God’s Grace demonstrated in Jesus’ birth

Luke 2:25-38

²⁵ At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him ²⁶ and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, ²⁸ Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
³⁰ I have seen your salvation,
³¹ which you have prepared for all people.
³² He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

³³ Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. ³⁵ As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

³⁶ Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. ³⁷ Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. ³⁸ She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

This passage reminds me of John 1:14-18. Jesus – Grace and truth.

Infinite God outside of time is born as a finite male baby into an everyday family to be. In one sense, that’s a bit hard to get your head around. The timing of this birth is God’s timing, due to periods of exile and judgement of Israel many of the tribes of Israel of the northern kingdom had been deliberately mixed with other races and lost their ancestral linage. The tribe of Judah, in the southern kingdom did not. Judah is the tribe of king David and Jesus’ linage.

Potential of a newborn. I don’t know about you, but I love dedications – that church family, friends of the family come to pray/have been praying about this child and seeking God for a sense of what God can do through this person. In Jesus’s time the significance of dedication of the firstborn to God (vs.27 and vs. 23, law of Moses to remember what judgement God brought on Egypt and how he rescued Israel and Israel’s firstborn, Ex 13).

God’s faithfulness in fulfilling prophecy about Jesus birth is contrasted with Israel’s faithlessness (and ours as well).

The beauty of Simeon seeking after the consolation of Israel – basically for the messiah that God had promised. The Holy Spirit promising he would see him. There were a lot of people in Israel hoping for the messiah, not always with the right concept, understanding or motives, but hungry for justice, peace and order.

What’s my takeaway from this? Jesus the embodiment of grace and truth, that God would do this for mankind, at a great cost, so that we (you and I) could be reconciled to him (that’s hard to get your head around as well, that we are so important to God that he sent his son to rescue us). That Jesus was sent and could explain both our dire position in eternity (the truth that we can’t save ourselves) and the heart behind the universe that paid the price so that we can be saved ….

How long do you yearn for in prayer for something to happen? What do you yearn for and how has that formed you? How has God turned a week-ness or something missing into a strength?

Written by Dave Moore