How to Capture the Wonder of Christmas Everyday.
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Welcome
Welcome
Good Morning! I’m Pastor Wayne and I’d like to welcome you all to the gathering of Ephesus Baptist Church.
It’s nice to see so your smiling faces. But, I’d especially like to welcome those of you who are here for the first or second time.
Know that you are surrounded by some pretty amazing people. This is an active community on a mission with Jesus.
We don’t all share the same story; in fact, we come from many different paths. But here, we are one people giving our all to love god, love others, proclaim Jesus, and make disciples in our generation.
I invite you to sign in and let us know you were here. We have a connect card in the pew in front of you. Please be sure to include your name, email, and address. You can place those cards in the offering plate when it comes around.
We have a great prayer team who stand ready to lift you up in prayer. If you have prayer request, you can leave those on the connect card as well.
We simply want to provide you with the information you need. We want to help you decide if this is a place you’d like to become a part of. So, for those of you new to Ephesus Baptist Church… welcome! I hope you will find the people sitting next to you are real, and really great. Thank you for visiting with us today!
Scripture Memory
Scripture Memory
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Opening Scripture
Opening Scripture
1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.
8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!
Introduction
Introduction
Christmas is over, or is it?
All the presents have been presented and received. The meals have been eaten and the festivities have, for the most part, come to an end for another year.
The fruitcake and deserts are all but gone. That pair of socks Grandma Hazel gave you that you will never wear will quickly find their way to the Enjoy Store, and will be just as quickly be forgotten.
The tree, along with the decorations and the lights will soon be packaged up and stored away and Christmas will be over for another year, or will it?
The truth is, Christmas really has nothing to do with the things I have just mentioned.
Christmas can be a 24 hour a day, 365 day per year event. Christmas can continue if we allow Jesus to be the central figure of our lives.
Today, I want to discuss with you the topic of How to Capture the Wonder of Christmas Everyday!
We are going to look at four ways to honor Christ’s birth everyday from Luke 2:21-40.
In this passage, the Lord Jesus has been born. God has stepped out of eternity and entered human history. God has become a man!
The Scripture takes us back to Jerusalem for an event that occurred 40 days after the very first Christmas.
Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Wonderful Word!
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
25 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.
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.
27 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,
28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed
35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
Prayer
The focus of today’s sermon is not to dig deeply into every verse of our passage, but rather to extract some core essentials of a life that will honor Christ’s coming everyday.
So let’s begin today with a quick summary of what is happening in our passage and then we will wrap up by looking at four core essentials found in our passage.
Luke begins in verse 21 by recounting the events that happened after the shepherds returned to their fields.
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Jesus was treated the same way any of His people would have been. He was born under the same law as they were, and so He was circumcised on the eight day of His incarnation in the same way any other Jewish boy would have been.
He was then given the name Gabriel had given to His parents. It is the name Jesus, which means Yahweh saves!
Later in the Book of Acts Luke refers to this name of salvation by saying,
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
In verses 22-24, Luke tells us about the faithfulness and commitment of the Holy Family. They were very careful to keep the Law in its full measure.
Six times in our passage, Luke refers to the Law of the Lord, or to the Word of God. Three of those references occur in verses 22-24.
Luke clearly believed that the OT is still in operation as an effective and sufficient guide for Christian behavior.
According to the Law of the Lord, the mother must go through a period of cleansing and purification.
Now we don’t practice this today, but this is what the Law required of those born under the Law.
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean.
3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
4 Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.
After 40 days are completed, we are allowed to go to the Lord’s house with the Holy family as they take Jesus to be presented and consecrated to the Lord, also according to the Law.
Also notice that the Holy Family is in this together. You will see that this time of purification was for the whole family.
The pronoun “their” gives a sense of family togetherness in which Mary’s need of purification is seen as a need for this “one flesh” unit (Gen 2:24).
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Jesus was to be presented and consecrated to the Lord God.
2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
Now this wasn’t a sacrifice, it was a dedication to service. Jesus was to be presented, consecrated, and set apart for service in God’s Kingdom.
Also, notice the humble estate of the Holy Family.
The Law required an offering at the presentation of Jesus, but the family was poor. So while a Lamb was the main offering required, in God’s mercy, another option was provided for those of humble means.
6 “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering,
7 and he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female.
8 And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”
Isn’t that just like our God, to show mercy to the weak!
The real irony is that the sacrifice Mary and Joseph were making was to consecrate the one who would one day provide the sacrifice that would atone for their sins and provide them with the salvation they desperately needed.
Next, the Holy Family meets a man named Simeon. Who is this Simeon? Luke clues us in on who Simeon is.
25 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.
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.
One thing Luke wants us to understand is that he is not a priest, he is just an average man who was righteous and holy, and indwelt by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Another thing about Simeon, was this revelation that he would not see death before he met the messiah!
Next we read of Simeon’s reaction when he saw Jesus.
27 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,
28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
The consolation of Israel for which he looked is another name for the coming of the Messiah. Simeon saw the Savior who would bring about Israel’s salvation.
And Mary and Joseph marveled at these things!
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.
There is matter for wonder that Simeon knew all these things‚ for what he says goes far beyond anything the shepherds said.
It lines up perfectly with the message Gabriel provided, and the fact that the miracle that God was revealing the person and nature of their son to other Israelites was no small feat.
Simeon next reveals that this whole story is not all sweet and nice. Salvation would be purchased at a hefty price.
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed
35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Jesus is going to be a stumbling block to many and they will trip over Him and fall into the judgment of God. But many will receive Him as their messianic sanctuary and will be saved from the wrath of God.
14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And poor, poor Mary. Your soul will be pierced through by a sword. This is a prediction of her pain at the crucifixion of her son.
Two Greek words are used to describe two different types of swords in Luke. One describes a short sword, used for personal defense.
The other speaks of a large sword used in combat. That is the sword Simeon speaks of here. Jesus’ suffering will not leave Mary unscathed.
Anna
Next, we meet Anna.
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Not much is really known of Anna. The tribe of Asher is one of the lost ten tribes of Isreal. Asher was the son of Jacob born by Zilpah.
Remember church, there had been no prophet in Israel for hundreds of years, so it is interesting that God raised up this prophetess at such a time as this.
In the years before, the Talmud had only recognized seven prophetesses (Leon Morris), so this was no ordinary distinction.
Anna was apparently 84 years old.
She was a long time widow who visited the temple courts regularly to worship and fast and pray.
While Mary and Joseph were soaking in what Simeon was telling them, Anna appeared giving thanks and began to speak of Jesus to all who would listen. To all who were waiting for redemption.
Finally, we read
39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
So how do we apply this passage? How do we capture the wonder of Christmas everyday of our lives?
Here are the Five core essentials of of the Christian life that we find in our passage that I promised you at the beginning. These five core essentials are things we should be committed to in our Christian walk.
I am not going to go into great detail now, as these will be the focus our our study for the next few weeks.
Five Core Essential Commitments of the Christian Life.
Five Core Essential Commitments of the Christian Life.
1.Commit to Conceal God’s Word.
1.Commit to Conceal God’s Word.
Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Simeon, and Anna all demonstrated a zealous commitment to knowing and keeping God’s Law, God’s word.
With the New Year upon us, we should all strive to know God’s word more fully.
Please commit to a daily reading plan, a scripture memory plan, get more involved in a bible study group, and come to Sunday Mornings eager to conceal more of God’s truth.
2.Commit to Celebrate God’s Son.
2.Commit to Celebrate God’s Son.
Everything about our passage this morning was about celebrating God’s Son. We should seek to celebrate Him every chance we get, both in private and in public.
3.Commit to Connect to God’s People.
3.Commit to Connect to God’s People.
Mary and Joseph could have neglected the blessing of the priest and stayed home. They could have avoided the charismatic greetings from Simeon and Anna, but they didn’t. They connected with God’s people often and at every level.
4.Commit to Communicate God’s Gospel.
4.Commit to Communicate God’s Gospel.
This is the greatest message ever communicated to humanity. Let’s be the ambassadors we have been called to be and proclaim the excellencies of God’s glory wide and far. Luke and Simeon didn’t hold it back, and neither should we.
5.Commit to Contribute to God’s Kingdom.
5.Commit to Contribute to God’s Kingdom.
Each of the participant’s in today’s passage contributed to God’s Kingdom in some way. They used their time, talent’s and treasures to further God’s Kingdom. What about you?
Hymn of Invitation,
Joy to the World, Hymn No. 87
Bibliography
Butler, Trent C. Luke. Vol. 3. Holman New Testament Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000.
Morris, Leon. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 3. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988.
Stein, Robert H. Luke. Vol. 24. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.