A Baby in an Old Man's Arms - Luke 2:25-35

welcome to Calvary Albuquerque we pursue the God who is passionately pursuing a lost world we do this with one another through worship by the word to the world let's pray together father we are in awe of the sacrifice of the cross and though we consider the crib the manger this time of the year we don't really see the crib clearly until we understand the purpose of the crib was the cross and the shadow of the cross falls upon that little baby in the manger and Lord we celebrate we celebrate the fact that one sacrifice for all time is all that was required as Jesus said on the cross it is finished and we rejoice in that and partake of that this morning in Jesus name Amen I guess I should say welcome to the strangest baby dedication in history in Luke chapter 2 we have a story of a baby dedication a senior citizen by the name of Simeon taking in his arms a young baby and saying the kind of things that would not only shocked parents as you will see in the text they marvel at it but I think a lot of parents would say can I have my baby back now please Simeon is a great story he's a man who was in the temple and he was waiting for something to happen and someone to show up but you know Simeon isn't a name we typically associate with the Christmas story he would be like the backstage crew if this were a movie Simeon would have the small letters his name would be in small letters in the credits he wouldn't be one of the stars of the film most people don't see a movie and and wait around to find out who the musical researcher on the film was or who the second grip or the fill-in guys were you know the the stars of the Christmas story or of course Jesus the baby Joseph and Mary wise men shepherds even sheep and cows get a higher billing than Simeon does but I'm drawn to Simeon I'm drawn to his story because I believe he captures the real spirit of Christmas he was in tune with God when nobody else was think about it the most important person ever born Jesus Christ when he came into the world Caesar in Rome knew nothing about it the Roman Senate ignorant about it the philosophers and Athens could care less even the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were too apathetic to find out who this baby was and Herod the Great who reigned in Judea he was too paranoid but Simeon was among a special group of people who had insight that God was about to send someone and do something great I want you to notice that as we begin in Luke chapter 2 verse 25 and behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was just and devout 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 see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ and so he came by the spirit into the temple and when the parents that's Joseph and Mary brought in the Child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law he took him by his arms and blessed God and said Lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel and Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother behold this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign which will be spoken against yes a sword will pierce through your own soul that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed briefly before we pass out these elements I want you to see with me this man Simeon his description his Proclamation and his prediction who was this man let's describe him let's get an idea of what he was like first of all on a personal note what did he look like what we're not told we can't be sure how old was he well it doesn't say although there are a couple of hints I want you to notice we can infer from the text that Simeon was probably a senior citizen an older man you'll notice in verse 26 that the Holy Spirit indicated that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ and then you'll notice down in verse 29 he prays you are letting your servant depart in peace so the fact that it speaks of death and departure we can infer that he was an older man who had been waiting for a long time if you were to picture him in your mind you would have to picture an old man with a white beard because Jewish men kept their beards long according to the Book of Leviticus they didn't shave the corners of their beard so just think about that Christmas time an old man with a white beard so you're thinking of somebody else because Santa Claus has taken higher billing than Simeon has over the years but I want you to know something if Santa Claus were here today he'd be embarrassed at what we have made him into over time now you're thinking away skip don't you know that Santa Claus is not real actually I disagree with you he is real at least the original one was real now a lot of stories have come up after him but actually in the fourth century there was a man by the name of Nicholas who was a pastor Nicholas was a pastor of Myra in the area of Lycia in the area of Anatolia you're saying I have no idea what you just said that's modern-day Turkey ancient Asia Minor this man was a pastor known for compassion giving gifts especially to the poor and out of that grew Saint Nicholas out of that grew Sinterklaas the Dutch called him and out of that came Santa Claus but he was compassionate and gave gifts because he loved the Lord Jesus Christ I was on reading a USA Today article that talked about atheists that are feeling a little bit out of sorts right now because they have a reputation they're trying to overturn their reputation is that atheists are sort of stingy and bah humbug and penny-pinchers and that's because well it's true they are according to this article that says this religious people are 25% more likely to donate money to important causes than are secularists 23% are more likely to volunteer for important things to do and they want to change that they want to give society the impression that they the atheists are as loving and giving as people of faith are that's what they're working on but Nikolas the old man with the white beard from the fourth century was giving and loving and compassionate because he had a relationship with Christ this old man with the white beard Simeon is about to discover Jesus Christ in the story now look at verse 25 his description is given not physically but spiritually it's as behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was just another word would be righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him I don't know if you picked it up but three times the Holy Spirit is mentioned in conjunction with this man that's the first time the next verse says it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ verse 27 so he came by the spirit into the temple here's what's interesting though the text does not give us an outward description of Simeon it gives us an inward description of Simeon you know why that is because that's what God is more concerned with in your life is your inward life not your outward look remember what the Prophet said Samuel he said man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart that's what God is concerned with and so that description is given to us right here we are as a culture we are as human beings very appearance oriented we really we really spend a lot of our time in the mirror that's why mirrors are so popular that's why we have so many of them in our lives not only at home but in our cars I was going down the street the other day and I saw somebody putting on makeup while they were driving like they're at a stoplight putting makeup on and you thought texting was bad I think this kind of ranks is worse but it says that Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel what does that mean simply he was waiting for the Messiah to come there was an ancient Jewish prayer that said may I see in my lifetime the consolation of Israel it was a messianic hope and that's who he was but he's also described supernaturally in verse 26 it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see before he had seen the Lord's Messiah or Christ so he came by the spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the Child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law he took him up in his arms and blessed God and he said so this old guy would be in the temple every day looking around at people who are bringing their babies in kind of scoping him out thinking in his heart and saying under his breath Lord could that be the one what about that one over there maybe it's that one every day living with that anticipation until one day a poor couple comes in Joseph and Mary and the Holy Spirit of God impressed upon his heart that's the one so I don't know how it happened but perhaps awkwardly Simeon moved his way toward Joseph and Mary and said something like mm-hmm excuse me I know this sounds really weird but can I hold your baby for just a moment and he took that baby in his arms maybe raising Jesus up slightly and uttered this incredible poem that we have before us verse 29 he says Lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel in other words Lord I can die a happy man you've kept your promise to me if my chronology is correct and I am correct in assuming the age of Simeon somewhere older maybe in his 80s as Anna who was also described in this chapter that would mean that Simeon would have been just a wee lad a little boy when the Romans first came in and occupied Jerusalem in 63 BC general Pompey surrounded the city destroying much of it killing many of its in half simian as a child survived but he never forgot that and though that was a crushing blow to the Jewish people he lived with hope that one day things are gonna change that God is going to send his Messiah the life is gonna get better than it is now that God's gonna keep his promises you know anybody can make a promise God's great at keeping them and one thing Christmas does is celebrate the faithfulness of God that's been really my testimony over the years I can say through all of the storms in life God has been faithful whenever you lean on everlasting arms you won't fall on your face in despair and Simeon will testify to that notice what he says of this baby holding him up he says my eyes have seen your salvation stop right there Simeon calls this baby God's salvation if he were speaking Greek he would have used the words so Terry on that's the word in the Greek text but I believe he was speaking Hebrew and it's translated and in-degree because that was the lingua franca of the time but he was speaking Hebrew he was a Hebrew man in the Hebrew temple and that was the language of worship which means he would have held Jesus up and said my eyes have seen your Yeshua that's the name of Jesus Yeshua you will call his name Yeshua Jesus for he will save his people from their sins now think about this my eyes have seen your salvation salvation is not something you do it's someone you know salvation is a person it's not something you do it's someone you know Jesus never said my example in life my exemplary lifestyle is the way the truth and the life he said I am the way the truth and the life Jesus never said follow my teachings he said follow me he personally is God's salvation Peter later on will say there is no other name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved except for the name of Jesus Christ so this little baby God wrapped in human flesh is God's gift to you have you received and opened that gift because in taking communion you are saying I have personalized that look at verse 32 for a moment Simeon goes on and says a light he is a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel who are Gentiles Gentiles or anybody that's not Israel so Jew and Gentile for anyone in the world this baby is salvation for have you ever heard people say you know Christianity is a Western religion first of all they don't know their history nor their geography we're talking about something that happened in the Middle East a long time ago in the Middle East not a Western religion if anything it's an Eastern religion but it's not a religion it's a relationship with Jesus Christ and it's not for one group of people it's for all groups of people all 24,000 people groups right now on the earth this salvation is for for everyone God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that's the gospel Jesus will tell his disciples go into all the world and preach the gospel to every living creature every person he's the light Jesus Christ is God's flashlight to get people out of their darkness into his light I read an article the other day in a newspaper about a diver in hawaii off the shores of oahu named ron Tubbs his line his diving line broke and he was taken by current out to see miles out to sea and nightfall came it became dark and the Coast Guard didn't know where he was luckily Ron had this little flashlight with him and he was able to shine it up in the sky and the Coast Guard saw him and they said if he didn't shine that flashlight he would have been dead because of the darkness and the sea long ago the only flashlight God will recognize is that of his son and I hope he's shining in your life now let's look and finish off with before we take the elements with his prediction look at verse 33 Joseph and his mother that's Mary marveled they were blown away at those things which were spoken of him then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother behold this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that will be spoken against I'll give it to you in another translation this child will be rejected by many and will be their undoing but he will be the greatest joy to others now imagine you bringing your baby for dedication and the preacher takes your baby and says something like this this baby is gonna be the most hated person as well as the most loved person who ever left if they can give me my baby back right now but that's exactly what he is saying this child will be hated this child will be loved don't you find that true today that Jesus Christ is still the most hated as well as the most loved individual of all time just mentioned the name of Jesus in the public forum and watch the reaction those that know him and love him a comforted by that name but for others it brings such eye such anger loved and hated but I want to draw your attention in closing to verse 35 because it's the first hint of the cross for Mary and Joseph to hear yes he says to Mary yes a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed I believe that's a prediction of the day when Mary will stand underneath the cross and see her son displayed bleeding and it's like a dagger that will break her heart the shadow of the Cross falls upon the baby if you want to see the crib clearly you must see the cross that's why we dare to take communion during December because it captures really the meaning of his birth the cross and the crib about three or four days ago in New Jersey Trenton New Jersey a 42 year old man was stabbed in the back he didn't know it he went to sleep one night oh let me tell you the whole story he was on his porch an attacker came he saw the attacker run away thinking he had won the fight he had a pain in his back and the reason you say oh he didn't know there was a knife in his back he was so inebriated he just went inside and fell asleep but he had a back pain he woke up the next day his brother found him took him to a hospital and removed the knife that was causing the pain true story was in the New York Post crazy huh but Mary the mother of Jesus would have a pain in her heart a broken heart and emotional pain and she felt every twinge of it these elements speak of that that that baby grew up and was crucified and in seeing him die Mary's heart was broken but his death also heals our broken hearts it heals our hearts somebody once said Christmas is God coming down the stairs of heaven with the baby in his arms for Simeon Christmas was him holding in his own arms that baby receiving for himself the Lord Jesus it could be that some of you like Simeon have waited for a long time for consolation for salvation maybe you're at a point in your life where everything you've tried falls flat every experience doesn't satisfy you're still living with your past and the burden of your own sin salvation has come God's consolation has come his name is Jesus he didn't come just to be a baby but to grow up and die on a cross and that will bring you consolation and it will bring you salvation if you don't know the Lord on a personal level this morning I'm gonna ask that you let these elements go by you and that you don't partake because in taking these elements you're saying I'm all-in I buy into this if you don't then don't take them but I have a better solution give your heart to Christ right now don't wait any longer don't wait another day don't wait another second let's bow our hearts let's bow our heads if you don't know the Lord and you are willing to give him your life and receive forgiveness for your sin if you're willing to do that it's simple because he did all the heavy lifting you have to receive the gift of salvation and if you're willing to do that you say to him right now Lord I know that I'm a sinner and I asked that you would forgive me cleanse me I'm willing to turn from my sin and turn to you I believe Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead I place my trust in him I depend upon him and help me to follow him in Jesus name Amen some of you dishonored that prayer in your own heart you whispered that to God maybe for the first time you're his child and we want you to take this communion along with the rest of us freely and for all of us it is a holy commemoration a living memory of what he has done for us and it's our celebration so we're gonna pass these out these guys are gonna pass them out to you and we're gonna ask you to hold on to the wafer and the juice and just hold on them until we can all take them together as you hold this wafer in your hands we pray and we say Lord just as Simeon said Lord now I can die in peace I've seen your salvation so we have tasted we have taken we have experienced salvation in our lives we remember what it felt like to have a burden of guilt lifted and we're so thankful that because of an act done once for all time on Calvary's cross a body broken brings new life Lord we take this bread in remembrance of your body broken and are so grateful that your plan for the world included us we're in your family we take this ingratitude in Jesus name Amen let's let's take the bread together and we hold the cup the cup represents the blood that was shed Jesus who lived the perfect life and then died in our place it was his blood that was shed we take and we remember that the Bible says God laid on him the iniquity of us all Lord we're so thankful that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses a man a woman from all sin we know our faults and our failures we bear a constant reminder and remembrance of them on a daily basis and for those things Lord that we're not in tune with in touch with we invite your Holy Spirit to remind us of them now so we can confess them to you and walk away in freedom cleansed thank you Lord in Jesus name let's take together what binds us together is devotion to worshiping our Heavenly Father dedication to studying his word and determination to proclaim our eternal hope in Jesus Christ for more teachings from calvary albuquerque and skip heitzig visit calvaryabq.org

Channel: Calvary Church with Skip Heitzig

Views: 17,985

Rating: 4.7113404 out of 5

Keywords: Calvary, Skip, Heitzig, Christian, Sermon, Jesus, God, Albuquerque, Topical, Christmas, Jesus Christ, Simeon, Holy Spirit, Mary, Communion, faithfulness, prediction, the cross, crucifixion, consolation, salvation

Id: n3jusG5CapY

Length: 27min 49sec (1669 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 16 2013