Christmas 2017. The spirit of the Old Testament revealed in Simeon.

Title: Christmas 2017. The spirit of the Old Testament revealed in Simeon.

 

LUK 2:8 And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.

 

LUK 2:9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

 

LUK 2:10 And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people;

 

LUK 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 

LUK 2:12 "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger."

 

LUK 2:13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

 

LUK 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

 

The announcement of the birth of the Savior is good news of a great joy.

 

There were some who received the news with great joy and some who didn’t. The record also says that the Magi rejoiced exceedingly with great joy when they saw the star. Herod not only hated the news, but was so afraid that he sought to destroy Jesus.

 

The reign of the serpent over the earth as he oppressed men and all who served God was now to be met by the Son of God, Son of David, King of Israel.

 

Joy to all who know He has been born. So long has He been anticipated. So old are the prophecies. Born of a virgin, it would have to be that He came into the world as a child like the rest of us, but for the governments to rest on His shoulders, a newborn would seem an odd choice. Yet, as frail as any child, He was never in danger. God would protect Him, and raise Him up in wisdom and humility, and present Him to Israel, only to be rejected, scorned, and murdered. Yet, it would not be they that would master His life, for He would lay it down willfully. He would be the only high priest who was also the sacrifice. He would be the only acceptable sacrifice. He would be the only willing sacrifice.

 

He was born to die. All things in His life moved Him closer to the cross where the joy of men would really be made sure. Though His death, we would be given the privilege of abiding in Him. We would be given the right to know Him, to know His way and to even walk and live in His way, to be with Him, in fellowship with Him, and have Him protect us from the evil forces all around us and within us.

 

Freedom from the tyranny of evil and fellowship with goodness would be the end result of what was promised and protected from long ago.

 

The first promise was made right at the fall of man.

 

GEN 3:15 And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

And you shall bruise him on the heel."

 

Video 1: The Messiah

https://thebibleproject.com/all-videos/?q=&category=&page=2

 

As the angels said: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy."

 

JOH 15:8 "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

 

JOH 15:9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.

 

JOH 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.

 

JOH 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

 

JOH 15:12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

 

JOH 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

 

JOH 15:14 "You are My friends, if you do what I command you.

 

JOH 15:15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

 

Of no one has so much prophecy been made than Jesus Christ of Nazareth. What is astounding is that so much of it has been fulfilled, and due to that, we have nothing but confident expectation for what remains to be done.

 

"The existence on such a wide scale of prophecy concerning Christ before He was born is of great significance as no other person in all the world ever was predicted in this way nor had such detailed prophecies ascribing to Him the power and attributes of God. Such prophecy in itself was a miracle and bore testimony to a supernatural Person whose claims demand that we worship and obey Him." [Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord]

 

Just one real prophecy is nothing less than a miracle. It is clearly not the prediction or ingenuity of man, which are only guesses at best. And for one real prophecy to come true is even more of a miracle. No man has been ever able to do it once, but Jesus has done it hundreds of times over, and He's still not done.

 

The Messiah is the anointed one. This is what the word means, Mashach in the Hebrew translated to Christos in the Greek.

 

The anointed one would have to come into the world as a man, born of a woman. The line begins with Adam and Eve and is traced through a continuingly narrow focus. He is the seed of the woman, in the line of Seth, through Noah, descended from Abraham, then Isaac and Jacob, Judah, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and then David. He would be the eternal son of David traced by Matthew and Luke to Joseph and Mary respectively.

 

Think of all of the things that went wrong, that we know of, which were surely the instigation of Satan, and which God so easily overcame.

 

The firstborn Cain murders his brother Abel, but God raises up a new seed in Seth. The entire human race becomes corrupted, but one family out of perhaps millions remains pure in Noah. Abraham and Sarah lose hope and Abraham has a son through Hagar who he desires to be his heir. Isaac is not born until Abraham is 99 years old. Esau is disinterested in his birthright as family priest and sells away this right. Jacob in his very old age would prophesy that the King/Messiah would come through Judah. Years later, Judah becomes morally corrupted and would never have had a son if it weren't for the conniving of his daughter-in-law. Boaz would have likely never gotten married if Ruth hadn't shown up at his field to glean.

 

Think of how many times Satan thought he had a chance of ending this line. There was even an instance when the last remaining heir of David was one year old when the false queen of Judah sought his life, but he was hidden by his sister for six years and became king at 7 years old.

 

All of prophecy culminated in the fullness of times when Christ was born. It was a miracle that His line survived, a miracle that a virgin gave birth, and this would only be the beginning.

 

And still the danger lurked as Herod sought the child's death, and yet again the evil conspiracy was foiled.

 

Prophecy of His birth:

 

MIC 5:2 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Too little to be among the clans of Judah,

From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.

His goings forth are from long ago,

From the days of eternity."

 

MIC 5:3 Therefore, He will give them up [to the power of their enemies - Babylon/Rome] until the time

When she who is in labor has borne a child.

Then the remainder of His brethren

Will return to the sons of Israel.

 

MIC 5:4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock

In the strength of the Lord,

In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.

And they will remain,

Because at that time He will be great

To the ends of the earth.

 

MIC 5:5 And this One will be our peace.

 

ISA 7:14

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel [God with us]."

 

The reason for Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem was the census ordered by Caesar Augustus. The bidding of a heathen emperor was repugnant to the Jewish people, and especially when the universally hated Herod would be in charge of it in Judah. Such a narrative would never have been made up by a Jew as some proclaim that it was. It was clear that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but if any Jew wanted to fake the account in order to prove Jesus of Nazareth to be born there, would have never devised it this way.

 

Joseph and Mary were in poverty, gave birth in poverty, and this was the only appropriate way for the Savior to come into the world. What did worldly riches mean to Him?

 

As Joseph and Mary neared their journeys end, a three day affair, having but a few necessities and no where to stay, Jesus was born surrounded by poverty. How fitting for the divine to come into the world in this way.

 

2CO 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

 

Thus we can see how inappropriate it would have been for Him to be born in a palace, surrounded by treasures and gold, since the God of the universe, the Creator these things, does not value these things. He values the souls of men, and that's all that surrounded Him of any worth at His birth.

 

If this was Jewish legend, He would have never been born in a stable or a manger. Not only this, but if it had been a made up legend, then there would have been a lot more detail. As it is, all we know is that He was wrapped up in a swathing band and lain in some kind of crib or trough. Other than this, a veil lies over the whole event. What conjuror of legend would limit himself thus if he was trying to persuade the world that Jesus was the promised one?  

 

The two essential features, alike of legend and of tradition, are, that they ever seek to surround their heroes with a halo of glory, and that they attempt to supply details, which here are both missing.

 

The very land that David walked now contained David's eternal Son.

 

The shepherds came to the stable and found what they had been told they would.

 

The first likely place where their tale fell would have been the khan, a place of lodging outside the town for people and their animals. From there it would have spread to all in the town. It is largely assumed that these shepherds raised flocks destined for the temple sacrifices. Jerusalem is only five miles to the north. They would have brought the tale to the temple and it would have spread all over Jerusalem, combining with the tale of the Magi from just days before. In Jerusalem it was heard by Simeon and Anna.

 

It is amazing to imagine the expectancy in Bethlehem and Jerusalem over these next few days. Some denied the story, but there was some who believed it. The Messiah, the Son of David, the Savior who is Christ the Lord, is lying as an infant not a mile or so away, whose only protection is a stable and two poor parents. Wouldn't they want to surround Him with armed guards or lock Him in a fortress?

 

On what a slender thread did the salvation of the world rest - an infant and two new and poor parents, but when that thread is made by God, it is stronger than the thickest steel.

 

Soon the poor parents, fresh to the handling and caring for a newborn, would have to travel 60 miles to Egypt in order to protect Him from Herod.

 

Video 2: Luke Ch 1-2

https://thebibleproject.com/all-videos/?q=&category=&page=3

 

By the side of every humiliation connected with His humanity there is a showing forth of the glory of His divinity.

 

It has been observed, that by the side of every humiliation connected with the humanity of the Messiah, the glory of His divinity was also made to shine forth. These couplets are not pointed out by the writers that we should look for them. They are just there, which makes them all the more striking.

 

Born of a virgin - announced by an angel

In a manger - announced by angels, star above Him

In wilderness - angels minister to Him

Weak in Gethsemane - angels minister to Him

Submits to baptism - voice from heaven: "This is My Son"

Nailed to cross - sun darkens, earth quakes

Placed in a tomb - angel rolls the stone away

 

Thus, if He is born from a humble maiden in Nazareth, an angel announces His birth; if He is cradled in a manger, the shining host of heaven sung His Advent and a star hung above His first home; if He hungered in the wilderness, angels ministered to Him; if He found His greatest weakness in Gethsemane, angels again ministered to Him; if He submitted to baptism, a voice from heaven attested His sonship; if He was nailed to a cross, the sun lost its brightness and the earth shook; if He was placed in a tomb, angels watched and announced His resurrection.

 

And so we see the same juxtaposition when His mother presents herself for the common Jewish purification according to the Law as well as Jesus' circumcision and presentation as the first-born male - all common stuff. A man name Simeon meets the family in the Temple and shines upon them the Spirit of the Old Testament anticipation of the Savior and King of Israel - the very Son of David.

 

Submits to the Law (circumcision and presentation as first born) - Simeon announces Him as the Savior of all men.

 

LUK 2:21 And when eight days were completed before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

 

LUK 2:22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

 

LUK 2:23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every first-born male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),

 

LUK 2:24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

 

The offering birds reveal their poverty and is also prophetic of Jesus' resurrection and ascension.

 

LUK 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

 

LUK 2:26 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.

 

Simeon was told in a dream or vision some years prior that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. He waited in a dark and weary world until he saw the glorious light of the child Messiah, and not only was Simeon to see Him, but he would take the child King into his very arms.

 

Simeon held salvation in his arms.

 

Just imagine how he felt. All of the visions of the prophets of Israel all focused on Jesus as He lied in Simeon's arms as if he stood on some prophetic mountain and all the prophets looked up to him from the bottom in awe and desire.

 

I pray you and I spend our Christmas with this same feeling in understanding that the Savior of the world is also in our arms, and He is in us, and clothes us, and is by us, and is waiting for us in heaven.

 

LUK 2:27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

 

LUK 2:28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

 

LUK 2:29 "Now Lord, Thou dost let Thy bond-servant depart In peace, according to Thy word;

 

LUK 2:30 For my eyes have seen Thy salvation,

 

LUK 2:31 Which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,

 

LUK 2:32 A light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Thy people Israel."

 

Simeon, devoted to the OT scriptures, understood that Jesus was the Savior of both Gentiles and Jews.

 

Simeon embodies the very spirit of the OT scriptures and anticipation.

 

LUK 2:33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

 

Who could imagine what it would have been like for Joseph and Mary during these initial months and years?

 

Practically seeing the amazement on their faces, Simeon, so familiar with the Old Testament, could almost see the entire life of the Messiah passing rapidly before him.

 

LUK 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed — 

 

LUK 2:35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul —  to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

 

A sign opposed/the fall and rise of many: Jesus the cornerstone, for some a building, for others, a rock of offense.

 

Simeon understands the prophecy of the cornerstone, that Jesus would be the cornerstone of the building that would be made of Jew and Gentile, but He would also be the rock of offense, the cornerstone that was stumbled over.

 

Mary's soul pierced: she would witness her beloved boy on the cross.

 

This piercing would begin immediately as it will soon be revealed to Joseph that Herod seeks to destroy the child. They will have to make a 60 mile trip to Egypt. Yet it would not be long before they can return home and over time this lament would fade, as would much of the amazement of the beginning of Jesus.

 

How could any of us imagine her grief in witnessing her Son on the cross, but also her joy when she saw Him resurrected and alive and that no one could ever hurt Him again?

 

Thoughts from many hearts revealed: When it is witnessed what men will do to the Son of God, the true heart of fallen man is clearly revealed.

 

Jesus would live and die so He could heal the sickness in all of our hearts. He brought heaven and life into darkness and death. When we celebrate His birth, we celebrate Him, His life, His ministry, His cross, death, and resurrection. The King/Messiah has been born in the city of David and He has crushed the serpent of old and He has dethroned sin and death and sat down Himself at the right hand of God issuing forth grace, righteousness, and eternal life.

 

As the angels said: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy."