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    Dec 11, 2022

    Simeon & Anna

    Passage: Luke 2:21-38

    Preacher: Steven Munson

    Series: Advent 2022

    Keywords: expectations, messiah, waiting, simeon, anna, hopes, led of the spirit

    Summary:

    How do we handle waiting for God to answer our cries? Who or what are we really looking to in order to be satisfied and happy in life? The stories of Simeon and Anna are instructive for us in a time when so many are waiting for God to show up and set things right.

    Detail:

    There is so much we look forward to this time of year, isn’t there? All the holiday gatherings with friends and family, the traditions we share, perhaps a few days off of work. Maybe warmer weather in the spring… As a kid I remember loving the presents I would get. As a teenager I was especially excited about new Star Wars LEGO sets I had on my wish list. And this was long enough ago that we still got the occasional Christmas catalogs in the mail that had everything you could possibly want. Kids, it seems, sometimes are SO EXCITED about Christmas that’s they are absolutely obsessed with it for WEEKS leading up to it.
    And then there may also be a negative side of all this. Some of us, even some of the kids at the school where I teach, are only looking forward to being DONE with all the gatherings and time with some of our family members. Might be because they weird us out (Why does Grandma always say “Warsh your hands” and “Bless your heart”), or may be because of painful memories this time of year. It may be because there are wonderful memories, but they are painful to think of due to loss and grief. I know Rick and Patricia are leading a “Surviving the Holidays” Griefshare group that deals with this.
    Whatever it is that we anticipate, look forward to, get excited about, dread, or otherwise worry about, is very revealing about our heart condition. The more we value something, the stronger our feelings about that will be. So what is it that we place stock in? Where does my treasure lie? Where is my ultimate sense of hope, comfort, meaning, salvation? Where do I look to fill my deep desires, the longings of my heart?
     
    Today’s passage comes from Luke chapter 2, and deals with two faithful believers who were expectantly waiting for God to fulfill His promises in the coming of the Messiah, and were among the first to identify Jesus as that Person. They were intently looking for God’s anointed, specially-chosen Savior, the Light of the world, and when they found him were absolutely full of joy.
    The first person is Simeon, a good man who faithfully obeyed God and had a deep knowledge of God’s word. And in spite of the many challenges for Jews under Herod the Great, his hope and joy was in God and His promised Messiah. And he was committed to sharing the truth he was entrusted with to others.
    In the same way we see the elderly woman, Anna, who is a worship-filled, prayer-filled lover of God whose hope was in His promised salvation. She was eager to share the good news with others, even as a widowed octogenarian. 
     
    If you have a Bible or Bible app with you, let’s go ahead and turn there together. Luke chapter 2, immediately after the famous passage about the shepherds going to see the newborn baby Jesus. We’ll be looking primarily at verses 25-38, but let’s back up a few verses to verse 21. Luke 2:21, reading until verse 38.
     
    Verse 21.
    21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
     
    22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, 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 that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
     
    24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
     
    25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
     
    26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
     
    27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,
     
    28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
     
    29 “Now Lord, You are releasing your bond-servant to depart 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 of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people, Israel.”
     
    33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.
     
    34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed–
    35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul – to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
     
    36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
     
    37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.
     
    38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
     
    Isn’t that a great passage? We all remember the shepherds and the wise guys, maybe because there are songs about them, but I think Simeon and Anna deserve a bit more recognition. And besides, they most likely saw Jesus well before the wise men ever did. But I digress.
     
    Before we go back into these verses, we should probably establish who it was that these two saints were expecting; Who was the Messiah, or the Christ? What does that name mean? Who was He supposed to be? Who was he promised to? And Sunday school grads, perhaps you remember that there were two distinct visions of who the Messiah would be. What do you remember from the Old Testament?………..
     
    - “Anointed one” (Christ and Messiah)
     
    - (Conquering king, anointed political leader, Son of David, reigning monarch, warrior… Would save them from the oppressors, in this case, the Roman empire and, at the local level, Herod the Great)
     
    - (Suffering servant from Isaiah 53 - despised and rejected, would pay the penalty for the sins of others, reconciling us to God)
     
    The song we sang this morning, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” has over a dozen descriptions of the Messiah, including several from this passage: “Born to set Thy people free” “Israel’s strength and consolation,” a “Light of Revelation,” “Desire of every nation” the “Glory of Israel,” and “the redemption of Jerusalem.” A comfort to Abraham’s descendants, a light to all people everywhere, the magnificent crowning beauty of Israel, the one who would save the Jewish people; a leader who would bring political AND personal salvation
     
    Here’s a few of the myriad Old Testament statements from Isaiah about the coming Messiah:
     
      • Isaiah 53: 5-6: “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities…. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
      • Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
      • Isaiah 49:6 “I will also make you a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
      • Isaiah 7:14 “…Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel”
     
    The people of Israel at this time were EAGERLY waiting for a Messiah. They knew they needed saving, and were waiting for God to fulfill his promise to Israel. So to meet the Messiah face-to-face would have been a HUGE, exciting deal. It would have been the answer to all their hopes and prayers! It’s no wonder there are so many songs recorded when people encounter the fulfillment of the Messiah - Mary, Zacharias, and Simeon all sing songs. People couldn’t HELP but praise God.
     
    Now historians note that most of the Jews at this time were hoping for a conquering king, who would save them from political oppression and subservient dependence on Rome. They had to pay taxes to a conquering kingdom that ruled over them with an iron fist. To be sure, the Kingship of the Messiah was, in fact, a major part of God’s promise to His people. But then, as now, they had their hopes all set on political independence. I think that’s because we humans tend to gravitate toward the visible, external solutions to external problems before we deal with our sin nature. We 21st century Christians are certainly not immune; we often wish for political power. I mean, how many Christians have you talked to this past year that have expressed fear because those who are in power don’t hold a biblical worldview? How many of us have expressed that fear? We all recognize the challenges that come with oppressive or ungodly policies, and ultimately we know Christ will come back as reigning king.
    But the more essential, heart-level need that Jesus would fulfill in his first coming as Messiah is the Savior who would “Save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21) That’s what they needed first. That’s what they needed on an individual level, and corporately as God’s chosen people. And that’s what we need. To look for saving from the INSIDE out. That’s the truest desire that, when fulfilled, will bring us the satisfaction and joy that we long for. And it seems that both Simeon and Anna, unlike most of the Jews at this time, were looking for this kind of Messiah: the one who would save His people from their sins.
     
    One other note about the Messiah before we look closer at Simeon. In verse 21, it tells us that after 8 days the child was to be called “Jesus.”  Does anyone know what the name “Jesus” means? …………
    Over in Matthew chapter 1 verse 21, an angel commands Joseph, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus, or Yeshua, you’ll hear Messianic Jewish Christians say, means The LORD saves. So when we’re reminded that Mary and Joseph obediently named their baby Jesus, it’s another clear indication that He is, in fact, the promised Savior, Jesus the Son of God.
     
     
    Alright, let’s jump back in and take a look at Simeon. Back to Luke 2, verse 25. And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. We know nothing about this man, Simeon, apart from this one singular passage in the Bible. We can guess at his age, but he is likely fairly old. But for sure we know he was righteous, devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and that the Holy Spirit was upon him. Righteous is a great Christian-ese word that means Simeon is just, or he consistently does what is right. In the Bible, this word is typically used of the way that God sees a person. So he’s a good guy.
    It also says he’s devout. Devotion in this verse has to do with a careful, cautious approach to life, in which he is acutely aware of God’s presence and commands, so he is careful to do all that is commanded by God. It’s the religious response of a man who both fears and loves God. And it’s furthermore clear that he fears and loves God because he is looking forward to God fulfilling His promise of the “Consolation of Israel,” the one who would comfort the hurting people of God. Simeon’s hope is not in getting a pay raise, or in a new medicine to heal some disease, or in getting a ton of likes on his clever Facebook post, or in getting a great LEGO set for Christmas; it’s in God’s rescue plan for Israel, which will be fulfilled in Jesus, the Savior.
    Verse 26. And 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 he came in the Spirit into the temple; …. Okay we’re in the middle of verse 27 here, but do you see how many times here it mentions the Holy Spirit? Three times. This guy is in step with the Spirit. He has been specially gifted with the Holy Spirit to know the will of God. And while in the Church era, post-Pentecost, we believe that all true believers have been gifted with God’s Holy Spirit, remember this is still Old Covenant times. To be given the Holy Spirit was a rare, sacred thing, that in the Old Testament pretty much exclusively occurs with God’s anointed prophets or hand-picked political leaders. To have the Holy Spirit was a sign of experiencing God’s favor and knowing His will. Your average Joab did not have the Holy Spirit.
    Simeon has a special gift, and part of this gift is the special revelation that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. I heard a preacher talk about this and he said Simeon was divinely promised immortality. Which is true! God promised he would live until he saw the Messiah! Wow. A good mental exercise for later, something we should all do occasionally, is to think, “If God promised me X amount of time to live, what would I do until that time?”
    …Well anyway, apparently, on the very day that Mary and Joseph were bringing their son Jesus into the temple, Simeon heard God clearly tell him that he needed to go to the temple. So he waited for a few days, and prayed about it, and asked all his friends what he should do…… No. No, he went into the temple. He came into the Spirit into the temple. And it’s a good thing that he didn’t wait, because a few verses later we learn that as soon as Mary and Joseph finished with the temple ritual, they started home, and Simeon would have completely missed Jesus! A good reminder to us to obey right away when we know God is calling us to do something. Usually we know, we know. We know what the Bible commands, and believers in Jesus have the Holy Spirit living in us, Who prompts us to do things which sometimes seem like the most random, or the most scary, or the most ah-but-please-Lord-you-know-I-don’t-wanna-do-that kinds of things. But, we see how He blesses us and provides when we obey. So Simeon, He obeys the prompting of the Spirit he meets them in the temple, and boy, does he get a blessing!
    Let’s see, verse 26. And 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 he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to your word; Verse 30: For my eyes have seen your salvation, Which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people, Israel.”
     
    33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.
     
    So Mary and Joseph know that Jesus was to be the coming Messiah. God told them both, individually and explicitly, that this son born to Mary would be the Savior. It’s not a surprise to them. But somehow, while they are in the busy courtyard of the Jerusalem temple, this random old man walks up to them, asks to hold baby Jesus (at least, I assume he asked first…) and tells them that he knows Jesus is the Savior and praises God for the blessing of looking at this child.
    Jesus hasn’t done ANYTHING yet except do baby things, but Simeon blesses God because he has seen him! While Simeon recognizes that He is the salvation of Israel, and the one who would ALSO bring light to the whole world, it is also extremely personal - Jesus is the fulfillment of a personal promise from God for him. And now that Simeon has seen the fulfillment of that promise, he says he can die in peace. After these statements the text says Mary and Joseph were “amazed at the things which were being said about Him.”
    Again; they knew their son was the Messiah. While not particularly educated, we know they were familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures, as is clearly seen in Mary’s famous song of praise back in chapter 1. It wasn’t anything new, but they were amazed.
    How often are we amazed at the familiar things that we already believe about God? How often do we take the time to meditate on the goodness of God; His faithfulness to fulfill His promises; the gift of salvation in Jesus. On Christmas and Easter? Every Sunday? Throughout every day? I know I get so bogged up in the day-in-day-out routines that my busy mind crowds out thoughts of God and His goodness, UNLESS, unless I deliberately pause to think about Him. Or, unless someone else reminds me first. Or unless I find myself flat on my face at my wit’s end. How often are we amazed at the impact this Messiah has on this world?
     
    After these beautiful statements about Jesus, God’s promised Messiah, Simeon introduces the first negative prophecy about this coming King. It’s not going to be all songs and roses and victory. Verse 34.
     
    34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed–
    35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul – to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
     
    While ultimately the outcome of these statements will bring glory to God, Simeon is telling Mary that there is going to be contention, pain, and grief in the life of her little baby. He lovingly tells her a truth that no parent would ever want to hear. “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed-“ It’s interesting that it doesn’t say the rise and fall; it says fall and rise. I can’t help but think that it is. Something that is already there has to come down. The social and religious structures, the pride, the traditions, the sinfulness; all the things that have always gotten in the way of people worshiping God in their hearts need to fall first. People have need of repentance. And before Jesus began His public ministry, we see John the Baptist preaching that truth: “Repent and be baptized.” John told people to fall on their knees, to be cleansed, and to renew their commitment to God. Even the picture of baptism by immersion is one of falling, and rising again. In Matthew 23 verse 12, Jesus says that “…those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” There is a necessary pain, a humility, a recognition of our brokenness, that comes before we can fully experience the joy that the coming Savior would bring. Before we rise, we must fall.
     
    But Jesus would also be opposed. Those who’ve read the New Testament are very aware that not all were ready to repent and be saved. Many opposed Jesus. He was, as Scripture puts it, a “stumbling block” to those who refuse to believe. Many, even a majority, of the most religious, apparently devout Jews opposed Jesus and refused to acknowledge His status as God’s promised Messiah. In spite of all the evidence: His fulfillment of prophecies; His miraculous signs; His confident teaching that always aligned with the Old Testament; none of that could change their minds. He was a sign, a light, exposing their sinfulness and need for a Savior, but they refused to come out of the darkness. John chapter 3 verses 19-20 says, “19 And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed.” Jesus would become a dividing line.
     
    Our passage continues in verse 35, “…a sword will pierce even your own soul – to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Just as Jesus would be pierced, Mary’s soul would be pierced. But with the divine purpose that many hearts may be revealed. 
     
    We don’t actually know what their response to Simeon is after they hear this statement, but I’m sure the glowing pride and joy in their little baby was muted after that. It was a reminder that God’s ways are not our ways, and that even though they had the Savior in their hands, the world was still broken. I wonder what they were thinking on their journey home.
     
    Part of the reason we don’t hear their response is because “at that very moment” another stranger walks up to them. We are introduced to our second major player today, named Anna, and boy is she excited to see baby Jesus! Verse 36 tells us: “And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.
    Like Simeon, this is the only passage in the Bible that tells us anything about her, but everything we know about her is a glowing commendation of her character and faithfulness to God. She likely was widowed in her early 20’s, which means she would have been living alone for 60 years or more. We don’t know if she had children, but apparently she never remarried, so unless her husband left her lots of money, it’s likely she lived a life of poverty. In that culture, a woman’s only means was having a husband to provide for her, but it’s apparent that in spite of the tragedy of losing her husband at such a young age, she was filled with worship for God. She didn’t let her loss keep her from living a life that pleased God and benefitted others.
    Again, it says “She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.” This woman was ALWAYS at church, doing God-pleasing things like serving, fasting, and praying. Her fasting a praying were part of her worship to God, but she also served others as well. And it’s clear that her heart was in her worship, since when she sees the baby Jesus, she walks up to them and gives thanks to God, just like Simeon did! The miracle of the Messiah FINALLY coming is not lost on her. She can’t keep herself from worshiping, and she can’t keep herself from telling everyone else what she herself has seen. Verse 38: “At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
    She “continued to speak” to “all those who were looking.” It seems that for Anna, she goes all-out in everything. Every time you go to the temple, she’s there. Every time you see her, she’s either serving, fasting or praying. And now that she has met the Messiah, she keeps telling everyone with ears to hear that He is the one they have been waiting for. As far as a life lived for God, she seems to have her priorities straight. For all the long years of her life, she knew that the most important thing she could do with her time was to serve God and to love others.
     
    This Messiah that Anna and Simeon met was the fulfillment of centuries of promises by God. He was the Long-Expected deliverer, redeemer, king. And while it became evident through His life that His first coming was as the Suffering Servant, we know that He will come again as a conquering, reigning King. Jesus said that He would return. The book of Revelation tells us about what it will be like when Jesus comes again. Here are a few of the promises about the coming King and His Kingdom:
     
    • Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.
    • Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
    • 2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”
    • Philippians 3:20-21 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
    • Isaiah 65:25 “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.”
     
    There is a joy and a hope that we can have as we expectantly look forward to Christ’s second coming; A gratefulness that Jesus, our Savior, will ultimately fix the brokenness in the world, will renew the beauty marred by disease, corruption, sin; and a worshipful humility that it is Christ is the One who will make that happen. 
     
    But for those who don’t know Christ, there is also a terror. Part of God’s setting everything right is a judgment of the world, a righteous judgment that is absolutely necessary for God in His holiness. All of us are sinners, and Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. The due penalty for our error and rejecting God is eternity separated from God in hell. Those who rejected God in life cannot be forced to embrace Him after death. But the Savior that Anna and Simeon found was God’s answer: Jesus, the Savior, who would save His people from their sins. The rest of Romans 6:23 says the Gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. God WANTS people to come to Him. That’s why He gave us the gift of His Son - to rescue us, broken people in need of a Savior.
     
    For those who don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior yet, why not? Why not make today the day you choose to embrace Jesus as YOUR Savior. Repent of your sin,  and let Him become Lord of your life. If you would like to know more about accepting Jesus as Savior, please, come speak with me, or Pastor John, or one of our prayer counselors, or even one of your neighbors sitting next to you. We’d love to walk with you through making this most important decision.
     
    And for those here who know Christ, are we, like Simeon and Anna, looking forward to the coming of our Messiah? Are we living devout, righteous lives of service and worship, making the most of every breath God gives us? Are we telling others that we found the Savior, and that He can be their Savior too?