In the name of Jesus Christ, God made man in human
flesh, Amen. The text for our
consideration is the Gospel from Luke 2, especially these words from Simeon. “Lord, now you are letting Your servant depart
in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that you
have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the
Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). This is the Word of the Lord; thanks be to
God!
Scoffers
mock Christians with statements like this. “If there is a god, why is there so
much evil?” “Where is God to be found amid such turmoil today?” Or, as Africans
lament: “God has left this place long ago.”
Christians stutter to offer a simple response. Many times they say nothing at all or offer a
weak apology rather than a clear proclamation of the truth. In the afterglow of Christmas, answering
these statements is much simpler than believers fear. St. John says it well: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us;
and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of
grace and truth” (John 1:14).
The
Lord who created all things by His almighty Word has visited and redeemed this
world in which we live. Jesus, God’s
Word in human flesh, appeared that first Christmas in Bethlehem. We just
celebrated that robust occasion. The
Lord dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Jesus spent over thirty years living on this earth in human flesh. True
God and true man, Jesus came in fulfillment of all the prophecies predicting a
Messiah, a Savior, and the Deliverer for the human race. Now Jesus enters the temple in the arms of
Mary with his step-Father Joseph.
Forty
days elapsed from Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. As pious believers, Mary and
Joseph carefully follow what the Law required.
The days of purification following birth were over for Mary. Jesus, the
firstborn male, is considered holy to the Lord. A pair of turtle doves or
pigeons is offered as a sacrifice for both. The gift they offer indicates the
low economic position this young family experienced. They were by no means
wealthy in the eyes of the world. What
happens next surprises Mary and Joseph, even as it confirms the divine nature
of this child as both were told by the angel.
Two
veteran saints are in the temple that day. Simeon and Anna were devout
believers waiting eagerly for the Lord to fulfill His Word in sending the
long-promised Savior. Both were elated at the sight of Jesus in the temple. The
Lord confirms through the mouth of two witnesses what the Shepherds heard and
saw Christmas night. Jesus, the Son of David, is the Savior of the world.
Simeon actually held the infant Jesus in his arms. Anna gave thanks to God and
spoke of Jesus to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Simeon
was an aged man given a promise from the Lord that he would not see death until
he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Simeon, as well as others, waiting for the
Messiah to come was quite familiar with the Old Testament prophecies. The book of Daniel is most helpful in
discerning the time in which the Savior would arrive. There was an expectancy among the people that
time had come for the Lord to fulfill His Word.
Likewise Anna, a widow following seven years of marriage, and now
eighty-four, was as a devout of a believer as one can be, accurately described
Jesus to all who heard her voice.
The
Lord Jesus remains with His Church throughout all generations. He is with us
always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). He is here in His Word and
in His precious Sacrament. It is no
accident that the Church sings the song of Simeon after receiving the Lord’s
Supper. Here in bread and wine connected
to God’s Word is Jesus with His body and blood.
With the eyes of faith, Simeon saw it all in the infant Jesus. By faith
the Lord’s Christ, Jesus is here in bread and wine. We get up from the table with the same song
in our hearts and on our lips. Here is God who comes to His people. He is not
distant or remote but alive and present through His Word in the hearts and
lives of His people. Believers are a light reflecting the greater light of
Jesus in sin darkened places.
Christian
babies and children are killed by ISIS in view of their parents. Young girls are
kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam and become wives to their captors in
Nigeria and other parts of Africa. The sword that would pierce Mary’s heart was
watching her Son suffer and die for the sins of the world upon the cross at
Golgotha. It is dangerous to separate
Christmas from Easter as if we could keep Jesus young, innocent and
huggable. Jesus came into the world for
the very purpose of destroying the work of the devil. Yes, it would cost Him
His life, but it would also make Him the Firstborn from the dead in the
resurrection. Amid seeming defeat God
brings victory. He turns the worst evil into good for His people and to the
utter frustration and exasperation of His enemies.
Many
years would pass before Simeon’s words were fulfilled. We live in that
fulfillment even as we await the return of Jesus on the Last Day to take us
home to Himself forever. Your salvation is in sight. It is here, for you in
Jesus Christ. “Your grace in lowliness
revealed, Lord Jesus, we adore And praise to God the Father yield And Spirit
evermore; We praise You evermore” (LSB 389:7). Amen