The Night Before Christmas
The Night Before Christmas
Luke 2:25-32
December 18, 2005
Our theme this year as we study the miracle of Christmas
Has been that of ANTICIPATION.
There is no greater proof
That Jesus will come again as a glorified King
Than that He already came once as a humble servant.
Even all the prophecies in the Old Testament,
Like the one we studied Sunday night,
Speak of far more than just the baby in the manger,
But speak also of the triumphant return of Jesus.
Whenever we ponder the miracle of the incarnation,
And the fact that God would come down to our world,
It should also set off in us
A renewed anticipation of the day when God will do it again.
Christmas should spark anticipation in us.
But honestly:
WHAT GOOD IS A LIFE LIVED IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FULFILLMENT NEVER COMES?
Anticipation in itself is not the end.
If all we ever did was anticipate, life wouldn’t hold much meaning.
And so Christmas isn’t just about anticipation,
It is also about satisfaction.
It is about having our hopes fulfilled.
Now I’m not talking about presents on Christmas morning,
But indeed your children should paint a bit of a picture for you.
They can hardly sleep the night before Christmas
Because the anticipation is so great.
Now as a parent, that is fun.
But it isn’t as fun as the fulfillment of their hopes the next morning.
You know, and I know, it is about the joyous satisfaction.
That is what Christmas is all about.
Our anticipation points to the day when Jesus returns,
And our heart’s desire is fully satisfied in Him.
And the word of God gives us a beautiful picture of this very thing.
This morning we are able to see anticipation turn into satisfaction
As we look at a man named Simeon.
And as we study, may God convict our hearts in order to teach us how we should be living as we anticipate the second coming of Christmas.
Three things
#1 THE ANTICIPATING SERVANT
Luke 2:25-26
Boy I can’t imagine the life of Simeon.
Every morning he woke up wondering if this would be the day…
Especially as he became advanced in years, the anticipation mounted.
God promised Simeon that before he died, he would see the Messiah.
Only a handful of people had such a promise.
Certainly Mary and Joseph did
John the Baptist did
Simeon’s life must have had an added spark of anticipation.
Now we are called to live our lives in anticipation.
The Bible constantly tells us to “Be Ready”
Matthew 24:32-33 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.”
Matthew 24:37-42 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
Luke 12:40 "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."
While our promise is not exactly like Simeon’s, it is similar.
It could be any day, so we are called to live with anticipation.
So the question I have is,
HOW DO WE LIVE IN ANTICIPATION?
Simeon provides an answer for us.
1) An Anticipating Servant is RIGHTEOUS
“And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel;” (25a)
In other words, because Simeon knew the King could be back any day,
He was making sure he lived in a way that would be pleasing to him.
THAT MAKES SENSE TO US DOESN’T IT?
If Jesus were to send down a telegram that said, “I will be back at 11:15 on Sunday, December 25th”, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WOULD BE IN CHURCH?
You see the point is simple.
Simeon was living his life like Jesus would be there any minute.
That is how a person who lives in anticipation lives.
If you really thought Jesus would be back
Before the day was through,
Is there anything you would feel the need to change?
Any sin you would need to confess?
Anything in your house that you would need to get rid of before Jesus showed up?
YOU GET THE POINT?
The Bible tells us, that we are to live in anticipation,
And part of that means living in righteousness.
1 John 3:1-3 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Romans 13:8-14 “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
You can see what John and Paul were talking about there.
If you really believed Jesus would be back any minute,
It would change the way you lived.
It did Simeon. He was devout, because the King might be coming today.
You see, if we are content to live in sin…
If we are content to be less than righteous…
If we are content to be less than devout…
That can only mean that either we don’t think the King will care,
Or we don’t think He is really coming back.
A person who is an anticipating servant lives in righteousness.
But there is a second thing we learn from Simeon.
2) An Anticipating Servant is READY
“and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
Notice Simeon is “looking for the consolation of Israel”
He is ready for it to come.
He doesn’t dread it.
He doesn’t wish he could take a cruise first.
He is ready for it to come today.
Simeon was ready, and Simeon was watching.
You don’t get the feeling that anything else
Really mattered as much to him as this.
That is an attribute of a person who is
Truly living in anticipation of the return of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 “Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
2 Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
We ought not deceive ourselves.
If we don’t desire the Lord Jesus to come immediately,
Then we aren’t living in anticipation.
If we aren’t in anticipation, it’s because we love the world too much.
Not everyone wants Jesus to come back quickly.
Some would just as soon He never came back.
But we are called to live in anticipation.
#2 THE APPEARING SAVIOR
Luke 2:27-28
CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Can you believe Simeon actually got to see the Messiah?
You say, “Sure I can believe it”
God promised that he would.
We don’t doubt that promise, because we saw it’s fulfillment.
Remember, that promise has been made again.
Jesus promise of a second coming
Is just as sure as the promise of His first coming.
The Holy Spirit Promised It
Hebrews 9:27-28 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
The Apostles Promised It
Revelation 22:6-7 “And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
Jesus Promised It
Matthew 24:29-31 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
John 14:1-3 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Angels Promised It
Acts 1:9-11 “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
There is coming a day when the Savior will appear,
Just as He did for Simeon.
It’s important for us to see Simeon lived in anticipation of a promise,
And then he was allowed to see the fulfillment of that promise.
That leads us to our 3rd point.
#3 THE AMAZING SATISFACTION
Luke 2:29-32
CAN YOU HEAR THE SATISFACTION IN SIMEON’S VOICE?
His heart is fully satisfied with life.
And what we learn here, is the same thing we have been talking about.
Satisfaction comes from 2 things.
1) Satisfaction Comes From SERVING GOD FAITHFULLY
“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word.”
NOTICE HOW SIMEON REFERRED TO HIMSELF?
“bond-servant”
He had lived his life faithfully to God.
This is a pre-requisite for satisfaction.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO KILL THE SATISFACTION?
Don’t hold up your end of the bargain.
HOW MANY PEOPLE IN HERE, IF THEY WERE HONEST WOULD SAY THEY HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF UNWRAPPING AND REWRAPPING CHRISTMAS PRESENTS?
You know what that does? It kills the joy of the moment.
TRAMPOLINE FOR CHRISTMAS
You see, if we don’t live in faithfulness, and uphold our end of the deal,
There will be no satisfaction when the day finally comes.
SATISFACTION IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL
1 John 2:28-29 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
1 John 4:17 “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
Matthew 24:45-51 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. "But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
We have a choice every day.
We can live for Jesus, or we can live for ourselves.
We can serve God, or we can stay home.
Serving God Faithfully is a pre-requisite to being satisfied.
2) Satisfaction Comes From SEEING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
“For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”
You see, there is a second requirement to being satisfied,
And that is that God actually comes through with His end of the deal.
It does a child no good to anticipate Christmas
If his parents don’t come through with the toys.
But we have the promise of His return,
And we even a glimpse of what that satisfaction will look like.
Revelation 17-18 outlines God’s salvation
Immediately following God’s faithful act, we see the satisfaction of the people.
Revelation 19:1-8 “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER." And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER." And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
And thus the “Hallelujah Chorus” was born.
It is first sang by a people who are satisfied with God’s salvation.
That is how we truly understand the point to Christmas.
It is a time of anticipating the satisfaction
That we will feel when Jesus comes again.
Simeon is an example of this.
He was a man who anticipated the coming Savior, and was satisfied when he saw Him.
Contrast Simeon with Herod.
Matthew 2:1-3 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”
Matthew 2:16 “Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.”
The appearance of Jesus forces you into one of two extremes.
Look what Simeon would go on to say.
Luke 2:33-35 “And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed — and a sword will pierce even your own soul — to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."
At Christmas you can be like either of the two.
Live in righteous anticipation or just live for yourself.
WHERE DO YOU STAND?
Matthew 24:42-44 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”