The Newborn Christ Brightens the Way We Live

1st Sunday after Christmas, the Presentation of our Lord

The Newborn Christ Brightens the Way We Live

Text:  Luke 2:25-40

Intro

The waiting game is never easy.  There’s a reason why patience is called a virtue.  Waiting for family or a dear friend to come to town takes a lot of effort.  There are preparations to be made—cooking, cleaning, planning.  The excitement of knowing that your loved one is coming and that you will see them very soon makes you want to jump out of your skin.  It might make you lose some sleep.

Waiting for a baby to come brings similar excitement.  Like cute little Abigale who was baptized today, the anticipation of waiting for something so precious and so special like the birth of a child is sometimes unbearable.

In our house we end up counting sleeps with our little ones.  “Ten more sleeps till grandma and grandpa get here.”  “Five more sleeps till presents on Christmas.”  Or as of today, twenty-two more sleeps until a certain boy turns 5.

I.a.

Simeon must have been jumping out of his skin.  An older man of faith who lived in Jerusalem, Luke tells us that he, “was righteous and devout.  He was waiting for the consolation of Israel.”  Like so many other believers throughout the ages—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, Elijah, and many more—Simeon was waiting for the one who would bring consoling and encouragement for Israel.  Simeon was waiting for the Lord’s promised Messiah, or Christ.  Even better, the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that before he died he personally would see the Messiah with his own eyes.