He Had Seen the Lord Christ

Luke 2:22-40

1st Sunday after Christmas

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen.  The sermon text for the 1st Sunday after Christmas is the Gospel reading Luke 2. “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel”.  The words that I just read are known as the Song of Simeon. We are familiar with them because we sing them after we receive the Lord’s Supper in the Divine Service. They were originally spoken by Simeon after he had seen the Lord Jesus.  Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple forty days after His birth according to the Law of Moses.  Simeon and Anna were there at the temple that day in order to see Jesus. They knew that Jesus had come into world to save it.  They knew that Jesus had come into the world to save them. 

Both Simeon and Anna were there at the temple to see Jesus.  They knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  In our Old Testament reading from Exodus we hear God’s command to the children of Israel to consecrate the first born. They were to do an animal sacrifice in order to redeem the first born.  God commanded them to do this so that they would remember how the Lord delivered them from their slavery in Egypt.  They were to remember how God spared the first born male in every Hebrew family by the shed blood of a lamb.  They were to remember how God had freed them from slavery.  But the command to consecrate the first born was also given to point people to the coming Savior.  Jesus, the first born son of Mary, would come into the world to redeem us all.  He is the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the people.

The Old Testament sacrifices were pointing to Jesus and they were fulfilled in Jesus.  The whole Old Testament was pointing to the Lord.  When the prophets spoke about comfort it was comfort that would be given through Jesus.  When they spoke about forgiveness it was forgiveness that would be given by Jesus. When they spoke about God’s eternal kingdom it was a kingdom that would be ushered in by Jesus Christ, the Lord. Simeon and Anna knew this.  It was revealed to them by the Holy Spirit.  And so they were there at the temple to see Jesus.

To see Jesus was the most important thing in their lives.  It was more important than money.  It was more important than status.  It was more important than anything in this life. They were not distracted by the busy streets of Jerusalem.  They were not awed by the power of the Roman Empire.  They did not fear for their future.  They pushed all the distractions in life away and they went to the temple. They went to the temple to see Jesus because they knew that He would reveal the glory of God.  They knew that He had come to make them right with God. They knew that He had come to bring them into the full presences of God for all eternity.  Simeon and Anna were there at the temple to see Jesus and so they did.

Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and held him.  Anna also saw Jesus and might have held him as well.  Their Savior had come.  And when they departed they were filled with joy.  They were given peace.  Recall what Simeon said after he had seen Jesus.  “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel”. 

Simeon and Anna were truly blessed because they saw the Lord.  Don’t you think it would have been great to be there with them?  But as I say that we must remember something very important.  We are all able to see the Lord.  Simeon and Anna were moved by the Holy Spirit to be there at the temple to see Jesus.  It is the same with us in the sense that we have all been moved by the Holy Spirit to come to God’s house in order to see Jesus.  Yes, we are here to see the Lord.  And we do see Him through the eyes of faith.  To see Jesus through the eyes of faith does not make it any less real.  We often talk about the Lord coming to us in Word and Sacrament.  But let us take some time to really think about that.  Jesus is coming to us in a very real way through God’s Word, Baptism, and Holy Communion.  When you hear or read God’s Word it is indeed the Lord speaking to you.  When you remember your baptism it is the Lord reminding you that you are a part of His eternal family.  When you partake in Holy Communion you are indeed receiving Jesus. The Lord is coming to you in a very special way through those means to forgive your sins and to strengthen your faith. 

We have been moved by the Holy Spirit to be here in God’s house so that we can see and hear Jesus.  We come here to receive his gifts of love, joy, peace, hope and grace.  We come to be guided by Him.  We are here to give Him thanks.  We realize that spending time with the Lord is more important than money.  It is more important than status.  It is more important than anything in this life.  And so as Christians we push all of the distractions away.  We are not so impressed by the commercial side of Christmas. We know that there is more to life then running around being busy.  We know that when it is a choice between activities on Sunday morning or going to church, we are going to church.  We have come here to see Jesus.

But what if we forget?  What if we start to love money and status and the things of this life more than God? What if we do get caught up in the distractions of life?  It is all the more reason to come to God’s house to see and to hear Jesus.  We come because we have done all of those things. We come because we are sinners. We come to God’s house to see Jesus, for it is the Lord who will call us to repentance, and it is the Lord who will forgive us. 

Remember what Simeon said to Mary in our Gospel reading.  “Behold this child (Jesus) is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed”.  What Simeon was talking about was the death of Jesus on the cross.  He was saying that the baby had come into the world to redeem sinful people.   

We know that the words of Simeon came to pass.  The Lord did indeed suffer and die on the cross.  He did so to reveal the glory of God.  He went to the cross to make us right with God.  He died and rose again from the dead to bring us into the full presence of our Heavenly Father for all eternity.  He came for us all.  He came for you.  We now look forward to that day when Jesus will visibly return to bring us to heaven. We look forward to that time when we will be able to see Jesus with our own eyes.

Until that time comes we look to Jesus through the eyes of faith.  That is why we come to God’s house.  We are here to see Jesus.  It is true we do like to see family and friends when we come to church. We enjoy hearing the music.  It is a blessing to have fellowship with each other. They are all important things to be sure.  But the main reason that God’s people gather together is to see and hear the Lord.  We are here to receive His gifts.  We are here to give Him thanks.  And so the Lord comes to you this day in a very special way to speak to you.  He comes to you and revels your sins.  He comes to you to and says repent.  He comes to you and says that you are forgiven.  He comes to you to give you peace and to strengthen your faith.  It is good that we are all here today in God’s house to see and to hear Jesus.  Amen.