First Sunday after Christmas (2023)
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Luke 2:33-40
Luke 2:33-40
Merry Christmas my Brothers and Sisters in Christ! The Christmas season is still going strong until Epiphany, so may we not limit it to one day, but celebrate and enjoy it for a full 12 days! Today we have in our Gospel Lesson, just a little bit after Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the temple to offer up the sacrifice required by the Law, for Jesus is the firstborn of Mary.
Going to the Temple
This happened 40 days after Jesus’ birth.
It was required that a sacrifice was offered up, typically it was a lamb, but Mary and Joseph are poor so they bring a pair of turtledoves for the offerings. Jerusalem was not far away, a few miles through the mountains brought them to the temple that had been rebuilt.
Herod was in Jerusalem at this time.
In fact he is the one who rebuilt the temple and it was a splendid construction at the time, and stood until 70 AD when the Romans laid siege to it and tore it down. The people would gather here to offer sacrifices and sing praises to God, and offer up prayers. There were special sacrifices on the Sabbath, but there were many other sacrifices that would get offered throughout the week as people would travel to make offerings.
Simeon was guide by the Holy Spirit.
He comes on this day because it had been revealed that He would see the Lord’s Christ, that his anointed one and his messiah. Who would fulfill the prophecies that had been given through the prophets. It is from Simeon that we have the Nunc Dimittis that we sing in the Liturgy of the Sacrament. For as Simeon came to temple and held in his hands the body of Christ so too do you at the Altar.
The Christ Child
Jesus is the light to the gentiles.
It is by Jesus that those who are outside of Israel will be saved. For He isn’t just Israel’s savior, He is the savior of the world. He brings that light to those who are blinded by the darkness of sin, and have no way to free themselves.
Jesus is God’s salvation for all people.
You and I know this, the Scriptures are clear on this point, for God so loved the world, not just the Israelites, or this or that group of people for God so loved the World that he sent his only-begotten son, that whosoever. Doesn’t matter what nation you are from, what ethnic group you belong to Jesus died for the children of Adam and Eve, and that’s all of us. But Simeon also warns
Jesus will also be a sign opposed.
We might wonder why is that? Why would people reject this, why would they seek out something else entirely? For here is the Lord’s Messiah and yet the world as a whole does not want him, but why would the people in Israel reject him??
Hearts are Revealed
This is why people rise and fall.
It catches the nation off-guard for they have a very particular idea about who this messiah will be and what he will do. Herod’s response as atrocious as it will be when he murders the children in Bethlehem, shows what he thinks that Jesus is there to do. To be a new king and to take the throne of Jerusalem as his own. Jesus is consistent throughout the Scriptures saying that He is not that kind of King. Those who seek him only as an earthly king in Jerusalem, don’t know the Scriptures.
There are those who will rejoice.
That Jesus has come to free us from the powers of sin, and death and to do battle on a field that we could not even hope to win. Jesus casts down not just the ruler in Jerusalem, or the Romans, Jesus opposes Satan himself for our sake, and wins for us entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven as he fulfills the Law for us, and establishes an eternal kingdom.
Others will reject God’s salvation.
These are those who cannot lift their eyes from the things of this world to the heavenly things. They obsess over earthly kingdoms, and rulers, and powers, not realizing that these were all types that pointed us to the greater accomplishments that Christ was going to do for our sake.
Who is this Child?
Through Jesus, all hearts are shown.
You cannot be neutral on who Jesus is. For you will find out quickly what is in someone’s heart by what they answer to this question.
Is Jesus the Christ?
Is Jesus the Son of God that has come to earth to save mankind from their sins? Is Jesus the one that is prophesied to bring about the Kingdom of God, not in this world, but on that holy mountain with the feast of rich food and well aged wine? Is that who Jesus is?
What do people say He is?
We see people try to reduce Jesus from being the messiah. Many try to craft him into their own image, and try to put their ideals and their values on him. So they will say Jesus was a social reformer, Jesus was a political advocate, Jesus was one who stood up for the poor, for women’s rights, for overthrowing religious establishments, that he stands for american values, Jesus is your therapist, is your way to prosperity and being rich, etc. Is that who Jesus says he is? No, people who peddle these false Christ’s will perish.
Why is Jesus opposed Today?
Jesus calls us to repent.
That means that we are to turn in the opposite direction that we were going, because it was the wrong way. To focus our eyes on Him and him alone. This message for everyone, everyone is to repent. It doesn’t matter if you are the town drunk or the pastor, the message is one and the same, repent for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You will see people rise and fall, and you will see their hearts revealed.
We are called to trust in Him only.
To let go of everything else that we cling to and rely on him for our needs. Now everything else will flow out of that, and it will be better, but its hard to let go and admit that we have done what is wrong, that we trusted in earthly things when we should have been trusting in God, but part of this is learning that we are
We are to be humble.
That is lowly compared with this child. This is something people have a problem, we all want to be listened to, to be in charge. We don’t necessarily want the headaches that come with being in charge, but we want the power, but we are to lower ourselves and submit to the Word of God, and heed the voice of Christ. Now I say lower ourselves, but in truth, what it really means is to no longer be puffed up. For how low are we compared with God himself? It’s that we stop lying to ourselves, and deceiving ourselves and instead confess that we are sinners, and that we do all need to repent.
Jesus Is the Hope of Sinners
It is by Jesus that we rise.
Not that we lift ourselves up, it is Jesus that lifts us up with him. For we are the sheep that were lost, and that He has gone out to carry home on his shoulders. Where did Jesus find us? Dead in our trespasses and sins in which we all once walked while we were under the power of the prince of this world, satan. Jesus was born in Bethlehem to raise you up that you might have eternal life.
It’s why Simeon could depart in peace.
It is why Anna, rejoiced and shared with all who were waiting for the redemption of Israel, for here is the child that was promised, and has been brought to save the entire world. Not just for those in Israel, and so
Jesus is your savior.
Do not try to save yourself, and don’t try to turn him into something that He is not. He is the Lord’s Christ, the promised messiah, and anyone who is trying to make Jesus into something other than what the Scriptures have proclaimed him to be, are rejecting Him.
So my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, humble yourselves, repent of your sins, for the Son of God came into this world to bring us from darkness to light. There will be those who oppose Him, for they do not wish to be saved by Him, or do not want anything to do with the Kingdom He establishes for they look only for treasures in this life. Don’t let them deceive you, for Christ’s Kingdom is far greater, than anything we can find on this earth. Let us share with all, who this child is, the Savior of the World. In Jesus name. Amen.