Satisfied With Jesus – Part 2
Luke 2:25-40 (33-40)
October 22, 2017
Last time we met we began looking at these last two witnesses
That Luke uses surrounding the birth of Jesus.
We noted how Luke has not only given the history surrounding the birth of Christ, but how he has also DOCUMENTED that history every step of the way through reliable WITNESSES and EVENTS.
• We saw the muteness of Zacharias.
• We saw the unlikely pregnancy of Elizabeth.
• We heard the remarkable song of praise form Mary
• We marveled at the arrival of the shepherds at Jesus’ birth
All of those served as documented proof of the history Luke is presenting.
They also serve as a prototype of the type of people God saves.
Each of these people represented those who can be explained by those BEATITUDES we find the Sermon on the Mount.
• In them we find “poor in spirit”
• In them we find “mourning” over sin.
• In them we find “meekness”
• In them we find “hungering and thirsting for righteousness”
We are NOT SAYING that these people were acceptable to God
And did not need to be saved…that’s not it at all.
What we ARE SAYING is that these people had
The proper attitude to make them ready and eager for a Savior.
• There was no pride…
• There was no self-sufficiency…
• There was no preoccupation with worldly success…
• There was no disregard for righteousness…
These people, though very different,
All shared the common mindset that they were in need of a Savior,
And because of that attitude,
They were all able to rejoice when this new Savior was revealed.
We are finding that this is ALSO TRUE
With these LAST TWO WITNESSES that Luke brings forth.
• Jesus was circumcised at 8 days old.
• Mary then had to wait 33 days for her purification.
• And then the couple entered the temple in order to make atonement for Mary.
• No doubt this place was crawling with priests and Levites and other religious travelers.
• I’m sure you can find tourists and curious people of every kind.
• I wouldn’t even be surprising to find some of those flea-market types there expecting to make a buck or two.
But of all the people there, Luke brings to our attention
The only two who saw beyond the business of the temple
And recognized that God had truly done something remarkable.
We began looking at the first last week, his name was Simeon.
#1 SIMEON
Luke 2:25-35
And we won’t rehash the life of Simeon except to remind everyone that
He was not a priest, nor a Levite; he had no religious pedigree.
Simeon was simply a man who was “righteous and devout”
He loved God and God had determined to use him to reveal the Christ.
So on the day when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus in,
God revealed it to Simeon instantly and Simeon rejoiced!
(29) “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation”
As we said, Simeon was a man who was fully satisfied in Christ.
This was a man who knew that the beginning of the life of Jesus
Also signified the end of his life on earth.
The natural man would not have anticipated it so readily.
In fact, there was another man in Scripture who assumed that the birth of Christ signified the end of his reign, and he responded totally different.
Remember Herod?
He also heard of the birth of this “King of the Jews” and was so bothered by the arrival of this baby that he “slew all the mail children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under” (Matthew 2:16)
That is how a natural man responds.
But not Simeon, he rejoiced.
There was no “bucket list” left unfulfilled,
This world held no value to him any longer.
All he was looking for was the “consolation of Israel”
And on this day his total desire was satisfied.
He had Jesus, he needed nothing else.
But where we LEFT OFF LAST TIME
Was in the special message which Simeon had for Mary.
Everything had been all peachy and roses in regard to the prophecies regarding this baby.
• Gabriel talked about how this holy child would reign over the house of Jacob.
• Zacharias talked about how He would bring salvation from our enemies.
• The heavenly host talked about how He would be a Savior for all people.
• Even Simeon said He was “a Light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”
It had been nothing but positive.
And then Simeon throws the wet blanket on the deal.
(34-35) “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.”
We understood what Simeon was saying.
While you are rejoicing in this child who is a Savior for all people,
You need to understand that not all people
Are going to be as excited about this as you are.
There are plenty of people who aren’t looking for a Savior from their sin. They love their sin and want to keep it.
John 3:19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”
There are plenty of people who aren’t looking for a King to reign.
They don’t really like the idea of taking orders from someone else.
(We saw that parable about the king whose subjects did not want him to reign over them)
Point being: many in this world are not going to be happy about this baby.
(We already saw Herod’s response)
And Mary, I just have to tell you that what this world is going to do to this baby is going to be like a knife in your heart.
“to the end that thoughts from many hearts will be revealed.”
In short, Jesus is the litmus test.
What people do with Jesus
Reveals who and what they are more than anything else.
If you don’t love Jesus, then don’t claim to love God.
AND WE SAW JESUS EXPOSE MEN LIKE THIS OVER AND OVER
• These religious people walked around in their long robes and their religious traditions and they sure looked faithful to everyone who observed them.
But Jesus came to expose them.
He would reveal that they did not love God as much as they claimed.
Listen to what the writer of Hebrews said about Jesus:
Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”
I know that passage is about the word of God, but did you notice how the writer switched to a “He” in verse 13?
This passage is about Jesus, who is the incarnate word,
And it speaks to His ability to expose men for what they are.
And because men don’t want to be exposed,
They will hate this child and will do unthinkable things to Him.
And this is not a new thought…
Isaiah 50:6 “I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.”
Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
And here we are, while everyone is celebrating
And high-fiving each other regarding the birth of Messiah,
SIMEON STEPS IN AND REMINDS EVERYONE OF HIS PURPOSE.
This child is going to be rejected and will suffer and will die.
Now, before we move on to Anna, there is sort of a sub-plot here that I want to make sure and address because I think it is extremely valuable.
As I studied these passages, there was one phrase I couldn’t get past.
verse 34, “Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother”
This sobering reality that Simeon spoke of, he directed it for Mary.
It wasn’t just some open ended prophesy for all to hear.
Luke writes it as though Simeon grabbed Mary’s hand,
Looked here in the eye, and said, “There’s something you need to know.”
And I just kept wondering, “Why Mary?”
And I actually think the answer is found in the way Luke chapter 2 ends.
If you look down to verses 39-40
“When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”
And of course then we have the story of when Jesus was forgotten
In Jerusalem at the Passover as a boy. (And we’ll look at that story next week)
Luke 2:48-49 “When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
What you begin to understand is that Jesus went through a period
Where He was also a boy who was growing up.
Sometimes we have this tendency to skip from baby to man
And sort of forget that Jesus grew up just like the rest of us.
Also important to understand is that we find throughout the Bible
That much of the teaching and instruction that comes to children
Comes from their mother.
(No, I’m not disregarding the clearly revealed Fatherly mandate to bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord)
It’s just that while the Father’s worked, the mommas did the raising.
Remember Paul talking to Timothy?
2 Timothy 1:5 “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”
And then later:
2 Timothy 3:14-15 “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Well who do you think taught Timothy those sacred writings from infancy?
In fact, Paul even outlines in 1 Timothy that this role of raising godly children is the ultimate mode of significance for the Christian woman.
1 Timothy 2:15 “But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”
It’s the whole “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world” concept.
While both parents share the burden, the fact remained that
Much of the instruction and training occurred at the hands of the mother.
MY POINT?
Mary had better have a good handle on what she was raising this boy for.
I’m not trying to knock any parent in here, for indeed I want the same things…
But if you’ll stop and pay attention I’d venture to guess that
About 99% of the prayers that get offered up for our kids
Focus on their safety, happiness, and general well-being.
“Lord, watch over them…”
“Lord, keep them safe…”
“Lord, make them feel better…”
And those prayers are often coupled with parallel forms of instruction.
“Don’t run with scissors…”
“Don’t put that in your mouth…”
“Don’t drive fast…”
“Be careful…”
And really, even most of our warnings against sin
Have more to do with them not getting hurt
Than they do with being worried about whether or not God is offended.
What’s the problem with that preacher?
Nothing, in a general sense.
But everything is wrong with it if you raise your child to think
Their sole ambition in life is to be happy and not get hurt.
Simeon is giving Mary a lesson in “Godly-Motherhood 101”
“Mary, God has a plan for this boy,
And I can already tell you that it’s not going to be a pleasant one.
You make sure that you raise this boy to be faithful, not merely careful.”
That, by the way, is Christian parenting at its finest.
I spoke with a lady on the phone this past week. She’s got a daughter (whose name I can’t say) who is serving on the mission field in a country I can’t mention. It is that dangerous.
After reading this passage, I thanked that mother for spending her life raising her children to be faithful, not just careful.
Mary is about to raise this child,
And Simeon, whose sole concern is the consolation of Israel,
Wants to make sure that Mary knows what her role is here.
It is truly a sobering reality and reminder.
But that’s the first witness Luke brings up here on this day.
#2 ANNA
Luke 2:36-38
Just in reading those 3 verses you probably already see
Just how many similarities Anna had to Simeon.
First she is called “a prophetess”
And I’ll just take that at face value
And say she was a proclaimer of the word of God.
• Since there was no new revelation occurring that day,
• It does not indicate that she was receiving new revelations and delivering them to the people,
• But it is not at all far-fetched to imagine this godly woman teaching the children and the younger women in the temple court yard.
Again, Paul spoke of the role of an older woman:
Titus 2:3-5 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”
I don’t think it’s a stretch to see a ministry just like that for this woman.
We also find that she was “the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher”
Indicating that her service was not some sort of obligatory service.
She wasn’t of the tribe of Levi.
You know she didn’t grow up in a priest’s household.
She was just a normal Jewish woman,
Who had a commitment to the word of God.
“She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four”
This speaks to her chastity and devotion.
Perhaps you remember Paul speaking of widows and widowers.
1 Corinthians 7:8-9 “But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
The reason of course:
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 “But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”
Paul could have had Anna in mind when he wrote that.
Her husband died early in life and she transferred that devotion to Jesus.
Luke goes on to say:
“She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.”
Certainly I think there is some hyperbole there.
Luke’s point is merely that it was an extreme rarity
To go to the temple and not see Anna there fasting and praying.
Anna is what Paul would call “a widow indeed”
1 Timothy 5:5 “Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.”
• When her husband died she didn’t become a busy-body.
• She didn’t become “overly concerned with community affairs”.
• And she also didn’t just start living for her own happiness.
She saw the absence of her husband
As a void only to be filled by the presence of God.
WHAT IS MORE, By serving in the temple continually, what do you suppose she did for income? How did she make a living?
She was obviously dependent upon the generosity of those who came to worship. This is what Paul meant by she “has fixed her hope on God”.
THIS WOMAN HAD NO WORLDLY HOOKS.
So, can we talk about Anna’s devotion now too?
You can see what she and Simeon each had in common.
Neither of them had an attachment to the world.
They had crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
And look at her response when she sees Jesus.
(She probably heard Simeon’s statements)
(38) “At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Anna went from fasting and praying to thanksgiving and evangelism.
She found everyone in the temple whom she knew was also “looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” and started telling them all about this baby.
The key phrase there is EXCITEMENT, wouldn’t you say?
This woman has been in this temple for well over 60 years praying and fasting continually…her excitement tells us what she was praying and fasting for.
She wanted a Redeemer.
And in her we find the exact same picture as we find in Simeon.
• A person who has no desire or attachment to this world at all.
• A person whose sole desire is redemption and deliverance.
• A person who found Jesus and was totally satisfied.
Certainly neither of them needed anything else,
But do you see that neither of them even wanted anything else?
THEY WERE SATISFIED WITH JESUS.
And to return to those beatitudes we talked about, we would say that these two are “pure in heart”.
• They didn’t just pretend to be poor in spirit, they really were.
• They didn’t just pretend to mourn over sin, they really did.
• They didn’t just say they would be meek, they really were.
• They didn’t just claim to want righteousness, they really did.
And we know that based on the way they responded to Jesus.
Jesus is just a baby and yet He has already revealed two hearts.
• Simeon has seen all he needs and is now ready to go home.
• Anna has seen the satisfaction of 60+ years of praying.
JESUS REALLY WAS ALL THEY WANTED.
And that makes for a very penetrating observation for each of us.
We don’t anticipate the first coming of the Messiah as they did,
WE ANTICIPATE THE SECOND.
But I would hesitate to say that any of us
Anticipates the coming of Jesus like these two did.
One was ready at any moment to see Christ and leave this earth,
The other had spent her entire life praying for this day.
I don’t know that any of us can match that. (In fact, I know we can’t)
And that confronts the fact that perhaps
We are still trying to find fulfillment in this world instead of in Christ alone
Can we really sing the songs we are so familiar with:
• “Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my joy, my all”?
• “All that thrills my soul is Jesus, He is more than life to me”?
• “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I’d rather be His than have riches untold, I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands, I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand”?
• “I am satisfied with Jesus”
I THINK YOU GET THE POINT.
• And look, I’m not trying to sit here and insinuate that I’m a shining example and you are all just idolatrous thugs…
• Nor am I blindly assuming that you don’t love Jesus more than anything else…
I’m merely asking you to CONSIDER WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE
And to realize that regardless of what your priorities were
When you came in here this morning,
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT JESUS IS BETTER!
He alone is all-satisfying!
He alone is totally fulfilling!
He alone is all-sufficient!
And I know that because we just saw two people who weren’t satisfied by anything this world had to offer and yet they were satisfied in Jesus.
JESUS IS ENOUGH
TURN TO: Psalms 4
This is a Psalm I really “saw” for this first time this week.
It begins with David begging God to answer his prayer.
(1) “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.”
Certainly we recognize:
• David’s confession that God is his “righteousness”
• And that God is his Savior who has “relieved [him] in [his] distress”
But we also see that David has a request that he wants God to answer.
So my natural question is: What is your request?
Well, David doesn’t immediately tell us.
Instead, he immediately begins to address the “sons of men”
(2) “O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?”
Well we know what David’s “honor” was,
It was God who is his Savior, and the righteousness He had provided.
And here we find David asking people
• Why they have such reproach for God and His righteousness?
• Why they love worthless things so much.
But before they answer, David has a word of testimony.
And his word is great.
He assures them that there is a fulfillment in having God
That perhaps they have never understood.
(3) “But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; The LORD hears when I call to Him.”
I don’t know why you love the world so much,
But I’m telling you that being a child of God is a tremendous thing!
Having God hear me when I call is a tremendous thing!
And then David even gives sort of an invitation to the wicked to draw near to God.
(4) “Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.”
AND HERE WE ARE AT SORT OF THAT MOMENT OF TRUTH.
• David sees a world that loves sin and hates righteousness.
• David wants them to know that there is a fulfillment in God that they can’t receive anywhere else.
• David even tells them that the way to receive this fulfillment is to repent of their sin and draw near to God.
But let’s be honest…
How many times have we offered that very invitation to people?
How many times has that invitation been offered to us when we become preoccupied with the world?
I can’t count the number of times I’ve had conversations
And tried to assure people that if they would let of their sin
They would find fulfillment in Christ.
It seems like nearly every time they disregard my advice.
THAT IS WHERE DAVID IS.
He can’t seem to get through to people just how fulfilling Christ is.
NOW WE COME BACK TO HIS PRAYER REQUEST.
(6-8) “Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD! You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.”
David first reveals the world’s cry for satisfaction, “who will show us any good?”
Mick Jagger said it accurately, they just can’t get no satisfaction.
And David has a solution.
“Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD!”
What is David’s request?
SHOW THEM YOUR FACE!
“God, I can’t seem to get through to them, that you are the all-fulfilling, all-sufficient, God of the world. They just keep looking for love in all the wrong places. God please show them Your face!”
And if God will, David knows that they will be convinced.
(7) “You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound.”
That is to say, that
“They’ve been to the best parties and celebrations that the world can throw and yet not one of them has ever reached the level of gladness in their hear that I have found in You.”
The world just can’t compete…
Often times we try to do ministry by competing with the world, We try to entertain.
But in the entertainment arena we cannot compete for the world can appeal to the flesh, and we cannot.
However, we have at our disposal something the world cannot compete with, we have the very presence of God.
DAVID WANT’S GOD TO REVEAL HIMSELF,
BECAUSE IN GOD HE HAS SOMETHING
THE WORLD CANNOT COMPETE WITH.
(8) “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.”
In You God, I get:
• True gladness of heart
• True peace of mind
The world can’t offer either, they are found in You alone:
God, please show them your face!
Incidentally, this became my prayer for you this week.
• This became my prayer for me this week.
• This became my prayer for the youth that come on Wednesday nights.
I am praying that God would show His face
So that if you can’t presently say that Jesus is enough,
That very soon you will be.
Consider Asaph in Psalm 73.
• He lamented his inability to be satisfied with the things of the world.
• He didn’t have enough, and he longed for more.
Until he entered the sanctuary of God.
He saw the end of those who seek the world
AND HOW UTTERLY UNFULFILLING IT ALL IS.
This led Asaph to confess:
Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”
Asaph found fulfillment in Christ.
Jesus became all-sufficient to him.
THIS IS MY REQUEST OF YOU THIS MORNING.
Luke has been revealing to us the birth of
The most fulfilling and satisfying person to ever enter the human realm.
It is in fact “good news of great joy” for He is the Savior!
And He is enough.
This morning I’m going to ask you to begin to seek His face.
And NO, I DON’T MEAN some mystical trance where you set Indian style with your eyes rolled back in your head waiting for Jesus to appear.
God reveals His face in His word.
So I’m going to ask you
• If you would simply begin to pray, “God, show me Your face!”
• And if you’d be willing to follow that up by searching for Him in His word.
As you read, ask God to show you who He is.
The result of that will be that
If you don’t currently find Him to be all-satisfying, you will shortly.
I also want you to pray that same prayer for our church,
Pray it for me,
Pray it for the youth of this church.
We cannot seem to get through to others just how wonderful He is
So pray that He will lift up the light of His countenance upon us.
Jesus is all-satisfying, the tragedy is that so many don’t know it.
Simeon knew it…
Anna knew it…
It is my prayer that we all know it as well.
