December 22, 2002

Luke 2:21-38

v. 21 - rites of circumcision & purification

v. 24 - Proper offering - a lamb for a burnt offering

and a pigeon or dove for a sin offering -

Allowance made for the poor - could offer a second

pigeon or dove - deep poverty of Mary & Joseph

v. 25 - Simeon - “a man in Jerusalem” - just, devout,

waiting, the Holy Ghost was upon him.

Some expositors believe that Simeon was the son of

the famous Hillel, and the father of Gamaliel.

This Simeon became president of the Sanhedrin in

A.D. 13.

The Mishna, part of Jewish traditions, which have

preserved the record and sayings of the great rabbis,

passes by this Simeon, perhaps owing to the hatred

which this famous teacher incurred, because of his

belief in Jesus of Nazareth.

A common Jewish prayer of that time - “may I see

the Consolation of Israel?”

Exclamatory Prayer by Spurgeon.

v. 26 - Legend is that Simeon was puzzled by Isaiah 7:14

At length he received a supernatural intimation that

he should not see death until he had seen the

fulfillment of the strange prophecy, the meaning

of which he had long failed to see.

v. 27 - “custom of the law”

In this day the danger of Matt. 15:6 - “ye made the

commandment of God of none effect by your

tradition” - Put it to the polls - skew the polls -

propaganda - disobedience - tribulation - destruction.

v. 28 - Discerning the hidden glory of Jesus.

v. 29 - “thy servant” - Josh. 23:14

I am satisfied - let me now depart in peace.

Many get their satisfaction in things that are seen

and temporal - taking pleasure in money, in wielding

power, in gaining honor -

Scripture - “the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor

the ear with hearing” - Eccl. 1:8

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:

not as the world giveth, give I unto you” - ch. 14:27

vs. 30-32 - “mine eyes have seen thy salvation”

“which thou has prepared before the face

of all people” -

Intended for everybody - Murray State professor

in the early 70’s - leery of someone who has something

for everybody.

Some beleive - some don’t - Acts 28:24-28

Election in India - Hindu’s control - persecution on

Christian missionaries

Israelites seeking good of the Gentiles - vice versa.

We should reciprocate.

Arab-Israeli conflict Black/White relations in America.

v. 34 - It became clear as time unfolded that those who

were ignorantly supposed to be blind were the

souls seeing God and equally clear that those

who claimed to know everything had eyes that

were against the light.

John 12: 39-40 - a moral impossibility inherited by the Jews

through ages of rebellion & insensibility to Divine

grace and misuse of revelation - “they could not

believe. A fixed law - power unused destroys itself -

persistent disregard for religion makes it more difficult

to obey or believe.

Is challenging a nativity scene on public property

diffusing this blindness?

A solemn passage quoted four other places in NT

Luke 8:10 Matt. 13:14-15 Mark 4:12

Acts 28:26-27

The unforced & willful rejection of the Divine Word

is visited by a withdrawal of the faculty to receive

even more accessible & apprehensible truth.

Until - Back to square one - John 12:25

John 12:43 - The glory of God Himself in His aweful

holiness was of less interest than the

glory of the Sanhedrin, in this day, less

than Hollywood, and the approval of the

world. This has more to do with tangible,

sensuous, advantages, than the Divine

approval.

Jude 16-19

It becomes then, of high value to grasp the truth.

II Cor. 4:6 - “in the face of Jesus Christ”

vs. 3-4 previous reference Luke 2:10-14,

Luke 1:30-33, 46-54 John 14:21,23-24, 26,31

John 14:10-11 - There is no right understanding of

Jesus Christ until the Father is seen in Him.

He is the Image of His substance

Agent of His purpose

Speaker of His words

Doer of His works (salvation from sin &

righteousness of life)

John 14:12 - Which is greater - a soul being saved by the

preached word or a person healed through

Christ’s word?

John 12:47 - Awful charge of responsibility upon every

man who simply hears & knows what Christ’s

words are - then keeps them not.

v. 48 - “the word that I have spoken shall judge him

in the last day’ - Judged by the Word of God!

Luke 2:34 - for the next three centuries the name of Jesus

Christ of Nazareth and His followers were

shamed and despised.

A Corner Stone - a stumbling stone.

For some - a stepping stone, a strong foundation,

Isaiah 28:16-18

For others - a stumbling stone - Matt. 21:44

v. 36 - Anna - 84 yrs old

Lost tribes? - here is one not lost!

v. 37 - Anna waiting - Simeon waiting - v. 25

God may delay but consider Hab. 2:3

v. 38 - “spake of Him to all them that looked for

redemption in Jerusalem”

First preacher of Christ in the great city of

Jerusalem. She communicated the joyful fact

to all she could reach.

Aunt Mame

Charles Spurgeon - Home Missions Sermon

v. 39 - They performed all things according to

the Law of the Lord. (past tense)

v. 40

v. 52