Pastor Slaughter

Chrimstas-1

12-27-2020

Luke 2:25-40

Salvation Revealed

When someone reveals something to you, it can bring about different emotions. It can bring about joy and happiness, or sorrow and frustration depending on the what is revealed. For example, when a wife comes and tells her husband that she is pregnant, the joy and excitement he has in hearing that wonderful news. Or when a child brings home their report card and shows it to their parents. It can bring joy and happiness if their hard work paid off and they got good grades. But it can bring about frustration if they were lazy and didn’t get good grades.

Depending on what is revealed it can bring about joy and happiness, or sorrow and frustration. Today we hear about something that is revealed that brings to you and me joy and happiness. We have this beautiful scripture lesson that reveals salvation to us. Today we are going to see Salvation Revealed.

I really do love this lesson. Here, you have here two elderly people who simply have a heart for their Lord. You have Simeon who is described as being righteous and devout. He was waiting for the Messiah, the Christ to be revealed to him. The Holy Spirit made to him a very special promise that “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” And you have Anna, a prophetess who was very old. She spent her time in the temple complex worshiping God by fasting and praying night and day.  Simeon and Anna were both waiting for the Christ to be revealed.

I don’t know how long Simeon was waiting for salvation to be reveled to him. I don’t know when the Holy Spirit made that promise to him. But the older you are, the more you have seen…the more you have experienced, right? As time goes by, things change. Some things change for the better. Some things change for worse. The older you are, the more you see the effects of sin in the world around you. The older you are, you also see the effects of sin in your own life. Looking back on mistakes made, sins committed. And the older we get the closer we are for God to call us home and the devil will try especially hard to get you to doubt your forgiveness, to doubt your salvation. He tries to make you terrified to stand before the judgment seat of God. I don’t know if Simeon was wrestling with that or not. But I could see it.

But there are times when we wrestle with that, don’t we? Where we look at our sins and wonder if God would ever forgive me. Where we might be afraid of death and dying because we will be standing before a holy and just God. And during those times we need salvation to be revealed to us. And that is what we celebrate this Christmas, ultimately how that salvation was revealed to us.

Joseph and Mary came to the Jerusalem for their purification according to the law of Moses. And while they were there, the Holy Spirit kept his promise to Simeon and lead him to the temple courts. I just wish I could have been there. Was Mary a bit hesitant to let some old gentleman hold her baby boy? I wish I could have seen Simeon take hold of Jesus in his arms. I wish I could have seen his eyes light up and he looked at this tiny baby. I wonder if his eyes filled with tears as he saw with his owns eyes and held in his arms the very one who would save him.

As Simeon is holding Jesus, he is literally holding his salvation in his arms. His salvation was revealed to him in a special way by the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t like there was some distinguishing characteristic that made Jesus stick out in a crowd as an infant. But as Simeon saw with his own eyes Jesus, this cute, tiny baby, he saw something else with his spiritual eyes, his eyes of faith. He saw a child that was no different from other children, a child in lowliness and humility, but the eye of faith saw in that child the Savior of the World.

Wow. Just think about that! He is holding salvation in his arms. The one that will save him from his sins. The one that will die for the sins of the world. Through those same eyes of faith we see our salvation. For Simeon he did get to see Jesus with his own eyes but nothing about his appearance showed he was the Savior. The only way he knew was through a special revelation from the Holy Spirit. Likewise, we may not be able to see Jesus with our own eyes but the Holy Spirit reveled him through his Word. Salvation has been revealed to us!

As Simeon held Jesus in his arms, he knew something. He knew what this salvation would mean, Then Simeon said to Mary, “Listen carefully, this child is appointed for the falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Israel would be divided over Jesus. Jesus would be that rock of offense over which some people would stumble and fall and for others he would be the living stone of salvation.

And as he clutched Jesus in his arms, he knew that he was holding his salvation in his arms and ultimately, he knew what that meant for the child and for Marry. He said to Mary, “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” How much was revealed to Simeon? I don’t know. He could have looked back to Isaiah 53 and saw the prophecy of the suffering servant. Maybe the Holy Spirit simply told him Jesus would suffer and that would mean Mary would as well.

We can’t help but remember why Jesus was born into this world. That baby who Simeon clutched in his arms would end up hanging on a cross. The salvation meant for you and me, for Simeon and Mary, for the world meant that Jesus would suffer and die, to give us forgiveness, life, and salvation. Jesus being born in the world and Jesus dying for the world really go hand and hand. Salvation revealed.

Now that Salvation is revealed what does that mean for us? As Simeon clutched Jesus in his arms he praises God and says, “Lord, you now dismiss your servant in peace, according to your word, because my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.”

God fulfilled his promise to Simeon and now Simeon has peace. Pease because of what this child would do. Peace because of what this child would give. Peace in what this child assures him of. Now that Simeon has this peace, he is ready to be with his Savior. “Lord, you now dismiss your servant in peace.”

We can eco those same words as well. Peace because of what this child did…God was born into the world to die for the world. Peace because of what this child would give…forgiveness of sins to have that right relationship with God. Peace because of what this child assures us of. That heaven is our home.

This world is not the true home of Christians. There is much sin and sorrow here. There is much unrest and turmoil. There is much suffering and sadness. What does this salvation mean? Just look at Simeon who said, “You now dismiss your servant in peace.” He was ready to die and to go home to heaven.

We have that same peace because it rests not in what we have done, but in what Jesus has done. Jesus is that light who is our salvation. When our time comes, and death approaches we have peace. Peace in the forgiveness of sins, peace in knowing that eternal life is ours.

My dear family in Christ, as I picture Simeon holding Jesus in his arms I wonder if he was holding Jesus in such a way that he didn’t want to let go, like opening that  perfect gift on Christmas where the child just holds on that one thing all day. That one gift that puts all the other gifts to shame. Simeon waited a long time for that gift to be revealed to him and he was holding salvation in his a salvation that gave him peace. Salvation has be revealed to you and me as well. Let us value it and treasure it, because it really is the perfect gift that puts all the others to shame. A gift that gives us peace for all eternity.