Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro* – Read Luke 2:34-35 – In Luke’s presentation of the life of Christ, everything has been rosy up to this point.

But danger lurks in the second half of Simeon’s prophecy.

Luke 2:34, “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother.”

Stop there.

See anything strange?

Simeon has just expounded on the glorious overall Messianic mission.

Great.

Now he turns to bless them – Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

Wonderful.

The benediction and church is over, right?

Well, not quite.

For now he does a strange thing.

Suddenly he addresses Mary specifically with a mix of good and bad news.

Why would that be?

Why Mary and not Joseph?

I think the answer is found in what we do not find in the life of Christ after age 12.

What we do not find -- is Joseph.

He is there with Jesus at 12 in the temple.

Then 18 years of silence.

And when the story picks up again, Mary’s there, and, in fact, brothers and sisters of Jesus, but we never see Joseph again.

Early on in Matt 13:55-57 a hometown crowd says, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?

Is not his mother called Mary?

And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

56 And are not all his sisters with us?.”

Joseph is gone – presumably having died during the intervening 18 years.

Jesus probably supported the family through carpentry until His ministry began.

So, Simeon addresses Mary regarding hardships to come -- preparing her for the downside of being associated with Jesus.

He pulls no punches.

Luke 2: 35, “(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also).”

This prophecy is fulfilled at the cross when Mary’s heart breaks watching her son die – not the end she expected.

But Simeon is preparing her.

And his words remind all of us that being a follower of Christ brings no promise against suffering.

In fact, it promises there will be suffering.

In this life, it is part of the package.

The Bible says in Phil 1:29, “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.”

God’s gifts us in two ways – with faith and with suffering.

Both are gifts.

There is a reason for that.

In Eph 1:10 God has “a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

History is going somewhere.

Alienation will be broken to smithereens.

All the chaos done by Satan’s rebellion will be put right.

Peace and justice and holiness will reign.

It’s coming, Beloved.

As a follower of Christ, you’re on the right team.

Romans 8:17 promises we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

A glorious future awaits sufferers with Him.

But meantime, evil must be weeded out.

Rebellion must be confined to everlasting separation from God, and Mary’s son is the lightning rod for all of this to happen.

The glory won’t come easily.

Jesus is the great mediator of salvation, but He is also the great revealer of men’s hearts and the exposer of evil.

Jesus the revealer divides humanity right down the middle.

Let’s see why.

*I.

He Reveals God*

Simeon says in Luke 2:34, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed.”

Let’s take the second clause first.

This child is appointed for a sign.

The Jews were big into signs.

They were constantly asking Jesus for a sign.

But the fact is, Jesus Himself was the sign.

As God in the flesh, He was the ultimate sign.

Born of a virgin, speaking as no man had ever spoken, casting out demons, healing the sick, raising the dead – He was a one-man wrecking crew of evil and revealer of the kingdom of God.

Any true seeker couldn’t have missed that here was the Son of God – the ultimate revelation of God.

That’s why Jesus was amazed in John 14:8 when 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip?

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

He was dumbfounded.

Philip – 3 years with me and you still don’t get it?

I and the Father are one.

Wake up.

The Bible teaches God is spirit.

That is His essence.

He is invisible to physical eyes.

We can see Him only if He reveals Himself in some way.

Kind of like an invisible man movie where the guy is only seen if he puts on clothes.

We wouldn’t even know God exists if He did not reveal Himself.

But He has revealed Himself -- 3 glorious ways.

First in nature.

Psa 19: 1) “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

Romans 1:19-20, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

The intricacy of creation literally screams there is a Creator who is omniscient, omnipotent, moral and personal.

Second, God is revealed in His Word.

417 times we find the phrase “Thus says the Lord.”

417 times!

109 times we find “The word of the Lord came” to someone.

In the book of Ezekiel alone, 84 times it says this is written so you “may know that I am the Lord.”

84 times.

Beloved, there is a message there somewhere.

David says in Psa 19:7) “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8) the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

Why is the Word so wonderful?

Because it brings God to life – reveals Him to us!

But the greatest revelation of God by far -- is Jesus.

He is called Immanuel – God with us.

Heb 1:1-3says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers (revealed Himself) by the prophets (the Word), 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.”

You want to know God? Look at Jesus.

Reject Him and there’s nowhere to go.

Nothing more He can do.