The transcript of the service can be read below
LUKE 2:25-38
25 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 on him.26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what the custom of the Law required,28 Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,you may now dismiss your servant in peace.30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The Child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about Him.34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
LUKE 2:25-38
PRAISING GOD
Springford Baptist Church: Dec. 27, 2020.
This is the last Sunday of 2020. Many people talk about being eager to leave 2020 behind. I heard of someone who was cooking Christmas dinner this year and had the turkey in the oven to cook when the hydro went out. Power was not expected to be restored for several hours. Her conclusion was, “Of course this would happen for 2020.”
It seems that with all the challenges that 2020 has brought, people have been inclined to focus on the obstacles and disappointments and problems we have faced. We know that in the midst of the pandemic and personal issues that have arisen, God has been with us and we still have had reasons to praise God.
Leading up to Christmas, I was reminded of this reality when another pastor shared the Scripture from Genesis 28:16, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it. …” These are the words of Jacob when he has been travelling and stops for the night. In a dream, God appears to him and says,“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” (Genesis 28:15)
God has been with us in 2020 and has been watching over us and our families. This is reason to praise God and to keep looking expectantly to God for the ways that He will keep on revealing Himself to us.
In the Scripture from Luke 2 that we are considering today, we have Jesus being presented in the Temple.
We have record of the responses of both Simeon and Anna to Jesus. They express openly what their eyes have seen when they look at Jesus, this 8 day old Baby and the Son of God. They recognize that this is the Promised One of God. They identify that a Saviour has been born, Christ the Lord.
It is significant that
both Simeon and Anna are devoted to God and attentive to what God
will show them. They didn’t just get up that morning and say for
the first time , “Now what do you want to show me today God”?
This
openness and prayerfulness has been a consistent pattern of their
lives and the same can be true for us.
We can choose to be watching and listening for what God will reveal to us each new day. This will give us reasons to praise Him as we encounter Jesus in each new day.
We have opportunity both to look back reflecting what we have seen and to look forward to what we will see as we ask God to keep showing us more and more of who He is.
As you look back over this past year 2020, when were times that God seemed particularly close? When were you especially aware that God was with you?
It may have been in happy times with family and friends, as complicated as that has been with porch visits and social media connections. These were times when you felt blessed and knew that God is the source of blessing.
Those are the times when the natural expression of our hearts is to feel grateful and to thank God, to breathe prayers of gratitude and to praise God.
You may have experienced God particularly close in quiet moments of beauty like a colourful sunset or a fragile flower or the vibrant tones of autumn.
You may have been praying for some time and seen an answer to prayer that made God seem very near and interested in and concerned about what happens to you and people that you love.
Yes, these are times when we expect to feel God up close and very real to us.
Think of your own times when this has been so over these recent months.
But we do not only feel God close with us in good times and when the path seems smooth and blessed.
Consider also how you have seen with your eyes and known God with You in the times this past year that have been difficult and uncertain, in the times when you have wondered where you would find strength to get through.
God has answered that need as well!
God has been close with us in our struggles; in dealing with COVID; in all the adjustments we have had to make to our plans and our usual way of doing things; in our health concerns; in our disappointments; in our loss of loved ones; in the unexpected circumstances that could have thrown us completely off course.
When Jesus came to be our Saviour, He did not come just for the easy times. He came to be with us in all times!
There are insights for us to gain and things for us to see in the good times and in the hard times.
The fact that God promises to be with us no matter what gives us reason to be attentively looking for Him all the time.
Simeon and Anna were both expectant in their approach to God and they did find Jesus the Saviour and Redeemer!
They had seen what God had shown them in their consistent faithfulness and they came to each new day ready for what that day would bring of awareness of God and his unfolding plans.
We thank God that he has traveled with us this past year of 2020 and we trust God that he will be our constant Companion for the year ahead.
We cannot know or predict what this year ahead will hold for us, but we do know that God will be holding us through it all. We are not promised and cannot expect that 2021 will see the removing of all things unpleasant and hard to face. Knowing as Simeon and Anna did that God is consistently and persistently at work to bring about His plans is what we need to remember.
Whatever is happening, “Surely God is in this place…”
The fact that God not only accompanies us, but guides us each step of the way is reason for profound reassurance.
We can anticipate an unknown year ahead, being lovingly guided by our known God who keeps on showing us what we need to see and know!! What have your eyes seen of God and how does this give you confidence for what He will reveal in days to come?
We along with Simeon and Anna praise God for the answer to our prayers that we find in Jesus!