Galatians 4:1-7 & Luke 2:33–40
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Even though today is the seventh day of Christmas, this Sunday’s gospel lesson takes us to the fortieth day of Jesus’ life. Mary and Joseph bring the child to the temple in Jerusalem for her purification. Moses wrote in Leviticus 12[:2-4], “If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.” Since Mary had given birth to a male child, she was ceremonially unclean for forty days. This taught Israel about original sin that was passed from parents to children, the necessity of having God forgive it, and the necessity of fighting against the flesh’s inborn lusts and temptations. Christ is born of a woman, born under the law, to show that He is the fulfillment of the law. In this case, that He is the purification for original sin that all people conceived in the natural way contact from sinful parents.
It was also the day in which Mary and Joseph would redeem their male child. The Lord said in Numbers 18:15-16, “Everything that first opens the womb of all flesh, which they bring to the LORD, whether man or beast, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. And those redeemed of the devoted things you shall redeem when one month old, according to your valuation, for five shekels of silver.” Luke tells us in verse 24 that they went to offer a pair of turtle doves, but he doesn’t mention the lamb, nor does the evangelist tell us that Mary and Joseph redeemed Jesus with five shekels. There was no need to bring a lamb, for they presented the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Nor was their need to redeem their Firstborn, rather, they presented their Firstborn as the redemption for Israel.
It was at this point that that an aged man by the name of Simeon entered the temple. Simeon was a just man—righteous by faith—and devout—living according to law of the Lord. Luke writes that Simeon was waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 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 “(Lk 2:25-26). He came to temple by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, took Mary’s child up in his arms, blessed God and said words which you ought to find very familiar. He says, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Lk 2:29-32). The Holy Spirit fulfilled His word to Simeon. He had seen the Lord’s Anointed One. Now He can depart this life in peace because the Lord has fulfilled His word not just to him, but to all Israel. These words—which words which we sing after receiving the same Christ’s body and blood— are the words that Mary and Joseph marveled over at the beginning of today’s gospel.
But Simeon isn’t finished. He blesses them and says to Mary, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” These words are quite different from his first words. Yes, this child is God’s salvation, which He prepared for all people. Yes, this child is a light to the Gentiles as the prophets foretold, for through faith in this child the Gentiles will enter the kingdom of God. Yes, this child is the glory of the people of Israel. But not all will see the child for who and what He is. The child is appointed for the fall of many in Israel. Many will stumble over Mary’s Son and fall into Hell. Those who stumble on account of Him will not only stumble, they will speak against Him so as to excuse their fall.
Some will be offended at His lowliness and humility. They’ll say, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works Is this not the carpenter’s son?” Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Mt 14:54-56). Others will be scandalized by His claim that God is His Father, and that by this He is making Himself equal with God (Jn 5:18). Stumbling over the Holy One of Israel in human flesh, they’ll call Him Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons (Mt 12:24). Still others will be scandalized by the fact that He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mt 9:13), and that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before those who trust their own righteousness (Mt 21:31). While they pretend piety, their reaction to Mary’s Son will reveal the thoughts of their hearts to be self-righteous, self-centered, and self-worshiping. In their rejection of her Son, Mary’s heart would be pierced through as well, for she would have to watch as their fall brought about her Son’s bitter, innocent suffering and death.
But this child is also appointed for the rising of many in Israel. Those who are poor and lowly before God, those who hear Christ’s teaching and humble themselves in repentance, these will rise. They will rise from spiritual death to life by the forgiveness of their sins, for where there is forgiveness of sins there is life and salvation. They will rise from being outsiders to being sons of God by the adoption that comes through faith in the Firstborn who was presented in the temple as the world’s redemption price. They will rise from a life of dead works done by coercion to the new life of love by the Holy Spirit who will bear His fruit in all who believe. And even though they die, they will yet live, for they will rise again in the resurrection at the last day (Jn 11:24) since they heard His voice in His Word, believed Him while living, and by faith in His Word passed from death into life (Jn 5:24). This child is appointed for the rising of many in Israel: the first resurrection of faith and the second resurrection to life on the Last Day, and the resurrection to the life of godliness each day in between.
Simeon finishes prophesying as the prophetess Anna enters the Temple. She was a widow of great age, having lived as a widow for 84 after seven years of marriage. As an unmarried woman she cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, serving in fasting and prayer without distraction as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7[:34-35]. She enters the temple while Simeon is holding the child. She hears His words, believes them, and gives thanks to the Lord for the redemption of the Lord. She then speaks of the child to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. While many looked for redemption from Rome, Anna speaks to those who looked for true redemption, redemption from sin, death, and the devil. To all those who looked for God’s redemption, Anna speaks to them about this child, telling them that she, who has seen terrible things befall the Jews during her long life, has now seen God’s redemption with her own eyes.
There is much for us to marvel at, ponder, and meditate upon in this little gospel. Like Mary and Joseph, we can marvel over Simeon’s words that we sing as the Nunc Dimittis after receiving Christ bodily in the Lord’s Supper, so that we can—whenever the Lord beckons us—depart this life in peace according to His Word, since our eyes have seen, our lips have tasted, and our hearts experienced Christ’s salvation. We should ponder Simeon’s prophecy that this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and use it fortify ourselves, so that we aren’t scandalized when many fall on account of Christ and His doctrine and think that we should change our teaching to better suit what people want to hear. We should meditate each day upon the resurrection we experience by dying to sin through repentance and rising by faith in Christ to live before God in in righteousness and purity. We can ponder at the example of Anna, who accepts the vocation of widowhood as an invitation to serve the Lord by fastings and prayers without distraction, and apply that to ourselves, so that we accept the vocation God gives us—single, married, widowed, or widowered—and serve God and our neighbor in our vocations. We can marvel at the advanced age of both Simeon and Anna, and how in spite of their age, they were still serving the Lord as they were able and be encouraged so that even if all we can do is pray because of our age, we do that faithfully and fervently. But most of all, we must marvel at the child who is our redemption and consolation and give thanks for Him always. Amen.
May the peace of God which supasses understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
