Christmas 1
Text: Luke 2:33-40
As a child, I would marvel at Christmas lights. The whole season was full of mystery, anticipation, and joy. Watching my own children, I also see how they are filled with wonder and amazement as Advent builds towards and culminates on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Just think back to the first time you held a candle on Christmas Eve and sang Silent Night with your family as the sanctuary became dark.
Where does this childlike sense of wonder go?
The gifts have been exchanged; sadly, some have already lost their amusement. Toys have been broken, and new sweaters have holes in them. The “what were you thinking gifts” have been returned. The new books have either been read or have become the latest paperweights for your desk.
But Christmas goes on.
As we’ve discussed over the past weeks, our Christmas joy does not entirely halt on December 25th; it is just beginning, and the Twelve Days of Christmas continue through Epiphany.
These days help us understand that the Church’s calendar differs from the world's. It does not proceed as the world does and is not arranged according to college football bowl games. This is evident by the feasts and festivals on the Church calendar this past week.
The first observance the Church has is the martyrdom of St. Stephen on December 26th, quickly followed by the feast of Holy Innocents when King Herod brutally murdered all male children under the age of two.
After the gift-giving, is this what you thought the Christmas season would be filled with? The birth of the Savior, immediately followed by martyrs and stories of death?
But Simeon is prepared for this in our Gospel reading – his own death - now that he has seen the Lord.
This Gospel reading cannot be heard without the echoes of Simeon’s song that immediately precedes it, the Nunc Dimittis. Simeon begins the familiar hymn we sing each Sunday, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace.” (Luke 2:29) The time has come; Simeon is recorded as waiting for the consolation of Israel and now his time of waiting for consolation is here, he can rest from this tiring world and meet his death in the peace of God. Simeon has such confidence in this truth because the consolation, that is, the world's salvation, is now seen with his eyes and lies within his arms in the baby Jesus.
In addition to these great words of Simeon, the earthly family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have had some pretty amazing things occur already, too, like angels appearing and announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary, a virgin. Then, the shepherds arrived and traveled to Bethlehem to see this new family and child who would bring peace to earth. Mary and Joseph could have taken life at face value and said, this is simply a newborn child, no different from those that grow and roam these pews (What a blessing they are, too!). But these words of Simeon continue to bring Mary and Joseph to marvel and wonder.
Luther writes, “They disregarded what they see and cling to the words of Simeon with a firm faith, and therefore they marvel at what he says.” (AE 75, pg. 399) The words of Simeon are precious Gospel to the ears that will hear and believe in them because they announce redemption’s arrival on earth.
But Simeon also has another proclamation in today’s Gospel, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, for a sign that is opposed.” (Luke 2:34) Here, the shadows of the cross are already present as Simeon announces to Mary and Joseph, your child will fall, He will die. He will cause His own people, the people of Israel, to curse Him, to hate Him, to spit on Him. They will condemn his very words, his works, and his ways. His own people will do this. The people Jesus came to save. (Spangenberg, 43)
What is so hard is hearing these words today because those whom Jesus came to save continue to condemn his words, his works, and his death, even those who have been baptized into and bear the precious name of Jesus Christ.
I pray your Christmas was pleasant and without disturbance, but we all know that a family get-together can be challenging. Sometimes, we can say they even lack peace. Maybe it’s politics that arise, or maybe there is a sad divide over doctrine and faith in your family. Sadly, more and more families no longer see Christmas as a festival of Christ’s birth. Instead, the day is one for family reunions and the like.
Talk of the child in the manger is not conducted in the fear of offense to avoid disturbing our Christmas harmony. For many, our families have drifted apart so much that the only thing we marvel at is that we still get together. Christ has become a stumbling block for them and, in this way, for us. It’s not that I don’t desire family peace; I do, but peace on earth is only brought through the peace the angels and Simeon announce with Christ Jesus.
The prophet Isaiah wrote regarding the coming of Christ, “He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel.” (Isaiah 8:14) The sanctuary or temple was often seen as a place of safety. The entering of the infant Jesus into the temple in today’s Gospel also reveals that Jesus is the new temple. The presence of God dwells within Him. Therefore, those who reject Christ are those who stumble in this life; they are those outside the temple, outside the sanctuary of Christ’s protection from Satan and this world.
But for those who struggle and who return to Christ, they have sanctuary, forgiveness, and a hope that surpasses all human understanding. (Philippians 4:7)
While Simeon proclaimed and prophesied regarding the infant Jesus in the temple, the prophetess, Anna, also couldn’t help but hear his words. Anna was a virgin until marriage; she was a devout wife, and when her husband died, as a widow, she spent her days in the temple, praying and fasting. Anna, like Simeon, was waiting for this time to arrive when the Savior would come, and when it did, they rejoiced!
Anna reminds us that to be in the temple of God, to have His sanctuary, is to be in the Word of God. Throughout Anna’s life, she fulfilled her vocation at every stage, and now, as a widow, Anna’s one thing in life to be concerned with was to be in the courts of the Lord.
We all have many vocations in this life. For some of us, it is given to be a parent; to others, we remain sons and daughters, yet others are siblings or friends. Like Anna, our vocations begin with the Temple of God, with the Word incarnate, with Jesus who dwells on earth, our redeemer and Savior. Then, when we confess our faith throughout our vocations, it is exercised through forgiveness and the faith that Jesus alone is our Savior. This is the beginning of true wisdom.
The proverb states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...” (Proverbs 9:10). The fear of God begins with confession. Confession prepares the heart for forgiveness, like a farmer tending to the soil in the spring, preparing his fields for planting. Confession and faith are the actions of the heart that begin to reveal the true wisdom of God, realized and understood only in the crucifixion and resurrection of the Son.
This is what Simeon and Anna prophesied today, that this child was appointed for the rise and fall of many. Their faith gave them the patience to endure the tribulations of life and the patience to wait for the Advent of Jesus.
Now He’s here.
Let us cling to this mystery with Mary and Joseph; let us take up the Christ child in our ears and upon our lips, departing with a firm faith, singing for joy with Simeon and all the saints a song of thanksgiving. This song prepares your heart for eternal peace and sustains your faith throughout this life, “Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace, according to your word.” +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
