Luke 2:22-38

Luke 2:22-38

Good News or Bad News?

Part 4 of 2006 Hopewell Advent Series “God Gives Hope” based on Luke 1 and 2

December 24, 2006

Can you tell that Christmas is tomorrow?

The goose is getting about as fat as it can get. I hope I am as fat as I’ll get also – but I’m not making any promises!

The Sanctuary is indeed decorated beautifully – the wreaths – garland – bows – Chrismon tree – and poinsettias give a true feeling of celebration and joy to this already beautiful sanctuary. Four of the candles on the Advent Wreath have now been lit – and by the end of today all five will be!

Outside the Church we may be worn out by the pace we have kept this month. The decorating, Christmas shopping, parties, family gatherings, etc., etc. etc., can be tiring – even stressful at times.

Yes – Christmas is tomorrow.

But — with all the activities — there is still a sense of hope.

Children – and some adults – may be hoping for a certain gift from Santa.

Some may just be hoping that it will all end soon. If you’re in that bopat, hold on – it’s almost over!

But this is a season for hope.

A season for hope.

This Advent we’ve been looking at the first and second chapters of Luke – and seeing how God’s gift of Himself gives hope – and raising the question:

Are you ready for Christmas?

Are you ready for the coming of Christ?

Are you ready for God’s hope coming into the world?

Hope.

3 weeks ago we saw that we have to be ready for the hope of God that can break into our lives at any time as we looked at how God gave hope Zechariah and Elizabeth in a way they never imagined possible.

2 weeks ago we saw how we need a spirit of humility to truly be ready for Christ’s coming into our lives.

Last week we added 4 things to our Christmas list – faith, obedience, a commitment to tell others about Christ, and a spirit of worship and humility.

Today we’re going to look at the end of Luke 2 – and meet 2 more characters of the Christmas story that don’t get enough attention – 2 elderly and very faithful folks named Simeon and Anna. As we see these two faithful servants of God who lived to see the salvation God had promised we will see how the coming of Christ – the event of Christmas – can be either good news or bad news.

Which is it for you?

The angels proclaimed good news for all people – but is it good news for you – or bad news – for us?

Listen to God’s word in Luke 2:22-38:

Charles Swindoll has written a rather telling poem about how many of us may feel the day after tomorrow – or at least how some people feel on the day after Christmas:

‘Twas the day after Christmas,
When all through the place
There were arguments and depression–
Even Mom had a long face.
The stockings hung empty,
And the house was a mess;
The new clothes didn’t fit,
And Dad was under stress.
The family was irritable,
And the children—no one could please;
Because the instructions for the swing set
Were written in Chinese!

The bells no longer jingled,
And no carolers came around;
The sink was stacked with dishes,
And the tree was turning brown.
The stores were full of people
Returning things that fizzled and failed,
And the shoppers were discouraged
Because everything they’d bought
Was now on a half-price sale!

‘Twas the day after Christmas—
The spirit of joy had disappeared;
The only hope on the horizon
Was twelve bowl games
On the first day of the New Year!

That sort of says it all, doesn’t it?

There is something about the day after Christmas that can be a little bit disappointing. Maybe some part of the holiday just didn’t meet our expectations. Maybe we just don’t want it to be over. Maybe the new year is frightening to us, especially if we spent more than we should have.

I wonder if Mary and Joseph felt that way.

We don’t always think a lot about what happened the days after that wondrous night in the stable. We know that they stayed in Bethlehem. We know that because the gospel writer, Luke, tells us that eight days after Jesus was born, they had him circumcised according to Jewish custom. But Luke tells us even more. He tells us about something that took place 40 days after Jesus was born. He tells us how Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple and were met by Simeon and Anna.

I wonder if even that was disappointing for them.

In the 14th century the Italian artist named Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted the scene Luke tells us about in our passage for today. Simeon and Anna are gathered at the altar. Mary and Joseph look on in amazed silence. The prophetess Anna has her eyes fixed on the child. Simeon, with a solemn look on his face, stares down at the baby in his arms. Yet the baby Jesus at the center of the picture surprises everyone. They all seem to gaze awestruck at him as Lorenzetti has him sucking his thumb!

The family may marvel, the aged Simeon and Anna may prophesy, but this little child—this thumb-sucking baby Jesus—is not exactly what was expected.

There are indeed some surprising things about this scene Luke tells us about.

Everything starts out normal enough. Mary and Joseph are doing what all Jewish parents knew they were supposed to do. Luke makes that very clear. Look at verse 22–24:

22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, 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]), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons

Luke is wrapping together two ceremonies here, each prescribed in the Law of Moses.

The first involved the purification of the mother. After the birth of a son, a woman would be ritually unclean for 40 days, and there were certain rules and restrictions that went along with that. At the completion of that time, she should offer a lamb and a dove or pigeon to the Lord. If she was too poor to offer up a lamb, a second dove or pigeon could be offered. Mary’s offering was that of the poor.

The second ceremony involved the dedication of the firstborn son to God.

Mary and Joseph are doing things by the book. No less than five times in this story does Luke mention that everything was done according to the Law. Mary and Joseph are making sure that every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed.

But it wasn’t long before Joseph and Mary encounter a man who sees much more in their baby than someone who would keep Jewish law. They’re met by an old man named Simeon.

Look at verse 25–32:

25Now 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. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27Moved 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, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss^[c] your servant in peace.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”

Luke takes pains to describe Simeon. He is an ideal Jew. He embodies everything God intended for his people. He is righteous and devout. He operated with integrity toward others and toward God. Not only that, Simeon is waiting for the consolation of Israel, which is another way of saying he is waiting for the Messiah. This Messiah would bring consolation—comfort to people who were anxious and oppressed.

Have you ever waited for an important letter that would bring some kind of important news? You knew it would come, but until you held it in your hand, you could not rest? You check your mailbox daily. We can imagine Simeon entering the temple each and every day, wondering if this would be the day—in a sense, waiting for the letter God had promised. And one day he senses the Spirit leading him into the temple, perhaps at a time he didn’t normally go there. And somehow, at that very moment, Mary and Joseph entered with their child, and somehow he knew—this was the One. He takes the child in his arms, he thanks God, and then he begins to pray. He says now he can die a contented man—the letter is come, so to speak– the comfort has arrived — his dreams are fulfilled.

At first glance, what he says about Jesus is nothing new. He talks about salvation. That note has been struck before. We know that his name means salvation. We heard Mary sing of “God my Savior” and Zechariah praise God for raising up a “horn of salvation” who would deliver them from all their enemies. Even the angel told the shepherds that a Savior had been born. So we’re not all that surprised when Simeon says, “my eyes have seen your salvation.”

But there is a new note here as well. He says this gift of salvation has been prepared for “all peoples.” And then he calls him a “light of revelation for the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel.” Even though the angel Gabriel had told the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be for all the people,” they may have just assumed he meant the people of Israel. But here it is as clear as it can be. Israel’s glory is that the Messiah comes through them, but His coming is not just for them; it’s for Gentiles as well. In these days of equal opportunity, that may not mean a whole lot to us, but you can be sure it was a shock to Mary and Joseph.

Look at how Luke records their reaction in vs. 33:

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him

Even though they might not understand it all, they could understand enough to see that their son would be more than just a national hero. His impact would be worldwide.

Maybe they could imagine the headlines back home:

“Local Boy Makes Good.”

Or maybe they could see their son’s face on the cover of Time magazine under the banner: “Something Good Comes out of Nazareth.”

Then there are the photos. A young boy with such promise will need to be pictured with all the bigwigs—high priests, scribes, members of the Sanhedrin, even Caesar Augustus! And then, of course, there will be the official parties. Such a worldwide Savior deserves the red carpet treatment. Joseph and Mary must be beaming, like the proud parents of a Heisman Trophy winner, or a summa cum laude graduate of Stanford, or a Nobel Prize winner. Simeon’s news is indeed marvelous.

But then Simeon spoke again, and they must have wondered if they heard him right. Simeon goes on to say that this good news will actually be bad news for some.

Look at verses 34-35:

34Then 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, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.

For the first time in Luke’s gospel, a dark thread is woven into the bright tapestry. I can just imagine Mary and Joseph’s faces falling upon hearing these words. Their first thought might have been: But wait a minute, we’re doing everything right. We’re doing everything by the book. How can this be? Where have we gone wrong?

Who wants to have a son described like this? He’ll cause “the falling and rising of many in Israel” No one will stay the same. Those who stand up and reject him will fall; those who humbly receive him will rise up. Jesus will split the nation in two. Some will see him as “a sign to be opposed,” or spoken against. Who wants to have a son described like that? He won’t be winning “Most Popular” at the middle school in Nazareth.

But why would he garner such opposition? Simeon said the thoughts from many hearts will be exposed. People don’t like to be exposed. People who prefer to stay in hiding resent exposure. Imagine having your innermost thoughts broadcast throughout this church for all to hear. No wonder they would oppose him.

But that’s not all. There will even be a cost to Mary. A sword will pierce her soul. Maybe that means that she will endure what every parent fears most—she’ll bury her son. Or maybe it means that Mary herself would have to make up her own mind about him, that her own heart would be exposed and divided.

Simeon’s words are mysterious words. But you don’t have to be Ph.D. in literature to figure out that there is something very ominous going on here. But we shouldn’t be surprised. When you turn on a light, it creates shadows. Thomas Kinkade is called the “painter of light,” but I’m told that shadows are curiously absent from his portraits. There are some who would like to paint Jesus as one who could not possibly cast a shadow, but that’s an impossibility. To be a savior assumes that people need saving. Some people embrace that; others resent it. Some people rise; others fall.

So – the coming of Christ – this little baby that Lorenzetti paints sucking his thumb – can be good news for some – in fact the best news ever for some – but can be bad news – the worst news of all – for others.

Which is it for you?

Is it good news or bad news?

But the story doesn’t end there. There are some people for whom the bad news is good news after all. Look at verses 36–38:

36There 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, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming 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

Anna is kind of like the female version of Simeon. Luke takes great pains to describe her also as an ideal Jew. Like Miriam and Deborah in the Old Testament, she is a prophetess. She is from the tribe of Asher. She’s 84-years-young, and most of that time she’s been a widow. When it says she never left the temple, it may mean that she lived in one of the rooms of the many buildings on the temple hill. Anna is the kind of woman who just never missed church. When the door is open, she’s there, serving the Lord with fasting and prayers.

We don’t know how much of what Simeon had to say she had been able to hear, but at any rate it seems rather strange that she would do what she does. She gives thanks to God and she starts spreading the news to those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. I mean, as a woman, you would think she’d be consoling Mary instead of giving thanks! The way Luke lays this story out, it sure appears that she does what she does in full view of Simeon’s words. I wonder why. Perhaps Anna has lived long enough to know that what is bad news for some is good news for others.

The coming of Christ – this little baby that Lorenzetti paints sucking his thumb – can be good news for some – in fact the best news ever for some – but can be bad news – the worst news of all – for others.

Which is it for you?

Is it good news or bad news?

What makes the difference?

Why is the coming of Jesus good news for some and bad news for others?

The answer lies in Simeon and Anna. We’ve seen how Luke takes real pains to paint a very vivid picture of these two. I believe we need to take note that both were looking and hoping for God to do something.

Verse 25 says Simeon was ” waiting for the consolation of Israel.” Verse 38 says Anna spoke of the child “to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem,” which no doubt she was doing also.

You see, Simeon and Anna saw the coming of Christ as good news rather than bad news because they were looking and longing and waiting for God to bring consolation and redemption.

In the coming of Christ, the Lord has consoled His people—that’s what Simeon was looking for; and the Lord has redeemed Jerusalem—that’s what Anna was looking for. Consolation speaks to those longings for healing and restoration from all of the past losses and miseries of life.

The coming of Christ – this little baby that Lorenzetti paints sucking his thumb – can be good news for some – in fact the best news ever for some – but can be bad news – the worst news of all – for others.

Which is it for you?

Is it good news or bad news?

Have you ever been comforted?

In the course of several years, the late Joe Baylie saw three of his children die. When one of them died, he said:

“I was sitting there, torn by grief. Someone called and talked of God’s dealings, of why it happened, of hope beyond the grave. He talked constantly. He said things I knew were true. I was unmoved, except to wish he’d go away. He finally did. Another came and sat beside me. He didn’t talk. He didn’t ask me leading questions. He just sat beside me for an hour and more, listened when I said something, answered briefly, prayed simply, and left. I was moved. I was comforted. I hated to see him go.”

That’s comfort. It’s that kind of comfort Jesus would bring to the hurting.

Redemption speaks to our need to be delivered from powers that hold us in bondage. It could be the power of sin. It could be the power of death. It could be the power of Satan.

A pastor met a young boy in front of his church carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. The pastor asked, “Son, where did you get those birds? The boy said, “I trapped them out in the fields.” The pastor asked, “What are you going to do with them?” The boy said, “I’m going to play with them, and then I guess I’ll just feed them to an old cat we have at home.”

Then the pastor offered to buy them, and the boy tried to talk him out of it because they were good for nothing. The pastor said, “I’ll give you ten dollars for the cage and the birds.” The boy felt he was taking advantage of the pastor — but agreed. He walked off with his cash and the pastor walked to the back of the church and opened the cage and let the birds go. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to explain how Christ had redeemed those destined for destruction, not with a few dollars, but with his own life.

That’s what Anna was looking for. That’s what Jesus does.

So – t he coming of Christ – this little baby that Lorenzetti paints sucking his thumb – can be good news for some – in fact the best news ever for some – but can be bad news – the worst news of all – for others.

Which is it for you?

Is it good news or bad news?

The question you have to ask yourself is, are you looking for the comfort and redemption Christ brings?

If you are satisfied with life as it is, if you have no longing in your heart for consolation or redemption, if you have no desire to change from sin but are pretty content with it — this good news of Christ is ultimately bad news. He’ll be to you a stumbling block over which you will fall; He’ll ultimately be a sign you will oppose; He’ll expose your heart, and you won’t like what everyone will see! You will refuse to stay in His light.

Is Christ’ s coming good news or bad news for you?

Is it good news or bad news?

If God is working on your heart – if you are frustrated with a life that is not centered on Christ – if you have longings and desires that cannot find their fulfillment in cars or houses or careers or relationships or anything else this world has to offer – if nothing Santa can bring will be the greatest gift of all for you – then the coming of Christ can indeed be good news. If your heart has been exposed and – instead of wanting to keep what’s there you see there a need for comfort and redemption – a need top change — then the coming of Christ is indeed good news.

The coming of Christ – this little baby that Lorenzetti paints sucking his thumb – can be good news for some – in fact the best news ever for some – but can be bad news – the worst news of all – for others.

Which is it for you?

Is it good news or bad news?

When Sally and I moved to Wentworth, NC the manse at the Church did not have a lot of plants in the yard. This was not going to do for Sally – for she and I both love plants and flowers. We began slowly planting different plants – and in a few years the yard was filled with flowers, bushes, and trees. One thing she taught me in this process was that — to give plants the most chance to survive – you sometimes you have to be a little ruthless with them. She taught me that – when you take plants out of their plastic container — you have to inspect the soil ball. If the plant has been growing in its pot so long that the roots are circling the bottom, you might have to jab your finger into the bottom of the soil and pull down to untangle the roots. If the whole pot is filled with circling roots, you might have to be merciless – not worrying if you break some roots – because that’s better than allowing the roots to continue to circle when the plants are growing in the yard. The rougher the treatment; the more chance they have to survive.

The coming of Christ – this little baby that Lorenzetti paints sucking his thumb – can be good news for some – in fact the best news ever for some – but can be bad news – the worst news of all – for others.

Which is it for you?

Is it good news or bad news?

Maybe you feel like you have been roughed up a bit.

But maybe that is God’s mercy. Maybe through that you have come to long for comfort and redemption.

If this is true of you, then the coming of Christ is good news. The good news is that Christ has come and he will come again, and no one is able to bring you consolation and redemption like Jesus Christ.

Is it good news for you?

If you can trust Jesus for your salvation – your consolation – your redemption – it can be the very best news of all!

Trusting in Jesus for your salvation – your consolation – your redemption –can make the event of Christmas – the coming of Christ — the very best news of all – and can transform even the most disappointing of holidays into a celebration of the salvation – consolation – and redemption you have in Jesus Christ.

Not trusting in Jesus for your salvation – your consolation – your redemption –can make the event of Christmas – the coming of Christ — the worst news of all – and can overshadow even the most joyous holiday celebration you can imagine with a feeling lf emptiness and disappointment.

The coming of Christ can be good news for some – in fact the best news ever for some – but can be bad news – the worst news of all – for others.

Which is it for you?

Is it good news or bad news?

Amen.