Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, 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. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word;…”
Are you ready for Christmas?
As Advent emphasizes that Jesus came, Jesus comes, and Jesus will come again, we still need a little of that emphasis during Christmas, too.
Christmas was a day. Christmas is a season. And yet, we are still waiting for the full comfort of Christmas and as Christians, we are really ready and looking forward to that full comfort of Christmas.
Christmas was a day. Jesus was born on a day. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger, the shepherds rejoiced at the great joy, For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The fullness of time had come. Our hymn also reminded us that Jesus prayed in Gethsemane and hung on Calvary’s throes asking a blessing for His foes on a day.
Christmas is also a season for the Christian. There’s twelve days of Christmas. Beginning December 25 and ending January 5th. Today we celebrate the First Sunday in Christmas. We celebrate today celebrate our Lord, Immanuel, which means God with us, is still with us – in the season of Christmas and out of the season of Christmas!
But our reading for today also helps us recognize as Christians that we are still waiting on a Day and season that will not end. He comes now to begin to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found, yes, but those blessings do not yet fully cover the curse of sin that still affects us.
There’s still death and sorrow. There’s still much rejection of Jesus – not all the earth receives her king.
There’s still fighting and bickering among family, friends, spouses, and churches.
There’s still wars and rumors of wars and cancer and Alzheimer’s.
There’s still poverty and violence and addiction and rebellion against authority and abuse of authority
We are still struggling with our sinful flesh and the temptation toward pride, despair, and all sorts of shameful vices like lust, greed, and anger.
We love God and we love the people God has surrounded us with, but we are still struggling with loving God with our whole heart and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Christmas, neither the day, nor being in the season, fully got rid of all that – yet.
There’s previews of it when Jesus healed the sick then and heals the sick now.
There’s still previews of it when Jesus said, “Have no fear. Fear not. Peace,” then and says that now and people believe it and treasure it and are calmed by it.
There’s previews of it when Christ works in us faith, hope, and love and He is merciful and kind through us,
when He in us prays a blessing on our foes,
when He makes His blessings flow through us to the people He has surrounded us with.
He still comes now! His blessing flow now!
But the full comfort of joy and peace and no more sin or sorrow – not yet!
We are still waiting for that.
We are like Simeon and Anna in our readings.
They were waiting.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him
Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, was advanced in years…old people know a lot about waiting for something…She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of [Jesus] to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
God helps us through them today to wait well.
The word waiting in the Greek gives us the image of looking forward, leaning forward, even reaching out, to receive something.
It’s like what the children felt like when they saw the Christmas presents under the tree and yet couldn’t receive them yet.
Children also know a lot about waiting.
Simeon is waiting, leaning forward, looking forward, reaching out and yet on this day, Simeon gets to hold the Christ child! Now he can die in peace.
Anna is waiting, leaning forward, looking forward, and reaching out and yet on this day she begins to give thanks to God and to speak of Jesus to all who were waiting for the redemption.
Simeon and Anna help us today ask – is Christmas here? Or am I still waiting on it?
Well, it depends what you are waiting on.
Are you waiting to hold the Lord’s Christ? Wait no more. In a bit, Christ will give you His very body to hold in your hands.
Are you waiting to hear again that you are the Lord’s hands? Wait no more. You are. And no one and nothing can snatch you out of those.
Are you waiting to be released in peace? Wait no more. God is at peace with you. The bonds of your sin and the shackles of your guilt are released. You are forgiven. The Son has set you free, you are free indeed.
Are you waiting to depart as the Lord’s servant – sent off to be a light in the midst of darkness of the world and the family and the workplace. Sent off and called to be like Simeon and Anna.
Simeon is righteous and devout – devout mean holding onto the good things and that’s your call. Hold onto the good things.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness.
Honor your father and mother.
Be generous and sacrificial. Work hard. Husbands love your wives.
Wives love your husbands.
Parents and children with hearts turned toward each other.
Anna doesn’t depart the temple.
She loves the Lord’s Word. She love’s the Lord’s presence. She loves preaching and the Word and gladly hears and learns it. And she prays night and day.
She prays for the people who are waiting.
She prays for the people who don’t know they should be waiting.
She prays for the people who couldn’t care less about waiting.
She prays. Night and day.
Wait no more. You are the Lord’s servant. Let it be to you according to His Word
Are you waiting to depart in peace according to His Word, having heard of your salvation and having heard your Saviors voice? Knowing that you don’t stack up to the Lord’s call of righteousness and devoutness and loving God’s Word as you should and praying as you should but also knowing the voice of you Savior – then wait no more.
Merry Christmas.
Reach no more. Open these gifts present for you.
The Lord is come! Joy to the world.
Lord, now, let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word.
But if you waiting to say, “I have seen salvation,” to see your Savior face to face, then Christmas is still around the corner.
If you are waiting to depart out of the valley of the shadow of death and be lead to the green pastures the Lord is leading you to,
If you are waiting to depart out of the of the sinful and selfish struggle the world, the devil, and your sinful flesh attack you with,
if you are waiting to depart into a life free of suffering, free of people who hate Christ and His Christians, free of addiction and disease, hunger and poverty then you can still
O come, o come Emmanuel and Come, Lord Jesus.
Those Christmas presents that Christ’s birth and death bought is still under the tree.
Boy are we ready to open that!
We will, soon and very soon.
Today, the Lord through our readings, our hymns, our prayers, the liturgy, the Supper, help us wait and reach for the right things.
Today, the Lord helps us hear again what Christ has already bought for us with His death and blood and
And today, the Lord helps us grasp onto what the Lord is come to do now.