Text: Luke 2:21-39
Please open your Bible to Luke chapter two, verse twenty-one. Our text today is found in verses twenty-one through thirty-nine. This passage details the presentation of the baby Jesus before the Lord in the temple.
Before we read this passage, I must say as clearly as I can it is urgent you get right with God if you do not know him. Remember these words of our Lord Jesus who said: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved . . .” Again, Jesus warns us in the parable of the sower when he says, “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
My friend, you must get serious about your salvation. Satan works against you. As quick as a pastor or a believer sows the word of God into your heart Satan comes right behind us to steal the word out of your heart lest you believe and be saved!
Furthermore, if you are lost today, then you are in the snare of Satan. Listen to this instruction to pastors found in the book of 2 Timothy:
“. . . be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
The bad news is this: if you are lost, then one way or the other you are in the snare of the enemy. The good news is this: Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, has the power to set the captive free! Indeed, Jesus can say: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18).
You may be lost, but you can be saved today! Jesus Christ will heal your broken heart. He will deliver you from the bondage of sin. He will open your eyes to the truth and though you be bruised by confusion, bruised by sin, and bruised by a hate filled world the Lord Jesus Christ will set you free when you surrender your life to him!
Now look with me at Luke chapter two verse twenty-one. The Word of God says:
21And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
As set forth in these words we see Mary and Joseph walking according to the dictates of the old covenant. Thus, after Mary was purified following the birth of Jesus per the law, they brought Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. And so, at that time they called him Jesus which is the name the Father gave to his son, and which was communicated to Mary when Gabriel appeared to her revealing she was chosen to give birth to the Son of God.
While they were in the temple something dramatic happened which amazed both Joseph and Mary. Look again at verses 25 and 26:
25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
Now stop and think about the importance of Simeon’s testimony. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. All spiritual minded Jews in Israel understood one day the Messiah would come. In fact, they longed for that day. As another confirmation that Jesus is the promised Messiah the Lord told him he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Now look again at verse 27: “And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” Amen!
How do we know Jesus is the Son of God, God’s provision for our salvation? We know by the testimony of Mary who in the most unique sense knew Jesus was the Son of God. We know by the testimony of Joseph who came to understand Mary was with child of the Holy Ghost. We know by the testimony of humble shepherds who received the announcement of his birth from the portals of heaven as the angel revealed to them the good news that in Bethlehem a savior was born who is Christ the Lord. We know by the testimony of the wise men who came from the east with treasures in hand to bow the knee and worship the new-born king.
And now we have the testimony of a devout, godly man whom the Holy Spirit chose to bear additional testimony to the identity of Jesus. I don’t know how many years Simeon lived with the anticipation of that day when he would hold the savior in his arms, perhaps there were a number of years in which he waited. One thing is for sure. He would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Finally, the day came and he knew it for the Word of God says he came by the Spirit into the temple and finding Mary and Joseph and the baby in the temple he immediately took the young baby in his arms and declared, “my eyes have seen thy salvation a light of revelation to the gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel!
Indeed, as the prophet said Jesus would be the Lord’s servant “to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel.” Furthermore, the Lord said through his prophet, “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”
My friends, God has provided a savior for both Jew and gentile. He has provided salvation through his Son for all mankind, that is, unto the ends of the earth. Amen.
Please open your Bible to Luke chapter two, verse twenty-one. Our text today is found in verses twenty-one through thirty-nine. This passage details the presentation of the baby Jesus before the Lord in the temple.
Before we read this passage, I must say as clearly as I can it is urgent you get right with God if you do not know him. Remember these words of our Lord Jesus who said: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved . . .” Again, Jesus warns us in the parable of the sower when he says, “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
My friend, you must get serious about your salvation. Satan works against you. As quick as a pastor or a believer sows the word of God into your heart Satan comes right behind us to steal the word out of your heart lest you believe and be saved!
Furthermore, if you are lost today, then you are in the snare of Satan. Listen to this instruction to pastors found in the book of 2 Timothy:
“. . . be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
The bad news is this: if you are lost, then one way or the other you are in the snare of the enemy. The good news is this: Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, has the power to set the captive free! Indeed, Jesus can say: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18).
You may be lost, but you can be saved today! Jesus Christ will heal your broken heart. He will deliver you from the bondage of sin. He will open your eyes to the truth and though you be bruised by confusion, bruised by sin, and bruised by a hate filled world the Lord Jesus Christ will set you free when you surrender your life to him!
Now look with me at Luke chapter two verse twenty-one. The Word of God says:
21And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
As set forth in these words we see Mary and Joseph walking according to the dictates of the old covenant. Thus, after Mary was purified following the birth of Jesus per the law, they brought Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. And so, at that time they called him Jesus which is the name the Father gave to his son, and which was communicated to Mary when Gabriel appeared to her revealing she was chosen to give birth to the Son of God.
While they were in the temple something dramatic happened which amazed both Joseph and Mary. Look again at verses 25 and 26:
25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
Now stop and think about the importance of Simeon’s testimony. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. All spiritual minded Jews in Israel understood one day the Messiah would come. In fact, they longed for that day. As another confirmation that Jesus is the promised Messiah the Lord told him he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Now look again at verse 27: “And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” Amen!
How do we know Jesus is the Son of God, God’s provision for our salvation? We know by the testimony of Mary who in the most unique sense knew Jesus was the Son of God. We know by the testimony of Joseph who came to understand Mary was with child of the Holy Ghost. We know by the testimony of humble shepherds who received the announcement of his birth from the portals of heaven as the angel revealed to them the good news that in Bethlehem a savior was born who is Christ the Lord. We know by the testimony of the wise men who came from the east with treasures in hand to bow the knee and worship the new-born king.
And now we have the testimony of a devout, godly man whom the Holy Spirit chose to bear additional testimony to the identity of Jesus. I don’t know how many years Simeon lived with the anticipation of that day when he would hold the savior in his arms, perhaps there were a number of years in which he waited. One thing is for sure. He would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Finally, the day came and he knew it for the Word of God says he came by the Spirit into the temple and finding Mary and Joseph and the baby in the temple he immediately took the young baby in his arms and declared, “my eyes have seen thy salvation a light of revelation to the gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel!
Indeed, as the prophet said Jesus would be the Lord’s servant “to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel.” Furthermore, the Lord said through his prophet, “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”
My friends, God has provided a savior for both Jew and gentile. He has provided salvation through his Son for all mankind, that is, unto the ends of the earth. Amen.
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