January 1, 2012 sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert on Luke 2:25-40

January 1, 2012 - Christmas 1
Sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Sermon text - Luke 2:25-40
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 upon him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
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 prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, 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 upon him.
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We know that the year 2011 has ended and that 2012 is beginning. We know what we did see in 2011 and don’t know what we will see in 2012. That’s a bit like Wisconsin playing in the Rose Bowl. We know how Wisconsin did during its past season. But what about the Rose Bowl game this Monday? As of now we don’t know what will be.
But let’s move on to something far more important than a football game. Let’s make "DIDWEDOWEWILLWE?" the question we ask about something eternally important, namely peace.
PEACE - DIDWEDOWEWILLWE?
I DID WE SEE PEACE? (25-29)
1. Simeon said he saw it. (25-29)
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 upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 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 now dismiss your servant in peace."
a) Simeon had been given a special revelation that he would not die until he had seen what would give Israel consolation, what would comfort it. And what was that? It was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send the offspring of a woman to be the world’s Savior.
b) When Simeon saw Jesus, he knew he was seeing God’s promise fulfilled. Here was the Anointed One, the Christ, the Prince of Peace, peace because of the forgiveness the Savior would win for him.
2. What did the world see in Christmas?
a) By the world I mean those who don’t yet know Jesus as God’s Son and the world’s Savior. If they heard the Christmas angels singing "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." they might have said that the angels were wrong, that there are wars and rebellions around the world, that we have riots and violence in the United States, that there is no peace.
b) So, if not peace, what did the world see in Christmas? It saw
increased store hours, it saw gifts, it saw decorations, it saw parties, it
saw hecticness, it saw what often led to frustration and not to peace.
3. What did we see?
a) Children and others, I hope you saw gifts under the tree, could gather with your families, even enjoy shopping if you like that.
b) But if that was the emphasis of Christmas for us, then we did not see the peace of God that comes from knowing the Savior who has paid for our sins. And that makes us ask something.
4. Is it really possible to see peace? (29)
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace."
a) Could there be peace on this earth? Jesus Himself said that to the end there will be wars and rumors of wars. Was Simeon wrong?
b) No. He was talking about peace needed when it comes to sin, to falling short of God’s holy will, to what we deserve because of sin.
c) Now when Simeon saw Jesus as his Savior from sin, he did see peace. And we did too if in our Christmas we saw Jesus as our Savior.
II DO WE HAVE PEACE? (29-35)
1. Simeon did. (29-32)
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
a) Simeon was ready to die in peace, not afraid of what came after death. That was because w--hen he saw Jesus he saw God’s salvation. Salvation from what? Arthritis, cancer, old age? That too eventually. But first of all salvation from sins that could no longer condemn him because Jesus had come to pay for his sins for him.
b) And not just for him. What Jesus would do was planned through Israel for all people. Though many Israelites did not see that and rejected Jesus, the fact remains that Jesus is the true glory of Israel, a glory that is to be revealed to the Gentiles, to all nations. It is the glory of the forgiveness of our sins and the peace that brings.
2. Many would not have this peace. (33-35a)
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."
a) Instead of believing and having peace, as Simeon did, many
would speak against Jesus. He was constantly attacked by the church
leaders of Israel. Many people would shout out, "Crucify Him."
b) And that hasn’t stopped. If we speak of Jesus as the only way of salvation, the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. They’ll say, "You can’t say that, be that bigoted. Jesus only? Bah, humbug."
3. We may not have outward peace. (35b)
" --- the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
a) Can we even imagine how Mary must have felt when she saw the Son to whom she gave birth hanging tortured on a cross?
b) We don’t have to face that. But often health and family and other problems can easily deprive us of outward peace too.
4. But we do have true peace. (29-32)
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
a) What happened on the cross is the reason. There Jesus took on Himself our sins. Because of taking our place, paying the wages of our sins, He could cry out, "Father, forgive them."
b) That forgiveness includes you and me and all. How sad that many speak against Jesus, don’t want to have Christ in Christmas at all, aren’t interested in the peace that the Christchild came to bring.
c) From the bottom of our hearts let us thank God the Holy Spirit for the gift of faith in Jesus that rejoices in forgiveness and has peace.
III WILL WE ENJOY PEACE? (36-40,27,29-32)
1. Anna also saw and had peace. (36-38)
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, 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.
a) Like Simeon, Anna knew the truth and worshiped.
b) And as Simeon knew the truth was for all, not only the glory of Israel, so Anna spoke to others about the Savior, as we should too.
2. Both knew that death would not stop their peace. (27b,39-40)
a) Both Simeon and Anna were at an age when they could expect to die soon. But they had peace, knowing death would not end that peace nor lead to a deserved hell. Why? Because of Jesus. Listen.
When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, --- When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
b) Jesus perfectly obeyed all of the laws of God without sinning. Had He failed, He could not have died an innocent death on the cross. But He did go to the cross as the spotless Lamb of God in the place of all of us guilty sinners. His sinless death paid the wages of our sins.
3. Let us enjoy peace now. (29-32)
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
a) Be happy, enjoy the peace that forgiveness gives right now.
b) Like Simeon and Anna, come to church regularly and enjoy that peace proclaimed in God’s Word, in the Lord’s Supper when Jesus tells us that His sacrificed body and blood mean our forgiveness and peace, that we can move on with peace in our daily lives.
4. And know that we will enjoy peace eternally.
a) The Rose Bowl game - will we win? We don’t yet know.
b) But we do know for sure the answer to our theme question,
PEACE - DIDWEDOWEWILLWE? : DID WE SEE PEACE? -
the answer is yes. - DO WE HAVE PEACE? - the answer is yes. -
WILL WE ENJOY PEACE? - the answer is yes.
c) Like Simeon, hold Jesus tightly in your arms of faith. Like Anna do the same, and also be ready to share with others the news of Jesus’ redemption. Like both of them, know and have and enjoy peace, true peace that will never end the way 2011 did end.
In Christ our Savior, the source of our peace, we wish all a blessed new year of 2012, and hearts filled with true peace now and as we look forward to a glorious future.