1 00:00:06,450 --> 00:00:09,740 Definitely, Father, we just thank you for our brother Sam 2 00:00:09,750 --> 00:00:11,300 and the word that he brings the message. 3 00:00:11,310 --> 00:00:13,980 We thank you for your word, God, we just pray that you'll speak 4 00:00:13,990 --> 00:00:17,160 powerfully through Sam. And we also thank you for the 5 00:00:17,170 --> 00:00:19,180 volunteers and their helpers and the kids ministries. 6 00:00:19,190 --> 00:00:21,520 Lord, thank you for them and their hearts. 7 00:00:21,530 --> 00:00:23,960 We pray for the kids that you would just continue to guide 8 00:00:23,970 --> 00:00:25,640 them in your way in in your word. 9 00:00:25,730 --> 00:00:30,040 We pray this in your name, Amen. Good morning. 10 00:00:30,130 --> 00:00:34,110 It is so great to be with you all this morning. 11 00:00:34,370 --> 00:00:37,560 Would you turn with me please in your Bibles to Luke chapter 2? 12 00:00:38,110 --> 00:00:41,500 Luke chapter 2 is going to be our passage today from verse 21 13 00:00:41,510 --> 00:00:44,050 to verse 40. And just while you're turning 14 00:00:44,060 --> 00:00:48,120 there, I just want to say it is it is such a joy to be with you 15 00:00:48,130 --> 00:00:51,940 all this morning. I think it's been over a decade 16 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,930 since I would have been a member of this church, but we've been 17 00:00:55,940 --> 00:00:58,390 following in, in Christchurch where I live with my wife and 18 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:00,530 we, we serve at Redemption Church there. 19 00:01:00,540 --> 00:01:04,349 And we at Redemption Church are so, so blessed to call you 20 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,910 brothers and sisters. And we've been encouraged to see 21 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,730 what the Lord is doing here in this church. 22 00:01:09,780 --> 00:01:13,100 We, we have been following with great joy as we, we see 23 00:01:13,110 --> 00:01:17,430 different things going on and, and friends, old friends, new 24 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,540 friends, some of whom we saw yesterday at the wedding. 25 00:01:20,550 --> 00:01:23,170 And it's just so wonderful to see your faces and people have 26 00:01:23,180 --> 00:01:25,660 never met as well. The Lord is doing great things. 27 00:01:25,670 --> 00:01:29,930 He is so faithful and we're just so, so glad to be with you this 28 00:01:29,940 --> 00:01:32,030 morning. And we welcome you as well to 29 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:33,660 Redemption Church in Christchurch. 30 00:01:33,670 --> 00:01:36,190 If you're ever in the South Island, we welcome you with all 31 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,770 the warmth that the South Island can bring. 32 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,790 We're just, we're grateful to be fellowshipping with you this 33 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,850 morning. Let's read God's word. 34 00:01:43,860 --> 00:01:46,750 We're in Luke chapter 2. This is the passage I've been 35 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,110 assigned, Luke chapter 2, verse 21 through 40. 36 00:01:50,810 --> 00:01:54,260 It's a longish passage. We'll read it together and I'll 37 00:01:54,270 --> 00:01:57,270 pray briefly and we'll dive in. So if you're there in your 38 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:01,580 Bibles, this is from the ESV, this is God's Word. 39 00:02:02,430 --> 00:02:07,250 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was 40 00:02:07,260 --> 00:02:11,450 called Jesus, the name given by the Angel before he was 41 00:02:11,460 --> 00:02:14,980 conceived in the womb. And when the time came for their 42 00:02:14,990 --> 00:02:18,310 purification, according to the law of Moses, they brought him 43 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,220 up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 44 00:02:21,690 --> 00:02:25,350 As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male who first 45 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:30,390 opens the womb shall be called wholly to the Lord, and to offer 46 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,980 a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a 47 00:02:34,990 --> 00:02:38,090 pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons. 48 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:43,120 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this 49 00:02:43,130 --> 00:02:46,860 man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of 50 00:02:46,870 --> 00:02:49,690 Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 51 00:02:50,850 --> 00:02:53,980 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would 52 00:02:53,990 --> 00:02:56,980 not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 53 00:02:58,410 --> 00:03:00,240 And he came in the Spirit into the temple. 54 00:03:00,860 --> 00:03:04,870 And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him 55 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,610 according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms 56 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:14,380 and blessed God and said, Lord, now you are leading your 57 00:03:14,390 --> 00:03:17,650 servant, depart in peace according to your word. 58 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:22,100 For my eyes have seen your salvation, that you have 59 00:03:22,110 --> 00:03:26,570 prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation 60 00:03:26,580 --> 00:03:29,080 to the Gentiles and for glory to your people. 61 00:03:29,090 --> 00:03:33,240 Israel and his father and his mother marvelled at what was 62 00:03:33,250 --> 00:03:37,710 said about him, and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary 63 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,620 his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and 64 00:03:41,630 --> 00:03:45,520 rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed. 65 00:03:45,770 --> 00:03:49,700 And the sword will Pierce through your own soul also, so 66 00:03:49,710 --> 00:03:51,880 that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. 67 00:03:53,510 --> 00:03:57,080 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Fanuel of 68 00:03:57,090 --> 00:04:00,210 the tribe of Esher. She was advanced in years, 69 00:04:00,220 --> 00:04:02,580 having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a 70 00:04:02,590 --> 00:04:05,600 virgin, and then as a widow until she was 84. 71 00:04:05,930 --> 00:04:08,920 She did not depart from the Temple, worshipping with fasting 72 00:04:08,930 --> 00:04:12,560 and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour, 73 00:04:12,570 --> 00:04:16,470 she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who 74 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,480 were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 75 00:04:20,860 --> 00:04:23,050 And when they had performed everything according to the law 76 00:04:23,060 --> 00:04:26,710 of the Lord, they returned into Galilee to their own town of 77 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,330 Nazareth. And the child grew and became 78 00:04:29,340 --> 00:04:35,090 strong, filled with wisdom in the favour of God was upon him. 79 00:04:37,690 --> 00:04:40,180 Father, may your favour be upon us this morning. 80 00:04:40,190 --> 00:04:44,830 And would you fill us with wisdom to understand the message 81 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:48,750 of this desperately needed text of your precious You're 82 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,520 inspired, your infallible, you're sufficient, You're 83 00:04:51,530 --> 00:04:56,760 authoritative word. And may each of us be obedient 84 00:04:56,770 --> 00:04:59,140 to this word. And may Christ be formed in us. 85 00:04:59,150 --> 00:05:04,940 We pray in His name, Amen. Well, there's a lot in the 86 00:05:04,950 --> 00:05:08,720 account that we just read, but there's two constant recurring 87 00:05:08,770 --> 00:05:12,180 themes and they happen to be two of my favourite themes in the 88 00:05:12,190 --> 00:05:15,160 entire Bible. So I'm very, very happy to have 89 00:05:15,170 --> 00:05:18,040 been assigned this passage this morning. 90 00:05:18,130 --> 00:05:20,100 As we work through this together, we're going to be 91 00:05:20,110 --> 00:05:24,100 seeing 2 main themes, faithfulness and fulfilment. 92 00:05:24,590 --> 00:05:29,280 Faithfulness and fulfilment and these are so relevant for our 93 00:05:29,290 --> 00:05:30,950 day-to-day lives. Now let me explain. 94 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:35,690 So weeks before we left Christchurch to fly here to see 95 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:39,870 all of you, our children, our three children were very excited 96 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:44,040 about getting on the plane, about coming to see Grandma and 97 00:05:44,050 --> 00:05:50,970 Granddad and the rest of course. And their eager expectation was 98 00:05:50,980 --> 00:05:54,670 fulfilled when we went to the airport and we got on that plane 99 00:05:54,740 --> 00:05:56,380 and in New Zealand didn't let us down. 100 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,650 All of their little hopes and dreams, they were fulfilled, but 101 00:06:02,660 --> 00:06:07,170 you can imagine the devastation if they hadn't been. 102 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,330 If they're after all our promises and after all of the 103 00:06:10,340 --> 00:06:13,840 conversations about Grandma and granddad, we never got on that 104 00:06:13,850 --> 00:06:16,710 plane. And I think it's, it's not just 105 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,940 that there would have been no fulfilment of their 106 00:06:18,950 --> 00:06:22,920 expectations. I think that the deeper pain in 107 00:06:22,930 --> 00:06:25,960 the children's heart would have been from realising that their 108 00:06:25,970 --> 00:06:30,690 parents were not faithful. The parents were not faithful to 109 00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:34,460 keep their promises. Their their father's word could 110 00:06:34,470 --> 00:06:41,730 not be trusted for some reason. Dad was either incapable or or 111 00:06:41,740 --> 00:06:43,430 he he didn't see something coming. 112 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,190 He wasn't wise enough, or he wasn't strong enough, or he just 113 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,890 wasn't good enough. Maybe he just didn't want to 114 00:06:49,900 --> 00:06:53,840 keep his word. So you see how faithfulness and 115 00:06:53,850 --> 00:07:01,180 fulfilment are intertwined and a trillion times more serious than 116 00:07:01,190 --> 00:07:06,900 our little trip to the North Island is God's promises and 117 00:07:06,910 --> 00:07:10,680 God's faithfulness and the fulfilment of all that God's 118 00:07:10,690 --> 00:07:15,060 children have been eagerly waiting for and and longing for 119 00:07:15,070 --> 00:07:18,640 over the centuries. For thousands of years God has 120 00:07:18,650 --> 00:07:23,050 made promises to us people. God made a promise as early as 121 00:07:23,060 --> 00:07:26,110 Genesis chapter 3 in the Garden of Eden. 122 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:31,530 God said that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the 123 00:07:31,540 --> 00:07:36,140 serpent. And then as clearly as Isaiah 124 00:07:36,150 --> 00:07:40,660 53, we were told that the Servant of the Lord would be 125 00:07:40,670 --> 00:07:46,650 pierced for our transgressions. And so all through the sad myth 126 00:07:46,660 --> 00:07:51,580 that as human history, the only hope that God's people have had 127 00:07:52,350 --> 00:07:57,320 is that God would remain faithful and that his promise 128 00:07:57,470 --> 00:08:00,680 about the Messiah will be fulfilled. 129 00:08:02,170 --> 00:08:05,420 And if not, there's no hope. There's not. 130 00:08:05,430 --> 00:08:10,500 There's only sin and suffering and death and judgement. 131 00:08:12,250 --> 00:08:15,420 So now passage this morning, Luke weaves together these 132 00:08:15,630 --> 00:08:19,800 precious themes of faithfulness and fulfilment, and we see them 133 00:08:19,810 --> 00:08:23,180 playing out in the lives of of three sets of people. 134 00:08:23,250 --> 00:08:26,680 And first of all, we'll see it in the lives of Joseph and Mary, 135 00:08:26,690 --> 00:08:30,820 the parents, and then secondly in the life of Simeon, the 136 00:08:30,830 --> 00:08:34,370 Prophet, and finally in the life of Anna, the profiteers. 137 00:08:34,380 --> 00:08:37,280 So through the parents and the Prophet and the profiteers, we 138 00:08:37,289 --> 00:08:40,130 will see faithfulness and fulfilment. 139 00:08:40,900 --> 00:08:42,549 O, let's dive in. Let's look at the appearance. 140 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:45,590 And again in verse 21, at the end of eight days, we're told 141 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,400 when he was circumcised he was called Jesus, the name given by 142 00:08:49,410 --> 00:08:51,640 the Angel before he was conceived in the womb. 143 00:08:51,700 --> 00:08:54,440 And when the time came for the purification, according to the 144 00:08:54,450 --> 00:08:58,030 law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him 145 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,970 to the Lord. So what we see here is that 146 00:09:00,980 --> 00:09:04,940 Jesus had all the right things done at all the right times. 147 00:09:06,030 --> 00:09:08,400 His parents, they had him circumcised. 148 00:09:08,850 --> 00:09:11,040 Then they presented him at the temple. 149 00:09:11,130 --> 00:09:16,210 They presented the Lord to the Lord, and verse 24 says they 150 00:09:16,220 --> 00:09:18,730 offered a sacrifice. Now why? 151 00:09:20,370 --> 00:09:29,530 Why would the Lord of Glory need to go through the indignity of 152 00:09:29,590 --> 00:09:32,730 circumcision and the inconvenience of all these 153 00:09:32,740 --> 00:09:35,240 temple rituals? And why would he need a 154 00:09:35,250 --> 00:09:38,880 sacrifice offered and all these all these things that he was the 155 00:09:38,890 --> 00:09:46,220 author of? It wasn't just practical, it was 156 00:09:46,230 --> 00:09:50,330 essential. It was essential to his very 157 00:09:50,340 --> 00:09:57,670 mission as the Son of Man. He had to fulfil all 158 00:09:57,860 --> 00:10:02,870 righteousness. This is the holy One of Israel. 159 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,930 He is righteous. He is absolutely perfectly 160 00:10:06,940 --> 00:10:10,270 righteous, but He still had to go through these things to 161 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:15,930 fulfil all righteousness so that He would be the perfect 162 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:21,220 substitute for sinners. Because the name given by the 163 00:10:21,230 --> 00:10:25,670 Angel Jesus means the Lord saves. 164 00:10:26,470 --> 00:10:31,190 And to save us, He not only had to be perfectly righteous within 165 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,550 himself, as He always was and always will be, but He had to 166 00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:40,770 actively obey on behalf of His people all of the legal 167 00:10:40,780 --> 00:10:46,330 requirements that they were enslaved to so that having 168 00:10:46,380 --> 00:10:51,570 fulfilled the law, He could free His people entirely as their 169 00:10:51,630 --> 00:10:55,400 substitute, as the spotless Lamb of God. 170 00:10:56,700 --> 00:10:59,050 And there's there's so much about Jesus life that we don't 171 00:10:59,060 --> 00:11:00,850 know, right? Like we've been seeing in these 172 00:11:00,860 --> 00:11:03,830 last you've been seeing, I assume in these last chapter and 173 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:07,230 a half of Luke, some of the few details that we have of Jesus 174 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:09,670 early life. And then there's a gap. 175 00:11:09,780 --> 00:11:14,040 We see nothing for 30 years almost until his ministry and 176 00:11:14,050 --> 00:11:16,540 his death. And what was the point of those 177 00:11:16,620 --> 00:11:20,520 30 odd years before he went and died on the cross? 178 00:11:21,570 --> 00:11:26,030 Well, he spent those years living in total perfect 179 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:31,530 obedience to the law of God so that when he suffered in the 180 00:11:31,540 --> 00:11:37,030 place of his people, he would be an acceptable sacrifice, having 181 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:41,720 fulfilled all righteousness, having been faithful to every 182 00:11:41,730 --> 00:11:44,280 detail of the law we couldn't keep. 183 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,690 I really think Luke wants us to get this because he says, you 184 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:53,750 know, verse 22, the law, verse 23, the law, verse 24 the law, 185 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:58,570 verse 27, the law, verse 39, the law. 186 00:11:59,100 --> 00:12:04,010 You get the point. Each time the law was faithfully 187 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:08,370 fulfilled by Jesus and every last detail. 188 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,290 So Luke is taking us by the shoulders and he's shaking us 189 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,010 and he's saying this is the saviour of the world. 190 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,370 He fulfilled every letter of the law that we could never keep, 191 00:12:22,020 --> 00:12:25,590 and he said it himself. And Matthew 517 Jesus said, do 192 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,110 not think I've come to abolish the law and the prophets. 193 00:12:28,300 --> 00:12:32,230 I've not come to abolish them, but to fulfil them. 194 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:39,300 And even as a baby, he was faithfully fulfilling his own 195 00:12:39,610 --> 00:12:43,400 law. And council is perfect, right? 196 00:12:43,410 --> 00:12:46,970 It reminds us that we're not that reminds us that we'll never 197 00:12:46,980 --> 00:12:52,580 measure up. We wouldn't never deserve mercy 198 00:12:52,650 --> 00:13:00,780 and grace from the Holy One. We're sinners, but there's hope 199 00:13:02,610 --> 00:13:06,660 because he was called Jesus, which means the Lord saves. 200 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:12,210 I know we're just getting started, but before you go any 201 00:13:12,220 --> 00:13:18,050 further, you need to face this. The Lord saves. 202 00:13:19,020 --> 00:13:23,830 Are you saved? Saved from what? 203 00:13:24,020 --> 00:13:28,230 Well, the penalty of sin, of disobedience to God's law. 204 00:13:28,620 --> 00:13:33,170 We have all broken His law, and He is too good of a judge to let 205 00:13:33,180 --> 00:13:35,660 anyone off the hook. That is not how it works, 206 00:13:36,390 --> 00:13:39,420 sinners. Serious sin has to be punished, 207 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,370 otherwise Jesus would never have had to die. 208 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,010 But he didn't die for his own sin, right? 209 00:13:47,020 --> 00:13:49,350 He had fulfilled all righteousness, so he died as a 210 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,760 substitute. He died in the place of sinners. 211 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,540 We are not good enough, my friends. 212 00:13:55,200 --> 00:14:00,260 You are not good enough and you will never be good enough, no 213 00:14:00,270 --> 00:14:03,240 matter how hard we try. We don't deserve to be saved. 214 00:14:03,250 --> 00:14:07,270 We are a fallen race, but Jesus Christ is good enough. 215 00:14:08,140 --> 00:14:10,490 He's good enough. He's acceptable to the Father 216 00:14:11,500 --> 00:14:13,650 and all you need to do is believe in Him. 217 00:14:13,700 --> 00:14:17,430 By faith, we're just saying it. Admit you're not good enough and 218 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:22,190 receive His free gift of righteousness and forgiveness. 219 00:14:23,770 --> 00:14:27,200 Now see the faithfulness of God. See how His word is fulfilled. 220 00:14:27,210 --> 00:14:30,480 He was called Jesus, right? The name given by the Angel 221 00:14:30,550 --> 00:14:34,570 before he was even conceived. Everything the Lord says is 222 00:14:34,580 --> 00:14:37,590 true. Everything he said, there would 223 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,750 be a virgin birth and there was. Jesus said he would rise from 224 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:46,500 the dead, and he did. Jesus said that he offers 225 00:14:46,510 --> 00:14:50,330 forgiveness of sins, and he does. 226 00:14:52,610 --> 00:14:55,950 He said he would return and he will. 227 00:14:58,380 --> 00:15:01,380 Are you ready? Are you ready for that? 228 00:15:04,210 --> 00:15:07,470 And how can anyone really be ready to see the King and all 229 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:15,690 his glory turn away from your sin and trust completely in this 230 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:21,480 perfect Saviour? I want to draw your attention to 231 00:15:21,490 --> 00:15:24,520 the faithfulness of his parents again, faithfulness and 232 00:15:24,530 --> 00:15:26,010 fulfilment. Their, their hand in hand, 233 00:15:26,020 --> 00:15:28,140 they're woven together all through this passage. 234 00:15:28,210 --> 00:15:31,980 Notice how God used the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph 235 00:15:32,030 --> 00:15:33,940 to fulfil everything concerning Jesus. 236 00:15:34,230 --> 00:15:37,100 We learn a lot about Mary and Joseph here. 237 00:15:37,110 --> 00:15:39,520 They were super diligent, weren't they, to do everything 238 00:15:39,530 --> 00:15:41,420 right. They do everything correctly in 239 00:15:41,430 --> 00:15:44,080 line with the Old Testament and what the Angel told them to. 240 00:15:44,090 --> 00:15:46,440 They knew the word of God. They were faithful to it. 241 00:15:46,850 --> 00:15:48,700 But that's not all that we learn about them here. 242 00:15:50,290 --> 00:15:55,500 They were poor. Verse 23 As it is written in the 243 00:15:55,510 --> 00:15:59,090 law of the Lord, every male who first opens the worm shall be 244 00:15:59,100 --> 00:16:03,000 called holy for the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to 245 00:16:03,010 --> 00:16:04,270 what I said in the law of the Lord. 246 00:16:04,580 --> 00:16:07,670 A pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. 247 00:16:07,790 --> 00:16:12,480 Now, who cares about turtle doves and pigeons? 248 00:16:13,970 --> 00:16:16,300 Well, would you just come with me in your mind's eye, just for 249 00:16:16,310 --> 00:16:19,900 just for a moment, and just be there in the temple as this is 250 00:16:19,910 --> 00:16:21,330 happening? You've got a young couple. 251 00:16:22,830 --> 00:16:27,700 They're exhausted, no doubt. They're dusty and they're sweaty 252 00:16:27,710 --> 00:16:31,760 and they're weary, these new parents, and they're heavy with 253 00:16:32,150 --> 00:16:36,160 responsibility and fatigue that they've probably never felt 254 00:16:36,170 --> 00:16:39,940 before in their lives. And there's this busy crowd. 255 00:16:39,950 --> 00:16:43,340 There's thousands of other worshippers and other young 256 00:16:43,350 --> 00:16:45,910 babies being dedicated as well-being consecrated to the 257 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:47,780 Lord. Jesus is not the only one there. 258 00:16:48,190 --> 00:16:50,520 Then you can see there's Pharisees all decked out in 259 00:16:50,530 --> 00:16:53,800 their robes and there's priests doing their doing their bloody 260 00:16:53,810 --> 00:16:57,770 work and slaughtering animals and there's animals dying and 261 00:16:57,890 --> 00:17:00,080 and crying out. There's Roman soldiers keeping 262 00:17:00,090 --> 00:17:01,630 watch. You've got babies screaming, 263 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,599 you've got merchants haggling. There's all the smells of sweat 264 00:17:04,609 --> 00:17:10,109 and blood, and in the middle of there is a man called Joseph, 265 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:16,380 and in his arms as a sacrifice that is not a lamb, which 266 00:17:16,430 --> 00:17:21,650 everybody knew was the standard offering, and Joseph's arms is a 267 00:17:21,660 --> 00:17:25,000 pair of birds. This is the poor man's 268 00:17:25,010 --> 00:17:30,060 alternative. So this couple faithful to the 269 00:17:30,070 --> 00:17:33,780 law was nothing in the eyes of the world. 270 00:17:35,130 --> 00:17:39,230 They were scandalous because of the circumstances of Jesus birth 271 00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:44,560 and they were broke. So the Mother who carried the 272 00:17:44,570 --> 00:17:50,850 Lamb of God could not afford a lamb for the purification 273 00:17:51,150 --> 00:17:56,770 sacrifice. It was from Leviticus 12 which 274 00:17:56,780 --> 00:17:59,950 says that she shall bring a lamb for the atonement. 275 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:05,480 And verse 8, if she cannot afford a lamb and she can't 276 00:18:05,490 --> 00:18:10,200 afford it, then she shall take 2 turtle doves or two pigeons, one 277 00:18:10,210 --> 00:18:13,210 for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering, and 278 00:18:13,220 --> 00:18:16,200 the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean 279 00:18:17,110 --> 00:18:23,400 if she cannot afford a lamb. So Mary, holding in her arms the 280 00:18:23,450 --> 00:18:28,040 first born Son, holy to the Lord, the fulfilment of the Law, 281 00:18:28,110 --> 00:18:32,190 the true Temple, the true purification sacrifice, the true 282 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:36,800 altar, He was everything that the Old Testament pointed to. 283 00:18:36,810 --> 00:18:40,180 He's the true Lamb. She's holding him in his arms, 284 00:18:40,190 --> 00:18:44,720 but she came with a pair of turtle doves or two pigeons. 285 00:18:44,790 --> 00:18:48,060 And so in the eyes of that crowd, this little family may as 286 00:18:48,070 --> 00:18:51,200 well have had a sign above their head saying, She cannot afford a 287 00:18:51,210 --> 00:18:58,330 lamb. But in the eyes of God, in the 288 00:18:58,340 --> 00:19:02,780 eyes of the faithful, like Elizabeth in the previous 289 00:19:02,790 --> 00:19:08,700 chapter, we say blessed are you among women and blessed as the 290 00:19:08,710 --> 00:19:12,720 fruit of your womb, and blessed as she who believed that there 291 00:19:12,730 --> 00:19:16,450 would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. 292 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:24,240 And the question for us this morning is, are you looking at 293 00:19:24,250 --> 00:19:32,370 outward appearances? We who have believed, like Mary, 294 00:19:32,460 --> 00:19:37,000 we have Jesus. We have Jesus. 295 00:19:38,380 --> 00:19:44,280 We have the King of Glory. Who cares what we don't have? 296 00:19:45,610 --> 00:19:49,120 We have Jesus. Who cares how we look to the 297 00:19:49,130 --> 00:19:54,170 world? We have Jesus, and we ourselves 298 00:19:54,180 --> 00:19:59,470 must not look to this world, to this life, for our satisfaction, 299 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,410 for our contentment, for our fulfilment, for our worth. 300 00:20:03,210 --> 00:20:12,580 We have Jesus. I want to look now at the the 301 00:20:12,590 --> 00:20:20,500 man Simeon the profit and verse 25 as we turn from looking at 302 00:20:20,510 --> 00:20:22,880 the parents to looking at the profit, there was a man in 303 00:20:22,890 --> 00:20:24,860 Jerusalem. His name was Simeon. 304 00:20:24,870 --> 00:20:27,400 He was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the 305 00:20:27,410 --> 00:20:30,570 consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 306 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,200 This is high price, and this is a faithful man. 307 00:20:35,210 --> 00:20:38,770 He's righteous, he's devout. The Holy Spirit is upon him. 308 00:20:38,860 --> 00:20:41,710 We know nothing else about Simeon except what we're told 309 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,230 here. This is quite a man, this he was 310 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,050 waiting for the consolation of Israel. 311 00:20:47,060 --> 00:20:51,900 Now what is that this refers? Most of specifically refers to 312 00:20:51,910 --> 00:20:56,870 the 1st 2 verses of Isaiah 40 where the law says comfort, 313 00:20:57,180 --> 00:20:59,540 Comfort my people says you're God. 314 00:21:00,290 --> 00:21:04,740 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare has 315 00:21:04,750 --> 00:21:09,890 ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received 316 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:12,730 from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. 317 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:16,930 So comfort, the removal of sorrow, the consolation of 318 00:21:16,940 --> 00:21:18,690 Israel. That's what it was. 319 00:21:18,700 --> 00:21:22,570 It was prophesied, it was promised that the Messiah would 320 00:21:22,580 --> 00:21:27,970 come, the one who would fulfil everything and bring freedom and 321 00:21:27,980 --> 00:21:31,890 forgiveness. Christ, the constellation of a 322 00:21:31,900 --> 00:21:38,880 grieving, hurting people. Now Simian this faithful man, he 323 00:21:38,890 --> 00:21:42,530 knew that God is faithful to his promises. 324 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:47,770 He knew so he was waiting for the fulfilment. 325 00:21:47,860 --> 00:21:52,900 He was longing to see the Messiah because verse 26 says it 326 00:21:52,910 --> 00:21:56,980 had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not 327 00:21:56,990 --> 00:22:01,050 see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 328 00:22:03,100 --> 00:22:07,080 So he's waiting. He's waiting and the Lord says 329 00:22:07,090 --> 00:22:10,640 to him, you're gonna see it. You're not gonna die until 330 00:22:10,650 --> 00:22:12,570 you've seen the Lord, the Lord's Christ. 331 00:22:13,930 --> 00:22:16,220 So he's an He's an eager expectation. 332 00:22:16,230 --> 00:22:20,410 His life is drawing to an end, but he knows he's going to see 333 00:22:20,420 --> 00:22:24,280 the Messiah. And this is, again, this is so 334 00:22:24,290 --> 00:22:26,240 much more than that. But I just I can't help but 335 00:22:26,250 --> 00:22:31,100 think of the little kids waiting to get on that plane and there's 336 00:22:31,110 --> 00:22:32,570 no shadow of a doubt in their minds. 337 00:22:34,060 --> 00:22:37,210 Cause Dad's faithful right? Of course. 338 00:22:37,260 --> 00:22:39,760 Of course there will be a fulfilment of all the eager 339 00:22:39,770 --> 00:22:44,370 expectation. The difference here is that from 340 00:22:44,380 --> 00:22:47,990 the eyes of of flesh like it looks so unlikely. 341 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,060 It looks there's no plane on the tarmac. 342 00:22:50,700 --> 00:22:52,870 It looks so unlikely that this promise is going to be 343 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:54,510 fulfilled. The Romans have occupied 344 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:59,600 Jerusalem. The Jews are living absolutely 345 00:22:59,610 --> 00:23:01,500 in in sin. This is false religion. 346 00:23:01,510 --> 00:23:05,250 At this point in time it looks so unlikely. 347 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,840 Verse 27 He came in the spirit into the temple, and the parents 348 00:23:12,850 --> 00:23:15,650 bought him the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom 349 00:23:15,660 --> 00:23:18,160 of the law. He took him up on his arms, and 350 00:23:18,170 --> 00:23:22,180 he blessed God, and he said, Lord, now you are letting your 351 00:23:22,190 --> 00:23:24,360 servant depart in peace according to your Word. 352 00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:28,050 My eyes have seen your salvation that you've prepared in the 353 00:23:28,060 --> 00:23:31,670 presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles 354 00:23:31,820 --> 00:23:33,880 and for glory to your people. Israel. 355 00:23:35,820 --> 00:23:39,340 What a fulfilment. What a fulfilment after 356 00:23:39,350 --> 00:23:43,280 faithfully serving the Lord all those years in the midst of all 357 00:23:43,290 --> 00:23:46,960 that darkness, the Lord had held Simeon. 358 00:23:47,130 --> 00:23:49,900 The Lord had held Simeon through the trials of his life. 359 00:23:49,940 --> 00:23:53,860 And now the Lord comes to Simeon as a baby and let Simeon hold 360 00:23:53,870 --> 00:23:57,100 him. And fulfilment of that gracious 361 00:23:57,110 --> 00:24:02,410 promise. God is faithful, and this is the 362 00:24:02,420 --> 00:24:04,430 greatest moment of Simeon's life. 363 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,990 He's overwhelmed with joy. My eyes have seen your 364 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,950 salvation. Light to the Gentiles, glory to 365 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:16,410 Israel, fulfilment of every word of God's promises. 366 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:20,960 Because God is faithful and you'll notice that having seen 367 00:24:20,970 --> 00:24:26,520 Jesus, Simeon is ready to die. He says, you know, it's it's 368 00:24:26,530 --> 00:24:27,960 really interesting. Verse 29. 369 00:24:27,970 --> 00:24:31,360 It's difficult to translate, but in effect, Simeon said. 370 00:24:31,410 --> 00:24:36,810 Lord my Master, you can now dismiss your slave. 371 00:24:38,360 --> 00:24:40,580 Send me away in peace, as you promised. 372 00:24:41,550 --> 00:24:46,460 Let me die, Lord, I'm at peace. Your word is fulfilled. 373 00:24:46,510 --> 00:24:51,490 Let me go home. This is anything but morbid, 374 00:24:51,500 --> 00:24:52,350 right? This is this. 375 00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:55,540 There's no hint of that, that self pitying or overwhelmed 376 00:24:55,550 --> 00:24:58,790 desire for for death that we see in this Dark World. 377 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:04,110 But this is a song of praise coming from a heart at peace. 378 00:25:04,170 --> 00:25:07,310 I'm ready to go home. Lord, Take Me Home. 379 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,820 Thank you. I've seen all I wanted to see. 380 00:25:10,930 --> 00:25:12,120 I don't need to see anything else. 381 00:25:12,130 --> 00:25:16,400 I've seen the Lord, He's ready to be dismissed by his Master, 382 00:25:16,690 --> 00:25:19,760 having served his Lord faithfully, and the Lord have 383 00:25:19,770 --> 00:25:22,510 been faithful to him, fulfilled all that he had promised. 384 00:25:22,780 --> 00:25:29,160 And old Simeon was at peace. And this strikes me because I, 385 00:25:29,170 --> 00:25:34,290 I, for the last eight years, I've been working as a paramedic 386 00:25:34,300 --> 00:25:38,620 and I can just, I can just promise you this is not how most 387 00:25:38,630 --> 00:25:42,670 people go to their death. This isn't how it ends for 388 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:49,190 people, I think. A life of faithful obedience to 389 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,030 a faithful God will bring you to your death fulfilled. 390 00:25:56,100 --> 00:26:00,190 May God help us all to end our earthly lives like Simeon did, 391 00:26:01,180 --> 00:26:06,500 at peace. At peace, content and joyful and 392 00:26:06,510 --> 00:26:10,390 fulfilled and ready to go home. That happens when you serve them 393 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,500 well and you know His faithfulness. 394 00:26:15,470 --> 00:26:18,220 I want to comment just really briefly on verse 33 before we 395 00:26:18,230 --> 00:26:20,900 move on because this is dear to my heart. 396 00:26:21,250 --> 00:26:23,900 Look at this. His father and his mother 397 00:26:23,910 --> 00:26:25,230 marvelled at what was said about him. 398 00:26:26,330 --> 00:26:29,660 Now you know. Scripture makes it so clear. 399 00:26:30,030 --> 00:26:34,360 Joseph was not Jesus biological father right? 400 00:26:34,370 --> 00:26:40,160 Jesus was virgin born, but here the Lord honours Joseph. 401 00:26:40,170 --> 00:26:43,000 He owns them as His earthly father. 402 00:26:43,490 --> 00:26:47,370 And I really do believe that this little detail tells us 403 00:26:47,380 --> 00:26:48,760 something about the heart of God. 404 00:26:50,090 --> 00:26:52,640 Because Joseph was poor, right? He was. 405 00:26:52,790 --> 00:26:56,770 He was socially of low standing, but the Lord elevates him. 406 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:03,350 He honours that faithful man who humbly and diligently just 407 00:27:03,360 --> 00:27:07,010 shouldered that responsibility of raising the Son of God. 408 00:27:08,790 --> 00:27:15,300 Now God sees the work of parents, even those parents who 409 00:27:15,310 --> 00:27:17,590 are caring for children that are not their own. 410 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,890 We just had Father's Day last week and I'm sure that in your 411 00:27:20,900 --> 00:27:25,690 church as in ours, there are there are step parents and and 412 00:27:25,700 --> 00:27:29,100 adoptive parents and foster parents and, and people who care 413 00:27:29,110 --> 00:27:35,550 for others children. God sees your work, even if the 414 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:39,520 world never sees it. And you may not see the 415 00:27:39,530 --> 00:27:42,580 fulfilment of all of your prayers and all of your hopes in 416 00:27:42,590 --> 00:27:47,860 this life, but God is faithful and the work is worth it. 417 00:27:49,090 --> 00:27:52,450 The Lord honours Joseph here. Please come back to the the 418 00:27:52,460 --> 00:27:55,810 story verse 34. There's a dark prophecy. 419 00:27:56,700 --> 00:28:00,730 Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary's mother, Behold, this 420 00:28:00,740 --> 00:28:04,590 child is appointed for the full and rising of many in Israel, 421 00:28:05,430 --> 00:28:08,750 and for a sign that is opposed. And the sword will Pierce 422 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,760 through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts 423 00:28:12,770 --> 00:28:17,890 may be revealed. Now this may be the most 424 00:28:17,940 --> 00:28:24,120 disturbing biblical prophecy ever made about any godly 425 00:28:24,130 --> 00:28:28,150 individual other than Christ himself, right? 426 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,600 The sufferings of the Messiah, they were foretold, and the 427 00:28:31,610 --> 00:28:35,730 destruction of of rebellious nations was foretold. 428 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:43,470 But I know of no other faithful person who received such a 429 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:48,880 devastating personal warning. And I think you know that it was 430 00:28:48,890 --> 00:28:56,050 very much fulfilled when Jesus hung from a Roman cross, when he 431 00:28:56,060 --> 00:29:00,180 was suspended above the ground by nails through his hands and 432 00:29:00,190 --> 00:29:05,690 feet, beaten bloody and abused, with insults being hurled at 433 00:29:05,700 --> 00:29:12,690 him, as he laid down His life, as he poured out His blood, is 434 00:29:12,700 --> 00:29:15,810 Isaiah 53. C poured out his soul unto 435 00:29:15,820 --> 00:29:18,700 death, and was numbered with the transgressors. 436 00:29:21,230 --> 00:29:26,330 Mary stood watching, John 1925 says. 437 00:29:26,340 --> 00:29:30,140 The soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of 438 00:29:30,150 --> 00:29:39,900 Jesus was his mother, safe to say, as he cried out with a loud 439 00:29:39,910 --> 00:29:44,540 voice and yielded up his Spirit. And then as this, the spear 440 00:29:44,550 --> 00:29:46,740 pierced the side of his dead body. 441 00:29:48,070 --> 00:29:51,840 I think it's safe to say that Mary's soul was pierced through 442 00:29:51,850 --> 00:29:56,610 as though by a sword. The Lord sent His servant 443 00:29:56,620 --> 00:30:02,320 swimming in here 3 decades before that happened to help to 444 00:30:02,330 --> 00:30:06,650 prepare Mary's heart. It was loving, was it not, to 445 00:30:06,660 --> 00:30:12,330 tell her in advance to protect her faith when it did happen so 446 00:30:12,340 --> 00:30:15,640 that she would not be completely unprepared and think, well, the 447 00:30:15,650 --> 00:30:23,640 Lord's not faithful then well, it's my son is dead, where's the 448 00:30:23,650 --> 00:30:29,100 fulfilment of his promises? The Lord prepared her faith and 449 00:30:29,150 --> 00:30:35,960 we received something similar. When Paul warns us that all all 450 00:30:36,010 --> 00:30:39,830 who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 451 00:30:41,470 --> 00:30:46,080 When Peter warns us, he says, do not be surprised, brothers, by 452 00:30:46,090 --> 00:30:47,980 the fiery trial that is coming among you. 453 00:30:49,910 --> 00:30:54,660 When Jesus warns us, he says in this world you will have 454 00:30:54,670 --> 00:31:00,800 troubles. We've been warned, but take 455 00:31:00,810 --> 00:31:04,580 heart. Christ has overcome the world 456 00:31:04,670 --> 00:31:08,360 and the suffering of Mary's soul that was prophesied here. 457 00:31:08,430 --> 00:31:11,310 Awful though it was, it was not accidental. 458 00:31:13,150 --> 00:31:17,390 That was not unnecessary. That was not permanent. 459 00:31:20,970 --> 00:31:27,050 Neither is your suffering. God is faithful. 460 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,430 He is absolutely in control of every detail. 461 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:35,690 He has a good purpose and his good purpose will be fulfilled 462 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:42,720 even through the suffering of his own people, even through the 463 00:31:42,730 --> 00:31:44,780 suffering of Jesus. Well, why? 464 00:31:44,790 --> 00:31:50,610 Why did, why, why did the Lord ordain suffering an opposition 465 00:31:50,890 --> 00:31:52,900 for him, for himself, for his son? 466 00:31:52,910 --> 00:31:56,220 And Simeon says, because this child is appointed for the 467 00:31:56,230 --> 00:31:59,510 fallen rising of many, and so the thoughts from many hearts 468 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:05,730 may be revealed. Now that includes you, your fall 469 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,750 or rising, your thoughts and your heart. 470 00:32:10,770 --> 00:32:15,380 You see, Jesus is either a stone of stumbling and a rock of 471 00:32:15,390 --> 00:32:17,950 offence, or He is the chief cornerstone. 472 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,230 With Jesus, you're either all in or you're all out. 473 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:32,070 There is no middle ground. He demands total allegiance. 474 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,290 Whoever believes will be saved right? 475 00:32:35,300 --> 00:32:41,990 Whoever, but only those who believe and how you respond to 476 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:46,950 Jesus, it determines whether you will fall or whether you will 477 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:51,590 rise at the judgement. How do you respond to Jesus? 478 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:55,710 Reveals the thoughts of your heart, it reveals the state of 479 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,080 your soul, and it reveals your destiny. 480 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:02,980 Because the Lamb is also the Lord, and He came this first 481 00:33:02,990 --> 00:33:07,580 time as a Saviour. He returns as a conqueror and as 482 00:33:07,590 --> 00:33:11,000 a judge. So just like it was kind of 483 00:33:11,010 --> 00:33:15,220 Simeon to warn Mary of what would happen to her soul, it is 484 00:33:15,230 --> 00:33:22,910 out of love I warn you today. Your eternal soul hangs in the 485 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:27,250 balance of what you do with Jesus. 486 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:34,260 Rise or fall? Heaven or how? 487 00:33:36,500 --> 00:33:44,050 Repent or perish? The Bible is so lovingly clear 488 00:33:44,060 --> 00:33:49,190 on this, we cannot be mistaken. I know what it is to sit in 489 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:53,390 church. It's a Christian so-called for 490 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:59,000 years and not to be saved. Please examine your own hearts. 491 00:33:59,930 --> 00:34:04,400 How you respond to Jesus will reveal the thoughts of your 492 00:34:04,570 --> 00:34:07,610 heart. It's not about being worthy. 493 00:34:09,150 --> 00:34:14,060 None of us is worthy. Only Jesus fulfilled the law. 494 00:34:14,830 --> 00:34:18,000 It's about being rescued. It's about admitting your 495 00:34:18,010 --> 00:34:21,929 unworthiness and embracing the only one who can save you. 496 00:34:23,500 --> 00:34:29,080 Jesus suffered to save sinners, and that's us, and He will 497 00:34:29,090 --> 00:34:32,570 welcome you with open arms if you just trust in Him. 498 00:34:36,310 --> 00:34:38,500 Shall we move on? Look at the prophetess. 499 00:34:38,510 --> 00:34:40,900 This is an amazing, amazing woman. 500 00:34:41,670 --> 00:34:45,800 And our final, our final point here, the profiteers and verse 501 00:34:45,850 --> 00:34:50,159 36, this lady Anna, and she was advanced in years, we're told 502 00:34:50,170 --> 00:34:53,639 with verse 36, having lived with her husband seven years from 503 00:34:53,650 --> 00:34:56,880 when she was a virgin, then as a widow until she was 84. 504 00:34:56,949 --> 00:34:59,940 She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting 505 00:34:59,950 --> 00:35:03,700 and prayer, night and day. Now this. 506 00:35:03,910 --> 00:35:06,800 This is a faithful woman. She's been faithful for the long 507 00:35:06,810 --> 00:35:09,580 haul. She's been a widow for longer 508 00:35:09,590 --> 00:35:14,820 than most of us have been alive, married only seven years before 509 00:35:14,830 --> 00:35:18,790 her husband was taken. And how did she respond to that? 510 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:24,170 Very difficult and very drawn out trial that God brought her 511 00:35:24,180 --> 00:35:27,730 away. She did not depart from the 512 00:35:27,740 --> 00:35:31,310 temple worshipping with fasting and prayer, night and day. 513 00:35:33,340 --> 00:35:35,410 Now that's one way to spend your retirement years. 514 00:35:38,110 --> 00:35:42,410 You can't. You can't fast and pray night 515 00:35:42,420 --> 00:35:49,050 and day for your own needs year after year, so I think it's fair 516 00:35:49,060 --> 00:35:55,630 to assume the Anna was fasting and praying on behalf of others. 517 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:59,730 This is constant, fervent, generous prayer. 518 00:36:00,140 --> 00:36:03,270 She had to have been praying for others, for the people of God, 519 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:06,260 no doubt the redemption of Jerusalem, the consolation of 520 00:36:06,270 --> 00:36:09,950 Israel, but also for the many burdens that she sees as people 521 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,700 come to the Temple year after year, in great need and great 522 00:36:13,710 --> 00:36:15,960 sorrow. She's praying night and day, 523 00:36:15,970 --> 00:36:20,790 with prayer and fasting. So what an example to ask. 524 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:24,430 But again, to the world, what is she? 525 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:28,010 She's just an old religious widow. 526 00:36:29,420 --> 00:36:33,310 That's all she is in the eyes of the world, totally unremarkable, 527 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,550 unimpressive. But in God's Kingdom, she's an 528 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:39,790 elite warrior. She is highly esteemed. 529 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:46,020 She's an example to us all, and now she is deeply loved and 530 00:36:46,390 --> 00:36:53,210 richly rewarded forever. And notice in verse 38, she 531 00:36:53,220 --> 00:36:56,010 began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who are 532 00:36:56,020 --> 00:36:58,190 waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 533 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:01,220 She gave thanks and she spoke of Jesus. 534 00:37:01,230 --> 00:37:04,050 And see, those two are inseparable. 535 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:07,630 If you're grateful for the fulfilment of God's promises in 536 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:09,930 Christ, you will be faithful to speak of Him to others. 537 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:15,690 You cannot receive the gift of the Gospel without wanting to 538 00:37:15,700 --> 00:37:21,860 share that gift with others. Gratitude cheers the gospel, 539 00:37:22,900 --> 00:37:26,690 that's how it works. And Anna is just such an example 540 00:37:26,700 --> 00:37:32,200 to us all of suffering well, of suffering with faith, of 541 00:37:32,210 --> 00:37:35,160 gratitude, of devotion and worship and prayer and sharing 542 00:37:35,170 --> 00:37:38,410 the good news. In a word, Anna is defined by 543 00:37:38,420 --> 00:37:41,730 faithfulness, and I think whatever season of life you're 544 00:37:41,740 --> 00:37:47,160 in, you can learn from Anna how to faithfully live for God. 545 00:37:48,810 --> 00:37:51,120 But I'm conscious of time. Believe it or not, I am. 546 00:37:51,310 --> 00:37:53,340 I am. So let's wrap up. 547 00:37:53,350 --> 00:37:56,560 And just looking at these last two verses, we almost double 548 00:37:56,570 --> 00:37:59,120 back to the parents here when they performed everything 549 00:37:59,190 --> 00:38:01,460 according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee 550 00:38:01,470 --> 00:38:05,240 to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became 551 00:38:05,290 --> 00:38:09,800 strong, filled with wisdom, and the favour of God was upon him. 552 00:38:09,850 --> 00:38:13,540 And again, faithfulness, fulfilment, all wrapped up here 553 00:38:13,550 --> 00:38:17,010 together, Mary and Joseph, they were faithful to do their part. 554 00:38:19,380 --> 00:38:23,520 And all the while, every prophecy about Jesus was being 555 00:38:23,530 --> 00:38:26,180 fulfilled. From his birth in Bethlehem, his 556 00:38:26,190 --> 00:38:29,920 presentation in Jerusalem, their return to gallery Galilee, all 557 00:38:29,930 --> 00:38:32,780 of that was foretold, all of that was fulfilled. 558 00:38:33,820 --> 00:38:38,330 And Jesus grew. He grew right against all odds. 559 00:38:39,910 --> 00:38:45,670 He was poor, uneducated, oppressed, but the child grew 560 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:47,730 and became strong, filled with wisdom. 561 00:38:48,590 --> 00:38:53,160 He was opposed by the world, but the favour of God was upon him. 562 00:38:53,230 --> 00:38:56,980 Because God is faithful, His promises are always fulfilled. 563 00:38:56,990 --> 00:39:05,300 Therefore Jesus grew and now in how entire world and our that 564 00:39:05,310 --> 00:39:10,840 this little child grew. He grew to become a man, a man 565 00:39:10,850 --> 00:39:15,580 who died and rose again and even now is seated on the throne of 566 00:39:15,590 --> 00:39:19,090 heaven, and he will return to judge the living and the dead. 567 00:39:20,810 --> 00:39:24,090 The child grew and God is still faithful. 568 00:39:25,190 --> 00:39:27,590 His promises will still be fulfilled. 569 00:39:29,670 --> 00:39:31,700 I can't. I can't look at this passage and 570 00:39:31,710 --> 00:39:36,790 see Simeon eagerly waiting for the coming of the Lord and see 571 00:39:36,860 --> 00:39:41,010 see Anna rejoicing over the coming of the Messiah and see 572 00:39:41,060 --> 00:39:46,290 Mary and Joseph faithfully obeying and trusting that God 573 00:39:46,300 --> 00:39:47,630 will be faithful to his promises. 574 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:51,350 I can't look at this and not think about the fact that Jesus, 575 00:39:52,120 --> 00:39:55,710 it's coming back. He's coming back again. 576 00:39:59,940 --> 00:40:03,230 I want to look forward to his return the way they did. 577 00:40:03,620 --> 00:40:07,220 I want to be faithful to him now the way they were. 578 00:40:08,340 --> 00:40:14,120 So as we close off, I wanna leave you with Paul's final 579 00:40:14,130 --> 00:40:20,090 words in Second Timothy 4. And to me, when I read of Simeon 580 00:40:20,100 --> 00:40:23,470 and Anna, I just cannot not think of Paul's final words. 581 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:24,840 I think he could have echoed them. 582 00:40:25,570 --> 00:40:29,140 I think they could have echoed what Paul said here and he said 583 00:40:29,430 --> 00:40:32,340 in his last letter before his church history tells us he was 584 00:40:32,350 --> 00:40:35,900 beheaded for his faith. He says the time of my departure 585 00:40:35,910 --> 00:40:38,400 has come. I have fought the good fight. 586 00:40:38,470 --> 00:40:41,140 This as we sang this morning. I've finished the race. 587 00:40:41,150 --> 00:40:44,520 I've kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for 588 00:40:44,530 --> 00:40:48,060 me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous 589 00:40:48,070 --> 00:40:53,610 Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but 590 00:40:53,620 --> 00:41:00,700 also to all who have loved His appearing brothers and sisters. 591 00:41:01,210 --> 00:41:06,840 Our God is faithful. His Word will be fulfilled. 592 00:41:07,770 --> 00:41:10,760 Are you among those who love his appearing? 593 00:41:10,810 --> 00:41:14,030 When you look at this world, when you look at everything 594 00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:17,120 that's happened even in this past week, if you've had your 595 00:41:17,130 --> 00:41:24,070 eyes open, our hope is in Jesus. It's nowhere else. 596 00:41:25,170 --> 00:41:28,550 God is faithful. Christ will return. 597 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:35,440 Every word of God stands true. The grass Withers and the flower 598 00:41:35,450 --> 00:41:40,550 fades, but the word of the Lord stands forever His faithful 599 00:41:43,090 --> 00:41:48,980 cherry praying her Father, we thank you so much for your 600 00:41:48,990 --> 00:41:51,950 faithfulness. We thank You so much that this 601 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:59,270 little child fulfilled every last detail of Your law, of the 602 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:05,980 promises that You made Lord, and that You are still faithful and 603 00:42:05,990 --> 00:42:10,240 He will return. Help us to trust You, help us to 604 00:42:10,250 --> 00:42:13,910 look to Christ and to His return, and not to get bogged 605 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:18,600 down by the trials around us. The Lord with heavenly vision, 606 00:42:19,570 --> 00:42:24,040 with unwavering faith to imitate the examples we've seen today in 607 00:42:24,050 --> 00:42:30,210 Jesus parents and in Simeon and Anna of lives lived hopefully, 608 00:42:30,260 --> 00:42:34,330 faithfully. Lord make us more like Christ. 609 00:42:34,340 --> 00:42:36,240 For his glory we pray. Amen.