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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Brown's Daily Word 12/30/14

   Praise the Lord for this Holy Season of Christmas.  Praise the Lord for the beautiful and melodious songs of Christmas.  I asked the congregation last Sunday what were some of the special elements of the Christmas celebration that they like.  One person said, "Music".  Indeed, all the timeless carols and the classical Christmas oratorios are among the finest parts of Christmas.  We praise the Lord that all our children and grandchildren were able to come "Home" for Christmas.  The House was full in every way.  I wanted to sing with our granddaughter Ada, who is 3 years old, "There's a Song in the Air".  She knew the words and sang along.  The songs of Christmas are so special that It is hard to put away the songs of Christmas so soon after the Christmas event. 

    I realized only recently  that the Christmas songs of the Bible are all -- and only -- in Luke's Gospel.  The first two chapters by Luke are a marvelous eruption of music, of glad songs of praise.  Elizabeth sang the joy of the Beatitude (Luke 1:42) --- "blessed" (Luke 1:42-45), expressing the joyful situation of those whom God favors.

 
    Mary responded with the incomparable Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).  Her song turns on four  themes: 1. Praising God for what He has done including His blessing upon Mary (Luke 1:46-48); 2. Declaring the power, holiness, and mercy of God (Luke 1:49-50); 3. Affirming God's sovereignty (Luke 1:51-53); and 4. Recalling God's mercy to His people Israel (Luke 1:54-55).



    Zechariah, at the loosing of his tongue, broke forth with the Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79), praising God for remembering His oath to deliver His people.



    What then can compare with the Glorias of the angelic host echoing over the Shepherd's fields (Luke 2:14)?



   In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus is presented as  the Promised One, the Anointed One, the One who comes to redeem humanity, who altogether identifies with our  humanity.  Majesty came down to be with us in the midst of Mundane.  In the commonplace of man's everyday, our Lord God delights to break through, declare, and relate Himself to His creature. 

 

    No Gospel event shows this more vividly than that which holds the fifth Gospel song, known as the Nunc Dimittis, the song of Simeon.  There is no mention of an office, recognition, or special influence.  Simeon was merely a man who lived "in Jerusalem," " -- the center of Jewish religious corruption.  There was little true religion in Israel when Christ was born.  The doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees had spoiled that.  Yet there "in Jerusalem" was a man who lived as one of God's true ones, Simeon.  He was a common man, it seems, but he was "righteous and devout and the Holy Spirit was upon him" (Luke 2:25).



    Simeon was a man of great hope, "looking for the consolation of Israel," the consolation that would came through Messiah.  He marshaled to himself all the promises of the Covenant.  He anticipated them.  Simeon's was no empty expectation.  The Holy Spirit upon him had given him special assurance.  He would see the Lord's Christ before he died.



    The Temple was undoubtedly a familiar place to Simeon.  He must have gone there frequently.  On that day, however, especially that day, "moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts" (Luke 2:27).  It would have been exciting had the Holy Spirit somehow let Simeon know he would see Messiah that day, but the Bible does not express this.  Yet, the events of that day were clearly not accidental. Mary and Joseph, as faithful Jewish parents, brought their first-born son to the priest to conform to the Law.  They brought their offerings without apparent special feelings or awareness.



    The commonness of the event is clear.  Other parents with their babies were there.  It was probably a noisy, even congested scene of milling and hurrying people.  Nothing indicated Joseph, Mary, and their Son were special.  There was nothing intimate to the setting.  It is likely that it occurred in the open court of the women, beyond which Mary could not go.  The parents must wait there for the priest to come and receive their offerings.  So it is in that very ordinary, yet particular moment the Spirit moved upon Simeon.



    Simeon by the Spirit recognized Him - the Messiah.  Remarkably, Mary without hesitation gave her baby into Simeon's arms.  All was so ordinary, so natural, so common.  At the same time it was so extraordinary, so particular, so supernatural. It was all by the directing power of the Holy Spirit.  The church historically knows this psalm as the Nunc Dimittus, the Latin translations of the first two words, "Now dismiss...."  "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word."



    Simeon broke out in praise, announcing: "Mine eyes have seen..."  Simeon saw Salvation!  Though all the Christmas psalms rejoice that salvation had come, none is so grand and far-reaching as the song of Simeon.  Even Zechariah failed to grasp the breadth and consequence of what God was accomplishing in Christ.  He had sung of the God of Israel, of the "horn of salvation" for the house of David (Luke 1:69).



    Simeon too earnestly had looked for the "consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25).  He had known it would happen in his lifetime and he rejoiced in his own salvation and for Israel's (Luke 2:29-30).  He went on to say, "Thou has prepared [thy salvation] in the presence of the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel". (Luke 2:31-32)



Standing there in the courts of the Temple, Simeon beheld the Savior of those who could not go further in.  The "glory of Israel," yes, but the Savior of the Gentiles also, hope for all the world!  Simeon could receive no further word.  All his desires were satisfied.  His only request was, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; For mine eyes have seen thy salvation...."



     Praise the Lord that in 2014 we once again celebrate the Gift and the birth of Jesus.



    May we live and enter 2015 expectantly.  "Jesus has come."  This holy season -- and in every season - "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

In Christ,

 Brown

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