. This little word “purification” reminds us that even though there are many good things in this world, it is still full of suffering and pain. The pitiful conditions of Jesus’s birth and this journey to the temple for purification set up the curse that has fallen over all of the creation as in the background of this story. And, lest we forget, each of us bears responsibility for the curse that has befallen God’s otherwise good world. Our first ancestors Adam and Eve sinned against God and we share in their sin when we each individually sin in their likeness. Maybe you are like me and you struggle to feel the guilt or conviction for your part in this mess (maybe you never have felt that way before), but all of us can feel the effects of the curse. Think for a moment: When was the last time you felt the devastating effects of the curse? When was your last experience that was like the time I shared before when I lost my grandma and I was in so much pain I could hardly swallow? Maybe you lost a loved one or your baby, maybe you gave birth to a baby, maybe you’re dreading the loneliness or the trauma that the Christmas season reawakens in you... You’re probably thinking: quite a Christmas sermon, huh?! I thought this was supposed to be a happy time of year. You’re right, it’s among the happiest. Yet, we really just won’t care that much about Jesus and what he came to do unless we understand the mess we are in apart from him (it won’t do us any good to avoid the truth). The Curse Breaker Has Come (vv. 25-33) Luke says next: The New International Version Chapter 2 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Verse 23 is a reference to another Old Testament ritual that Mary and Joseph went to the temple to fulfill. We will talk about it more about that one in the podcast, but we see Luke’s careful attention to Jesus fulfilling each Old Testament law and requirement; he will fulfill all of them before he dies. The doves and the two young pigeons are the sacrifice that go along with the rites of purification after childbirth. Usually a family would give a lamb as a sacrifice, but there was a provision in the law that a poor family could give birds rather than a lamb.[2] Now, the stage is set for the surprising event that is about to happen— one that will leave Mary and Joseph shocked (Stein). What does Luke say happens next? The New International Version Chapter 2 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. What seemed like an ordinary part of raising their child by going through these religious ceremonies is about to get extraordinary. There is this man named Simeon who Luke calls “righteous and devout” (v. 25). I think Luke describes one aspect of living a “righteous and devout” life: he says he was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” We could also translate the word “consolation” as “comfort.” This word is actually quite a loaded term! It brings our attention back to the second half of the book of Isaiah, which begins with that same word, “comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” In the second half of Isaiah, there is basically a 30 chapter prophecy about Jesus (Isaiah calls him “the Messiah”) and what he would come to do. Isaiah describes how Jesus would come and save God’s people from their sins and it even talks about how he would eventually re-create our broken world to be a place where sin and suffering no longer exist. Luke says that “the Holy Spirit was on him” and that the Holy Spirit revealed “he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” Then, that same Spirit then moved him to go “into the temple courts” where Mary and Joseph had brought Jesus. God had told Simeon that he would not die before he saw the one promised to overcome the curse of sin and suffering. Here come Mary and Joseph carrying their baby boy into the Temple. That baby is the Messiah which God’s word had promised as far back as in the book of Genesis whom God’s people had been waiting for ever since. The curse had touched and ravished every human being since Adam and Eve up until that point by separating us from God because of our guilt for our sins and making us to feel the suffering that resulted from the first sin. Jesus was the lone exception (as we can see earlier in the book when the Holy Spirit created him in Mary’s womb: he alone had no guilt for sin and he had a perfect relationship with God. The one who came as the answer to the curse uniquely untainted by it. He takes little Jesus into his arms and says, The New International Version Chapter 2 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Now that he has finally seen the Lord’s answer to all the brokenness and pain in this world, he says, “I can die now. I have seen everything I need to be a satisfied human being.” The signature feature of the curse is death. As soon as sin entered the world, so did death. Yet, now that he has seen God’s salvation, he knows that death and the curse won’t have the final word. God’s answer to the curse had come. Simeon held in his arms God’s answer to all of the suffering you are experiencing. Then he goes into more detail explaining why he is alright dying. He says that in looking at Jesus, he is looking at God’s “salvation” who will be a “light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.” This is more language from the latter half of Isaiah. And it prophecies that Jesus will not only come to rescue the Jewish people, he will come to rescue all kinds of people without distinction which perhaps may be why Mary and Joseph were so shocked, because they had not known that Jesus would be the Messiah not just for their people but for people from all nationalities.[3] We have all seen the innocence and value and purity of a newborn baby— but never one like this. As precious as a little child is, they always still have the same fallen heart within them that is bent towards sin— except this one! Think of the value of a newborn baby— the preciousness and the innocence— it’s only a picture of the value of the pure and spotless Jesus. That’s what Simeon is holding in his arms as tears stream down his cheeks and he thanks and praises God that the one who will finally answer the curse of this broken world has arrived. Jesus alone was not fallen, not impure, not defiled by the curse. Unlike us, he had never and would never sin. He would perfectly keep this law his whole life that he is beginning to keep now through these ceremonies in the temple. How the Curse Breaker Triumphs (v. 35) Luke then says that Mary and Joseph marveled and then shares another surprising word from Simeon, The New International Version Chapter 2 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” In these verses we start to get a picture of how Jesus will confront sin and death and will overcome the curse that has afflicted us all. I’ll get back to what it means that he will be the “rising and falling of many.” But, Simeon says that he will be “a sign that will be spoken against.” In other words, he will suffer rejection and pain. And Simeon says to Mary, “a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Mary would suffer terrible pain because she would witness her son experience ultimate pain. Jesus would eventually break the curse by bearing the curse in the place of his people! He, the only one who didn’t deserve in the least to suffer and die, will suffer and die the most agonizing death in the place of his people. This pure and perfect little baby is born to die, later in his life, on a cross. He will take their place as being under the curse so that they can take his place of freedom from it (Calvin) I asked earlier: what is God’s answer to sin and suffering in the world? God would become a human just like one of us, and enter completely into our suffering and suffer worse than any of us! He would go through our curse our pain to such a degree that just him mom’s witnessing it will put a sword through her own soul. In doing so, he would take our sinful nature and our corrupt hearts (the source of the curse) and even the curse itself all upon his own pure and spotless self. Are you starting to see now why Simeon said he could die and depart in peace? God had devised and was carrying out the perfect plan to save sinful, fallen humanity (even Simeon). You might say: that sounds great Ross, but what does this have to do with the suffering I am going through right now? One things that strikes me is that we Christians find ourselves in the same place as Simeon: waiting, expecting, hoping. One thing we discover as we read more of Luke is that Jesus doesn’t only come once to complete his work, he comes twice. He came once to defeat sin and death and he will come again to remove is effects completely. I preached last about how Christ has freed us from the penalty and power of sin, now I am preaching about how Christ will one day free us from the presence of sin! Here is what the prophet Isaiah says the work of the Messiah would lead up to: The New International Version Chapter 65 17 “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. How wonderful that the effects of the curse we so painfully feel today, not only won’t be in the new creation when Jesus comes back again, but they won’t even come to mind! No more broken relationships, no more the pain in your body, no more pain of rejection, no more the desire to do wrong, no more missed loved ones, no more cancer and disease, no more mental illness or addiction. I was convicted as I was preparing this sermon that I am not expecting and anticipating Jesus coming back more than anything else. I anticipate and look forward to a lot of things… time with friends and family, the church growing, NFL playoffs, finding a spouse. Compared to the other things I hope for and expect, it is rare that I think ahead to the day Jesus will finally be here face to face and there won’t be any more sin and suffering. Are you in the same place? Is his return something you long for daily? Are you basing how you feel and live now on the reality that you will live with him one day in a perfect, sin-free creation? As we struggle through life in this cursed, difficult life, the knowledge that this life of pain is very short and our life in the presence of Jesus will be very long and that all of our pain and brokenness will only make it that much sweeter when Jesus takes it all away, are meant to give us a patient endurance and hope in this life. We don’t ignore or pretend suffering isn’t real, we only believe it’s temporary and Christ will one day take it all away! The New Testament doesn’t describe God’s people as not suffering: it describes us as suffering with hope. Yet church, if we do not meditate on Jesus’s return,” we won’t have a sense of calm, peace, and comfort in our suffering that will testify that Jesus is on the throne: We won’t respond to suffering in such a supernatural way that people will want to know what we have that they don’t. The strongest statement you can ever make is to worship and praise God in the midst of pain and suffering (and we need to regularly remind ourselves he is coming back to respond with worship to hard things). Application (us) I understand that some of you came here today to hear this message who have not fully surrendered to Jesus yet as king. I want to invite us to consider Simeon’s words one more time: The New International Version Chapter 2 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, What do these words mean? Simply that there is no neutral or half-hearted response to Jesus. The “rising of many” are those who trust in Jesus to heal them of the curse of their sin and God causes them to rise out of the sin and suffering that had before been their destiny. The “falling of many” are those who reject Jesus as their curse-bearing savior and have to suffer the pain of the curse apart from him forever. Right now in this world there is a mix of curse and blessing. Yet, when any of us die, there won’t be a mix anymore, it will either be all curse apart from Christ or all blessing in his presence with our sins forgiven. Jesus coming to destroy the curse for his people on the cross cannot produce a neutral response. We will either recognize our fallen state and know we need him and trust him, or we will find his death for us offensive and avoid or explain it away. We must either, on one hand, have a whole-hearted response to him of trust and dependence that he has born the curse of our sin and suffering for us and will one day set us totally free from all of it’s effects! Or, on the other, we decide that we don’t need him, we can cope with the effects of the fall ourselves. We have found some activity, or substance, or self-help philosophy that can get us through this life apart from him (while somehow conveniently forgetting that we will one day die!). I invite you friend, today, before this short life is past, to receive this pure, spotless substitute who has already suffered everything in your place so that you won’t have to. Talk to myself or any of the members here about what you should do. Glorification (Jesus) What does Christmas have to do with the curse and our suffering? Everything. Is and will forever be the only answer to our fall because he was the only unfallen one. Somehow, amazingly on Christmas, God himself came to us as a perfect, untainted child. God’s plan was that this child would bear the curse that has infected this earth, our bodies, our souls, and remake everything and everyone who accepts and surrenders to him. On Christmas, we celebrate that the curse-breaker came and we anticipate that he will come again. [1] Jason DeRouchie, Leviticus Lecture notes [2] Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 272). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons [3] Martin, J. A. (1985). Luke. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 209). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Today’s MessageToday is a Family Sunday, which means all ages at Faith will be together in our worship service. We’ll be looking at the stories of Anna & Simeon. Two older, faithful people that endured through life and were able to embrace Jesus when He was brought to the Temple by Mary and Joseph for His dedication.Today’s Scriptures | Luke 2:25-3825 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,as you have promised.30 I have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared for all people.32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,and he is the glory of your people Israel!”33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four.[a] She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Luke 2:33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many… a figure misunderstood and contradicted. But the contradiction will force truth, as God reveals to people who they really are (the thoughts [dialogismos – self-talk] of many will be revealed). The pain of a sword will piece your heart. The Contradiction We will fail and/or recover according to how we trust Jesus as God within us to reorder our minds to think in line with who he has created us to be. The self-talk is based on fear and the God-talk is based on faith. There’s only ONE of you and you are God’s design. We ourselves are a contradiction – the good that we want to do we don’t do, and the things we don’t want to do is what we do. We are gifted with a life designed by God that is meant to work in harmony with His life within us. This gift of his ‘God with us life’ can make our lives a gift to one another, through faith and love. ‘Failure’ can occur when people try to design another life for themselves, based upon the self-talk that helps them control whatever threatens their idea of what this world should give us. But the world remains indifferent to our needs, tempting us to trust in the self-talk and not to hear the God-talk that tells us the truth about our real self. This ‘failure’ brings us under too much pressure. 2 Cor 2:8-9 8. We want you to know what kind of pressure we came under when we were in Asia…we didn’t think we would ever survive. But this death sentence that was over us was only to teach us that we were not expected to trust in our own strength but to trust in God, who is able to raise the dead back to life. The ’recovery’ from this contradiction is God’s grace and our faith and hearing the God-talk. We REST in that faith with hopeful expectation of God with us. Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:.. in proportion to our faith; Giving, serving, encouraging motivating, showing justice and mercy, organizing. How do these gifts ‘fail’ and recover? - Our failure is a personal fear in the area of our gifting (Each gift has its own fearful self-talk). Note the story of Gideon. Self-talk sabotages the Gift. Judges 6:12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about. And he went on to say, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” Moses ran away from his gift of leadership and authority. (Exodus 4:1) Givers can fail by being anxious about God’s provision. Self-talk says how can I give if I don’t have. God is the source – the world is the means not the source. Servers (helpers) can get overwhelmed by helplessness - self talk says I should be able to do this better, just not good enough. ‘help of the helpless, abide with me’ Organizers can fail when they get overwhelmed by the disorder around them. The result is irrational fears – self-talk says it’s all going to go wrong and that disorganizes my mind. A discouraged encourager’s self-talk says – why do they hold back. They dread poor results – but it should be about being an influence, not being influenced – the results will come. Jeremiah 15:18

Dedication of JesusLuke 2:21-38 December 2 2018I. Introduction:A. This Christmas season we want to look at the story of Jesus’ birth in light of one ofthe key people in this story, in fact outside of Jesus this person played the biggestrole in the Christmas Story that is His mother Mary.1. We are going to see how Mary was a woman of faith, praise and depth evenat a very young age.2. Then we will come back on Christmas Eve and take a quick look at how thisstory of Mary fits into the larger story of what God was doing as Hisfingerprints and His purposes are all over these stories.B. We are going to do this by looking at the account of the story of Jesus’ birth in thebook of Luke. He wrote this book so an official named Theophilus and we, as well,could know the exact truth of what happened with Jesus as he wrote an orderlyaccount of the events of Jesus life.C. This morning, since it is child dedication Sunday, we are going to be looking at thededication of Jesus about 40 days after His birth.1. While it is chronologically out of order in Jesus’ story, it does fit thematicallywith our dedications this morning. We are actually beginning with the endof the birth account rather than the beginning.a) There is an advantage to that because the conclusion of the story reallyhelps us understand a bit more of why Jesus was born, which had beenbecomes a bit clearer with every story.2. So as we come to this story this morning remember that already a few thingshave happened – the angel appeared to Mary to announce to her that shewould be the mother of Jesus, Mary responded with a strong statement ofpraise that revealed her heart and God’s purposes for all that fear Him andfinally the actual birth of Jesus and what Mary had heard from the shepherdswho had a visit from an angel announcing the birth of Jesus to them.• So here is the story onII. Dedication Day for JesusA. Setting –1. It was forty days after the birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph went fromBethlehem to Jerusalem, about six miles, to the temple to do two things thatthe Mosaic Law had required – dedicate Jesus to God and also to offer thesacrifices for the purification of Mary that was required of mothers who gavebirth.2. The same day that Joseph and Mary were heading to the temple so was a manfrom Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. As the story continues, we will seethat it was no coincidence that they both showed up on the same day, at thesame time. But rather a divine appointment from God.a) Turn to Luke 2 and read v25-27b) There are four things we learn about Simeon here(1) Righteous and devout man(2) Looking for the consolation of Israel – consolation means comfort,that time when Israel would be comforted, especially by theMessiah, the Christ. Listen to these OT passages (Is 49:13; 51:3;52:9; 66:13)(3) He was anointed by the Holy Spirit(4) God had revealed to him that he would not die until he saw theMessiahB. Listen to what happened next as Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and blesses God!1. Read v28-322. He basically says – God I can die now because I have seen the Messiah, theone who will be Savior of all peoples – Jew and GentilesC. Listen to the response of Joseph and Mary. Read v331. Were amazed – they marveled and wondered at what they just heard2. Not only about what Simeon said but I also believe everything they haveheard over the last ten months from the angels, shepherds and now fromSimeon. Read the second half of v33D. Then Simeon directly addressed Mary, listen – read v34-351. He told her that Jesus had a special assignment from God that would result inthe rising and falling of many in Israel – the rising to salvation of those whoaccept Him as Messiah and the downfall of those who reject Him2. Also, that she herself will bear deep pain in her soul because of Jesus.3. Maybe a little more information than the typical mom wants to hear at theirchild’s dedication but of course, Jesus was not the typical child with a typicalcalling on His life.E. It appears that at the very moment that God sent another affirmation for Mary andJoseph regarding everything they had been hearing.1. Listen read v36-382. Anna gave thanks to God and began to speak about this baby Jesus to all ofthose who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem!• So what does this story mean for you and me? I think there areIII. Two Main TakeawaysA. The first has to do with the whole meaning of Christmas, or even more so theultimate purpose for Jesus coming to earth!1. We see in this story that Jesus is the Messiah and as the Messiah He hascome to bring comfort to Israel and salvation to the entire world, both theJews and the Gentiles!2. Jesus’ presence, the Messiah they have been waiting for, was not going to bean easy ride either for Israel or for Mary as His mother. Many in Israel weregoing to fall because of Him and Mary was going to experience deep painherself.3. Bottom line we learn from this that the story of Jesus coming to earth wasabout redemption, redemption for all mankind, both Jew and Gentile and theredemption of the city Jerusalem – its waste places, wilderness and desert.B. The second takeaway has to do with you and me! Simply we should all have thesame attitude of Simeon.1. First, he spent his life looking forward to the comfort of Israel and Godblessed him by allowing to see the one who was going to do that – theMessiah, the Christ – Jesus Christa) But what he did not see was the actual fulfilment of that time of comfortas that is yet to come both in the kingdom here on earth for 1000 yearsand in eternity!b) But the attitude of looking forward to the return of the Messiah Jesus tofulfill this consolation is something that God is seeking to work in eachone of us by His grace. Read Titus 2:11-132. Secondly, the response that naturally flowed out of Simeon was blessing Godand from Anna it was to thank God. That is what we are going to do now aswe start this Christmas Season.

RUNNING WITH THE GIANTS                                                                                     MARY Don’t miss your God MOMENTS. GOD MOMENTS OFTEN SEEM IMPOSSIBLE.  Luke 1:31-34  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”    NIV Mark 10:27   Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”  NIV GOD MOMENTS REQUIRE OBEDIENCE BEFORE UNDERSTANDING.   Luke 1:34   “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”    NIV Luke 1:38  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.    NIV Mark 5:36   Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”    NIV GOD MOMENTS BRING ME CLOSER TO GOD’S BEST FOR ME.  Luke 1:42-45  In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! …Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”   NIV John 2:5   His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  NIV Mary’s Words of Encouragement  1.  REMAIN IN GOD.  Luke 2:16-19  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.   NIV (John 15:5 MSG) "When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing.    2. REMAIN IN GOD’S PURPOSE.  Luke 2:34-35 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”   NIV   3.  REMAIN WITH GOD’S FAMILY. Luke 1:56   Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.   NIV Hebrews 10:23-25  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.   NIV   4.  REMAIN IN GOD’S WILL.  John 19:25-27   Jesus' mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.   Message

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too." There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Join us for the 2017 Christmas Service as Dave Rodriguez delivers a sermon on Simeon & Anna looking for hope. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby's mother, "This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul. Luke 2:34-35

Luke 2:21-40 NLT 21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. 22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” 36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. 39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him. For people to see Jesus, we have to grow up.