Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the first Wednesday of this new year. We will gather for our mid-week fellowship and study this evening at 6 PM.
We are living in the afterglow of Christmas. In His wonderful providence and wisdom the Lord included people of all ages in the unfolding event and the story of Christmas. We have the young teen Mary, an adult, Joseph, the angels, and the elderly - Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna. I refer to them as the wrinkled wrappings after Christmas. In the Book of Luke we meet these personalities. The divine and human encounter took place in the temple precincts of Jerusalem. Here came Mary, here came Joseph, and here came Simeon. He had never seen them before, nor had they seen him before, but a divinely-planned encounter was about to take place.
Luke told the story this way: "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ." (Luke 2:25-26)
Along came Mary, holding the baby in her arms, with Joseph by her side. Jesus was only forty days old. Never was there a more unlikely couple, Joseph, the poor carpenter from Nazareth, and Mary, a peasant girl carrying a little baby boy. They were obviously from the country, and equally obviously did not have much money. People-watchers would not have given them a second glance. They were not educated, not part of the intelligentsia, and not from the upper-crust. Yet, they came to Jerusalem, where they timidly walked into the Temple courts. When Simeon saw them, he asksed his question for the 10,000th time, “Is this the one?” and the Holy Spirit answered, “Yes.”
“This Is The One.” Suddenly Simeon’s heart leapt within him. The long days of waiting were finally over., and the Lord’s Christ before him. Simeon broke into a song of praise, a song that is so beautiful that it has come down through the centuries to us as the final and climactic song of Christmas. It is called the Nunc Dimittis, the title being taken from the first two words of the Latin translation of Simeon’s words. It was not only a song (vv. 29-32), but also a personal word of prophetic blessing to Mary (vv. 34-35). "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
Simeon was now ready to die. He had accomplished his life's goal. The word “dismiss” is a military word, used to describe a sentinel who has stood watch during the long hours of the night. At last, as the sun comes up over the eastern horizon, he knows his work is done, and he goes to his commanding officer to be dismissed.
Simeon calls Jesus, “a light of revelation for the Gentiles”, revealing that this baby would not only be the glory of his own people Israel, but also the light of revelation for the Gentiles. He came not just for Israel's benefit, but to shine a light of the revelation of God into every nation, every tribe, every kindred and every tongue. Jesus is the Savior of the whole world. Rich and poor, young and old, Jew and Gentile, healthy and handicapped are all included in his coming. He did not come for a small group, but for the whole world. “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.”
When Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms, he said, “Lord, I’m ready to go home now. I can die in peace.” No one is ready to die until they have seen Jesus Christ with the eyes of faith. You’re not ready to die until you have seen him and known him and trusted him as your Savior. Once you have seen him, death is no longer an enemy. Though you may live your life and come to the end not having been as successful as you like, or you may live in some frustration because you failed to accomplish all your personal goals, but if you can come to the end of your life and say, “I have seen the Lord’s Christ,” then you have had a blessed and full life--- abundant life that leads to eternal life.
In Jesus our Lord,
Brown
Saturday, January 7.2012
Praise and Worship Service
First United Methodist Church, Endicott .
Sponsored by Union Center UMC
6 PM Gathering - Coffee - Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship
Music: Laureen Naik
Speaker: Pastor Bill Turner
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