By Rev. Brian Wilkie Pastor of St. Andrew's Christian Church Rockland, Ontario |
Welcome to Good News In the Morning, a program of words and music bringing a Christian message of hope and encouragement to those who are looking for an intelligent, meaningful and spirited approach to faith and to life.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, 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]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[b]
25 Now 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 on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved 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, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss[c] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then 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, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming 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.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, 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]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[b]
25 Now 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 on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved 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, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss[c] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then 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, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming 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.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Footnotes
Sermon Excerpts:
… Be the church, and let God equip you and be the church and let God use you …and discover that you have a great purpose, a great wonderful gift to give the world because God has been pouring into your life to be the church.
One of the reasons that Jesus had to come was because nothing else fixed the world. And God had done a lot of stuff to help us do better.
…People get into a position of authority and power and they start using it for themselves. Familiar story?
It's the real world in which Jesus came, and Jesus came because the shepherds he had appointed weren't doing their job. He had to come himself to shepherd the sheep.
On the one hand, we can be amazed at that compassion that God himself came to shepherd his people, but can also be warned.
We've been appointed to do the ministry of Christ, here in the world. And God is serious about us taking that responsibility on, not just as a hobby, but as the central focus of our lives.
He's serious about it because he delights to see the way you can change lives in the power of the Holy Spirit.
He delights this for you to discover the joy of being an instrument of God's blessing in somebody else's life.
He doesn't want you to go through life going well I made it, I made it through. He wants you to go through life, realizing that you are experiencing joy and victory.
As God overcomes your weaknesses and overcomes your fears and your anxieties and overcomes your appetites that have taken control, and your aversions that have kept you from working on things, and he overcomes that and shows you what you can be as you and I become the church, as we live out the beautiful opportunity that God has given us.
We didn't see what was coming into 2020, (and 2020 is supposed to be perfect vision right?).
Well, we don't know what's coming in the world.
But I tell you the thing that you can have some part in to make sure it happens: It's drawing near to God, and He will draw near to you. Be the church and you will see a world of difference.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus you
didn't come for nothing. It changed things when you came and it's changing me,
Lord.
I want you to
change me more and more, to make me more and more like yourself, to become
perfect in love, perfect in forgiveness, perfect in helping.
Take us there
Lord; take us where you want us to be, to that place of service and joy.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.
I do pray that the Lord will hold your heart and you would know Jesus personally and profoundly. May the Holy Spirit reside deep within your heart, may the heavenly Father surround you with his constant and abiding and accompanying love.
- Rev. Brian Wilkie
