STUDY THEME: ONE SOLITARY LIFE: THE LIFE OF JESUS.  12-17-00
UNIT 2: "BORN TO SAVE-"RESPONSES TO JESUS."
Luke 2: 22-24, 25-33, 36-38.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO LUKE 2.

Only Luke gives us this beautiful story of the presentation of Jesus in
the Temple and the pronouncements about Him by Simeon and Anna. Today's
lesson addresses the Life Question "How should I respond to God's gift of
salvation in Jesus. 
The Bible Truth is that Jesus provides the salvation that God offers to
all people. Jesus said, "Whosoever will let him come." We trust this
lesson will help each of us give praise to God for His redemption in
Jesus. 

We read in last Sunday's lesson that these days in that little village of
Bethlehem marked the beginning of a life and work here on earth that
would so alter the course of history of mankind that we must now date
every event that has ever occurred on this earth either as BC before
Christ, or AD in the year of our Lord. He, born in that manger of
Bethlehem Inn will within a generation, by His death and resurrection;
begin to draw all men unto Him; a drawing that will continue until
history has ended.

We read of Caius Octavius, grand nephew, adopted son, and primary heir to
Julius Caesar. He ascended to undisputed supremacy in 31 BC by defeating
his last remaining rival, Anthony, in a military battle at Actiome. In 29
BC the Roman Senate declared Octavius Rome's first Emperor. Two years
later they honored him with the title "Augustus", exalted one-a term
signifying religious veneration.

Rome's republic government was effectively abolished, and Augustus was
given supreme military power. He reigned until his death at age 76  (AD
14,) There followed a period of great prosperity and peace (the Pax
Romana.) This is not so much historical back ground as the turning point
of history. Thus we can say with Paul in 2 Cor. 9:15 "Thanks be unto God
for His unspeakable gift." 

I learned that the supply of perfect and unblemished offerings were
always available. The Temple authorities had their own private sheep
flocks; and we know that their flocks were pastured near Bethlehem. Thus
it is most likely that these shepherds in last Sunday's lesson were in
charge of the flocks from which the Temple offerings were chosen. It is a
lovely thought that the shepherds who looked after the Temple lambs were
the first to see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  

The Biblical Setting of today's lesson is on the eighth day after Jesus
was born; he was circumcised according to the Law. Also in keeping with
the Law, after the period of Mary's purification (40 days after the birth
of a male child), Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple for the rite
of redeeming the firstborn. They paid the money required and made the
prescribed offering for Mary's purification. While they were in the
Temple, Joseph and Mary encounter two people who recognized Jesus'
significance as the Messiah. Both of the two people encountered
acknowledged that God had acted to give the promised Messiah. Their
example can suggest how people today are to respond to Jesus and the
salvation He offers. 

Many people struggle with making the right response to Jesus. Some reject
or ignore Him. Others claim to believe but act as if they don't. Many are
confused about how to be saved. Some of these affirm Jesus' impact on
history, but they are not sure that He is the only means of salvation. As
a result, they do not praise God for Him.  

The biblical worldview is that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of the
world whom all need to trust and follow. How people keep Christmas is one
evidence of their response, but more important is how they live each day.
Praise is a part of Christian lifestyle; not just on the Lord's Day in
church but every day.

We must remember that the people involved in the events about Jesus'
birth are important, but the central figure throughout is Jesus. In the
announcement of John the Baptists' birth, Zechariah and Elizabeth are
important, but the emphasis is on the One to whom John would point. In
the announcements of Jesus' birth, Mary and Joseph are portrayed, but
Jesus is central. On the night of Jesus' birth, the shepherds came and
saw Mary and Joseph, but they came to see the Savior. When the infant
Jesus was presented in the temple, we meet Simeon and Anna-two faithful
people-but they saw in the baby the Messiah. When the wise men came, they
came seeking Jesus. 

One of the significant characteristics in Luke 1-2 is the inclusion of
several songs or hymns. The text does not use the words song or hymn, but
these passages are certainly praises in poetic form. In this respect they
are like the song of Moses in Exodus 15: 1-19; Miriam's song in Exodus
15:20-21; and Hannah's song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Three passages in Luke
1-2 stand out. After Mary's meetings with Gabriel and Elizabeth, she
praised God in Luke 1:46-55. Mary's song is called the Magnificat, which
means "magnifies" and is the first word of her song in the Latin Vulgate.


Zechariah praised the Lord after his speech returned when John was born.
His song is in Luke 1: 68-79. It is called the Benedictus, which means
"blessed." And is the first word of his song in the Latin Vulgate.
Simeon's song in Luke 2:29-32 came after he held Jesus in the temple. The
so-called song of Simeon is called Nunc Dimittis, from its first two
words in the Latin Vulgate. Nunc means "now" and dimittis means "depart".
In Vs 19 the Greek word APOLUO has several meanings. It can mean, "to
dismiss" from a task, with the implied meaning of "let die." In Luke 2:29
it probably means to be released from a mission, possibly with an
implication of readiness to die after having completed the mission." 

As we begin our Scripture reading we find Mary and Joseph going to the
temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the O.T. commands about the purification
of a woman after childbirth and to dedicate Jesus to the Lord as their
firstborn son. 

1. PLEASE READ LUKE 2:22-24.

The emphasis in these verses is on the obedience of May and Joseph to the
law of God. The word law occurs in Vs. 22, 23, and 24. Their obedience to
the law is also mentioned in Vs. 27 and 39, the latter of which states
concerning Mary and Joseph; "they...performed all things according to the
law of the Lord.  Thus the verses about Simeon and Anna are bracketed by
these references to Mary and Joseph's obedience. This reinforces earlier
descriptions of them.  

Vs. 21 tells of the circumcision and naming of Jesus. This was done on
the eighth day after His birth. Mary and Joseph named Him Jesus, just as
the angel had commanded. Vs. 22-24 tell of two acts of obedience to the
law that came later: the purification of Mary and the presentation of
Jesus as the firstborn. 

The Law of Moses required that a woman be ceremonially cleansed after
childbirth. Leviticus 12 describes the specifics. A woman was unclean for
seven days after the birth of a male child. The boy baby was to be
circumcised on the eighth day. After that the mother continued to be
unclean for 33 days for a boy and 66 days for a girl. After that time a
burnt offering of a lamb and a sin offering of a dove or pigeon was made.
These offerings atoned for the mother and made her ceremonially clean. If
a lamb could not be bought, two doves or two pigeons were used for the
sacrifices. The removal of the uncleanness was critical because it
prevented a woman from participation in worship, an important 4element of
life in ancient Israel, and it alienated her from other members of Jewish
society. 

Thus the days of her purification according to law in Vs. 22 refers to
the 40 days (7 plus 33) in Lev. 12. They obeyed the law in Lev. 12:8 by
offering as a sacrifice-a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons
instead of a lamb and a dove or pigeon. This was one option for the
offering made at the end of the woman's period of ceremonial uncleanness.
One may conclude from this that they were poor enough though Joseph had a
trade as a carpenter. 

The other ceremony mentioned at the end of Vs. 22 was the dedication of
the firstborn son, which grew out of the deliverance of the firstborn of
Israel when the tenth plague fell on Egypt. The firstborn belonged to God
and had to be dedicated to Him. Vs. 23 is not a direct quotation of any
one O.T. verse but drawn from several. Every male that openeth the womb
shall be called holy or consecrated to the Lord. A part of this ceremony
was the redemption of the firstborn, according to Numbers 18: 15-16. Luke
did not mention this part of the ceremony but focused on the dedication.
As Mary and Joseph dedicated Jesus to the Lord, they must have been aware
that He-more than any other human firstborn son-belonged to God. 

Luke 2:21-24 reinforces a conclusion already reached by earlier actions
of Mary and Joseph. They were people of true faith and character. They
were not prominent by the world's standards; however, they were people of
stature by God's standards. God chose Mary and Joseph and committed to
them the care of Jesus during His growing-up years.  

Like Mary and Joseph, each of us should be as committed to obeying God's
law in all areas of our lives. As believing parents we should dedicate
ourselves and each of our children to the Lord. 

In these next verses Simeon, a righteous and devout man, had been
promised that he would see the Messiah before he died. When he saw Jesus,
he declared that promise was fulfilled and praised God for his salvation
for both Jews and Gentiles. Simeon was ready to be dismissed from his
vigil. " In the excellent book by Fulton Oursler "The Greatest Story Ever
Told" Simeon dies immediately after greeting the Christ child."

2. PLEASE READ LUKE 2: 25-33. 

Simeon often is pictured as an old man, and some have assumed he was a
priest. H may have been old, and he may have been a priest, however,
"what is revealed about Simeon is neither his vocation nor his age, but
his spiritual condition." He was just or righteous and devout. Just as
the same word used to describe Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Joseph. Devout
means to take one's religious duties seriously-thus to be reverent and
pious in the best sense of the word. In addition, Simeon was waiting for
or expecting the consolation of Israel. Waiting may not be strong enough
to indicate the element of hope in the NT., use of the word. "Looking
forward to" captures both the waiting and the hope. Consolation can be
translated "encouragement," "exhortation," or "comfort." Here it refers
to the time of consolation when the Messiah comes to comfort Israel.  

Throughout the birth narratives are many references to the Holy Spirit.
He is mentioned three times in the few verses about Simeon-the Spirit was
upon him...it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost...he came by the
Spirit into the temple.  The Holy Spirit thus was with Simeon, revealed
truth to him, and guided him at each step.  

What the Spirit had revealed unto him was that he should not see death,
before he had seen the Lord's Christ, The Messiah. Then on a particular
day, the Spirit led Simeon into the temple...when the parents brought in
the child Jesus. The Spirit caused Simeon to come into the temple at just
the right moment to encounter Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Since Mary was
there, it was either in the court of the Gentiles or in the court of the
women. They had brought Jesus to dedicate Him to the Lord. 


Mary and Joseph are referred to here as the parents. This must be
understood in light of earlier emphasis on the virgin birth of Jesus.
Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, but he was the man whom
God selected to act as Jesus' father on earth. Thus Luke sometimes used
the human way of describing Mary and Joseph and avoided awkward
circumlocutions for His "parents."

In Vs. 28 Simeon recognized the baby as the Promised One: then took he
him up in his arms, and blessed God. The words of praise in Vs. 29-32
often are called Simeon's song. In form it is like the song of Mary in
Luke 1: 46-55, and the song of Zechariah in Luke 2:67-79. In Vs. 29 "Now
lettest thou thy servant depart, means to "dismiss" or "let go." Perhaps
Simeon was saying, "Now let me die." Most bible students understand this
passage that way and thus find in it the basis on which Simeon is thought
to have been an old man. On the other hand, "to dismiss" can be used in
the sense of "to discharge,' as from faithful vigil or service. In either
case, Simeon was declaring that the Lord had kept His promise that Simeon
would live to see the Messiah. He had been waiting, and now his hope was
fulfilled. Peace refers to the comfort of knowing he Messiah had come.
According to thy word refers to the earlier promise of God in Vs. 26. 

When Simeon looked at the baby Jesus, he saw God's salvation in this
Savior and declared, For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. The salvation
was prepared before the face of all people. God's messiah would be alight
to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of God's people Israel. The angel
had announced to the shepherds the "good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people. Now Simeon reinforced that emphasis on salvation
for all people-Jews and Gentiles.

Although Joseph and Mary knew intimate things about the uniqueness of
Jesus, they marveled at those things which were spoken by Simeon. Why did
they marvel? Perhaps it was the amazement that God already had shown
others the uniqueness of Jesus. Perhaps it was the enlarged view that
they were presented of Jesus' universal mission. Simeon then told Mary
something about the mission of Jesus that probably was also a new
revelation to her. Jesus would face opposition and rejection, and Mary's
own soul would be pierced as with a sword. This is one of the first
revelations in the Gospel of Luke that Jesus would fulfill His mission
through suffering and death. It reminds us at Christmas that Jesus is not
merely a baby in a manger but the crucified risen Lord. It also reminds
us that he came for all people. We can celebrate His birth by committing
ourselves to be obedient to His Great Commission. Are we praying for and
supporting world missions this Christmas season?   

Some key words reflect Simeon's experience as a model for others :
reveal, recognize, receive, redeem, rejoice. When God's Spirit revealed
to Simeon that the baby in Mary's arms was the promised Messiah, Simeon
recognized Him as such. Having received Him as his Savior, Simeon was
redeemed by the One in whom he trusted. Simeon then rejoiced in Him. God
reveals Christ as the Savior to people today. Some fail to recognize Him
as such. Others recognize Him but reject Him as their Lord and Savior.
Still others do a Simeon did: they recognize Him, receive Him, are
redeemed by Him, and rejoice in Him. John summed it up in his Gospel. In
John 1:11-12 "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as
many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on His name."

Another lesson from Simeon is that we should finish whatever God has
called us to do and trust the Lord to continue His purpose after we have
gone to be with Him. Simeon was not praying to die; he was saying that he
had lived to do what the Lord had promised he would do---see and praise
the Messiah. Paul, as he wrote in Phil. 1:20-26, is a good example of one
who was ready to die to be with the Lord or to remain here to serve the
Lord. When he knew death was near, he was able to say in 2 Tim. 4:7 "I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith."

3. PLEASE READ LUKE 2: 36-38.

In Vs. 36 Luke introduced another person who was in the temple at the
same time and who also recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Anna was a
prophetess. Several prophetesses are mentioned in the O.T. and a few in
the N.T. Anna was one through whom the Lord spoke.

She was of great age. She had lived with her husband seven years before
she became a widow, The wording, she was a widow of about fourscore and
four years is such that we cannot be sure whether this means she was 84
years old or that she had lived 84 more years after becoming a widow. In
either case, she was very old.

Her great age was matched by her great devotion. She departed not from
the temple. This may be a way of saying, as we sometimes do, that "she
was there every time the doors were opened." Or it may mean that she
literally was living somewhere in the vast temple complex. At any rate,
she was always there. She served God with fastings and prayers night and
day. Anna was a woman of deep dedication to God. She spent her time
fasting and praying. In light of Vs. 38 and the context of the passage,
her prayers must have focused on the coming Messiah. As Simeon, she had
been waiting for and praying for the Messiah's coming.

Coming in at that instant shows that the Lord led her to where Simeon was
holding Jesus. She arrived at just the right time. She gave thanks
likewise means that she raised her voice in thanksgiving as Simeon had
done. She too recognized in Jesus the promised Messiah. Not only did she
thank God, but she spake to all them that                                
   looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

There was a group of faithful believers of whom Simeon and Anna were two
representatives. These people were simple but devout believers who were
praying for and expecting the coming of the Messiah. Anna kept speaking
of Him. She did this not only when Simeon, Mary, and Joseph were there,
but she also continued to tell others who looked for redemption in
Jerusalem. 

Thus Simeon and Anna join the other genuinely faithful people closely
connected with the events of Jesus birth. Like Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary
and Joseph, they were righteous and devout people. Most of the others had
responded to a divine revelation through angels, but Simeon and Anna had
no other sign than the revelation of the Spirit that the baby was the
Messiah. 
They exemplify the right kind of responses to Jesus. These responses are
appropriate not only at Christmas but all the time; (1.) They recognize
Jesus as the Savior. (2.) They professed their faith to others. (3.) They
praised and thanked God for Jesus. (4.) They continued to tell others of
Him. 

The theme of praise and joy runs throughout Luke 1-2. Christmas is an
opportunity for praise and rejoicing and it should set the tone for every
day. I remember in a S.S. lesson several years ago Dr. Hobbs said that
the shepherds were the first to hear a Christmas sermon and a Christmas
carol. Someone wrote to inform him that the text of Luke 2:13 refers to
"the heavenly host praising God and saying", not "singing." The letter
writer was right about what it says, but Dr. Hobbs had a hard time
believing that the heavenly choir did only a choral reading. Such joy and
wonder surely must have taken the expression of singing. Praise and
singing go together. Think about the familiar Christmas carols and hymns.
The note of joyful praise found in them. 
In our church we sing them at other times if the year. Thus we express
our joy and thanksgiving to God for the salvation in Christ Jesus. 
Joy to the world! The Lord is come. Let earth receive her King:
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room.
And heav'n and nature sing, and heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing."
Next Sunday in Matt.2 we are taught to worship Jesus by offering Him our
best.                                                                    
 A. V. Daugherty       12-24-00