The Faith of Simeon and Anna

Ascension Presbyterian Church Longwood

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Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke and chapter 2

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This will be our second Advent Sunday and we're going to read verses 25 through 38 and I want to remind you that this is

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God's holy and infallible Word We come and we sit under our

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Lord and his teaching to be instructed by it Here now God's Word Luke 2 25

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And behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and The Holy Spirit was upon him

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And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit That he would not see death before he had seen the

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Lord's Christ So he came by the Spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the child

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Jesus To do for him according to the custom of the law. He took him up in his arms and blessed

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God and said Lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples a light to bring revelation to the

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Gentiles in the glory of your people Israel and Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him

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Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother behold This child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign

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Which will be spoken against. Yes a sword will pierce through your own soul also

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That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed Now there was one

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Anna a prophetess The daughter of Faneuil of the tribe of Asher She was of great age and had lived with the husband seven years from her virginity

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And this woman was a widow of about 84 years who did not depart from the temple, but served

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God with fastings and prayers night and day and Coming in in that instant.

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She gave thanks to the Lord who spoke of him To all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem Let's pray together now and ask the

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Lord's help. Oh Lord. Your word is excellent your spirit powerful and we ask for both light and heat we ask for illumination and we ask for a piercing of hearts

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The influx of joy and Thanksgiving and O Lord we ask us to teach you how to wait in faith

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And in hope and we ask all this in Jesus name Amen, please be seated as We continue to develop liturgically and as a corporate body

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It's important to know that that Advent season isn't the expansion of Christmas but it is the time of anticipation a time of waiting time of Looking to the future.

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So today Though we enter the story in the narrative after the birth of Jesus Our emphasis is really on Simeon and Anna prior to the arrival of Christ We're gonna look at the faith of Simeon and Anna and that's the title of the message today if there's an overarching theme it is

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These are lives worthy of your emulation the faith of Simeon and Anna Those of you who have need of an outline

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I have posted it in the slack channel for reference if you need it later first, we're going to consider the idea of waiting

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Number one is waiting Second we're gonna look primarily at Anna and her example of serving

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Waiting is number one serving is two third is witnessing speaking proclaiming the truth witnessing and Then fourth giving thanks and praising

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God So what the people of God do in this season properly is they enter into the history of Israel And they put themselves back with their spiritual forefathers

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Waiting for the incarnation the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's what

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I want us to try to do today Much of the Christian life is spent waiting

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You undergo a trial and you wait for the Lord to answer

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Some of you today are waiting for the Lord to provide a spouse If you've been married, maybe you're waiting to get pregnant

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Even after you get pregnant you have to wait nine months for the child to be born you wait for the doctor to come back with Test results and those are sometimes hard seasons of waiting but consider

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Israel The faithful in Israel long for the coming of the

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Messiah They yearn for his redemption they wanted to see

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God's promises realized and the whole of redemptive history since the fall in Genesis they have waited

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From the proto evangelium of Genesis 3 15 That the seed of the woman would crush the serpents head the people of God have been waiting when

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I was a child and Was now a long time ago that I was a child.

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I remember being filled with expectation on Christmas evening waiting to get up to open my presents and I could not go to sleep at night and I woke up extraordinarily early to find out all the good gifts that Had been provided for me and I was apparently very materialistic my children

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I have to go wake them up and push them and try to get them out of bed to get things started I don't know why they don't want to wake up for Christmas morning

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But when you're a kid waiting for that new bike or that new toy It seems like it takes forever.

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I remember my wife's mother saying about something off in the future. That's coming It's slow as Christmas slow to get here

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But think about Israel thousands and thousands of years

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Waiting for the promise to be realized that the Messiah would come that Sanctuary that Satan would be vanquished and conquered and the people would live in peace

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Oh how they waited Abraham and Sarah waited for the child of promise

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They were well past ordinary childbearing years and they were well advanced into old age

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They're waiting for Isaac that he would start fulfilling the promise That would find its ultimate fulfillment in Christ The promise to Abraham and your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed

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Oh how Abraham and Sarah waited and how Abraham had to look in faith to the horizon for Thousands of years in the future when the

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Christ would come Jacob had to wait seven years for Rachel But Israel had to wait four hundred and thirty years to be set free from Pharaoh's house of bondage in Egypt The Southern tribes of Judah waited for 70 years in the

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Babylonian exile and when they returned it was hard labor to rebuild We just learned recent years the story of Zechariah In our text today we have the beginning stages of the most significant event in history the incarnation of Christ and his sinless life

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The arrival of the kingdom of God his prophetic teaching as the living word his atoning death

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His burial his resurrection his ascension At which he said wait in Jerusalem until the

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Holy Spirit has come upon you And you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and all

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Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth even now the earnest

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Expectation of the creation. It's hard to imagine this language as we discussed this morning yearning waiting for the revealing of the sons of God Romans 8 and 19 and following we eagerly wait for The adoption even now we wait to be to put off these bodies of sin to be done with the sinful flesh to be inhabited inhabiting our glorified bodies

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But a hope that is seen is not hope For why does one still hope for what he sees

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Paul says in chapter 8 of Romans? But if we hope for what we do not see we eagerly wait for it with perseverance

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So in Advent season we're taught about how to wait The promise hasn't been fulfilled.

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It's not been realized And so we wait let's look at the text again in verse 25

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Simeon was a just and devout man What a statement

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What superlatives would the Holy Spirit write about your life?

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Christopher was what? Jacob and Caleb are what?

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Simeon was a righteous man He was completely singularly devoted to the one true

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God and he was waiting he was waiting for the consolation of Israel That word is associated with what we know as the

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Paraclete the comforter Paraklesis The people of God needed comforting they need a consoling they were in desperate need of the promises the sure promises of the

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Davidic Kingdom to be realized and Simeon is an older man, and he's waiting for the revelation of Jesus Christ and it says the

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Holy Spirit was Upon him It's important to remember that the

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Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity it's not an impersonal force and The Holy Spirit doesn't show up for the first time at Pentecost, which is later than this

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The Spirit has been Indwelling his people and now in the New Covenant certainly a different Outpouring a different work of the

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Holy Spirit a more full expression of the Holy Spirit's work after the ascension of Christ but this man

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Simeon a just man a devout man and his Character and his

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Holy Spirit leadness is tied to him waiting Waiting for the consolation of Israel and there was a prophecy apparently given to him look at verse 26

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It says it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the

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Lord's Christ Can you imagine a man well versed in?

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waiting from a redemptive historical perspective his own life now probably very advanced in years

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That God had promised him through the Holy Spirit that he would see with his own eyes the

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Lord Jesus Christ And so he labors and waits in faith that I think the first application for us is

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Whatever the promise is we're called to faithfulness now Simeon was going about his life being just and devout

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You and I would like to see the triumphal return of the Lord Jesus Christ But now we have to labor and toil and faithfulness

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Looking toward that blessed hope and if history seems to be as it is we probably in our lifetime

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Will not see it Are you waiting in?

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Hope are you waiting in faith? Are you waiting for the revelation of the people that are you laboring in the fields to bring in the?

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harvest It seems that Simeon and Anna who are exemplars to us

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They were very active while they waited you and I have to be diligent and active in our in our waiting for future events

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What an incredible promise to be one of those who would See the

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Christ I don't know if we have a sense of how weighty these moments are where where these dear saints would have the privilege of holding the baby

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Jesus in their hands and and knowing by faith empowered by the

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Holy Spirit that Salvation is of the Lord and salvation has come in him the promises are going to be realized

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Israel and in fact the nations are going to be saved it says he was in verse 27

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Not only did the Spirit work in his life Was upon him not only did he give him a special revelation

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But in verse 27 it says the Spirit led him into the temple now not to get into a big thing about history, but The Ark of the

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Covenant is not in the temple the presence of God is not in the temple but now

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God himself in the flesh is in the temple. These are dramatic things that are happening

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God's presence in the temple again in the baby the Lord Jesus Christ When he comes but led by the

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Spirit of the temple he finds the parents And the parents brought in Jesus to do for him according to the custom

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Of the law let me quick about this But I want to review the custom of the law because like we learned this morning

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We have to understand. Why did Jesus? Why is he presented at the temple? I have to understand why if you have your

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Bibles you're welcome to follow along with me I'll be looking first at Exodus chapter 13

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Contextually This is the chapter that immediately follows the dramatic last plague of Egypt's deliverance of Israel's deliverance from Egypt and in that Description we learned that there was

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Passover blood that was Sprinkled on the lentils and the doorposts and and the death angel does not

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Kill the firstborn of Israel where the blood is but it goes through and wreaks havoc and kills all the firstborn of Egypt even in Pharaoh's house

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And so this firstborn becomes a very significant theme in the scripture starting right here in Exodus This is what it says

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Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying Consecrate to me all the firstborn

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Whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel both of man and beast it is mine

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The firstborn was to be employed in the Holy Service Every firstborn was to be consecrated to the

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Holy Service of God my grandson

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Callan was Born and I don't know if you remember When I baptized him,

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I think that principle still remains I say you're the firstborn son You're consecrated to the

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Lord Consecrate to me all the firstborn whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel Now I'm going to skip down to verse 11 the interest of time

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It says this and it shall be when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites as he swore to you and your

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Fathers and gives it to you That you shall set apart to the Lord all that opened the womb that is every firstborn that comes from an animal

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Which you have the males shall be the Lord's But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb and if you will not redeem it then you shall break its neck

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In all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeemed

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I'm gonna read that again and all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeemed

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So it shall be when your son asked you in time to come

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What is this you shall say to him? by the strength of the hand the Lord the hand of the

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Lord brought us up out of Egypt and out of the house of bondage and It came to pass when

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Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt Both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of the beasts

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Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb But all the firstborn of my sons

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I Redeemed it shall be as a sign on your hand and on the front lips between your eyes

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For by the strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt. The firstborn son is

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Consecrated to the Lord turn over quickly to Leviticus chapter 12 We have to understand why

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Jesus was in the temple Why he was being presented and what was transpiring there

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Leviticus 12 1 then the Lord spoke to Moses saying speak to the children of Israel saying if a woman has conceived and Born a male child then she shall be unclean seven days as in the days of her customary

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Impurity she shall be unclean and on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised

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Children you may remember this There's been some scientific evidence that has been shown.

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This is amazing that The Lord prescribed a flintstone be used for the circumcision

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And he also prescribed it would happen on the eighth day Now this is a modern scientific discovery

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The day when a Baby produces the most red blood cells that will ever produce in its life.

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You have a guess what day that is Day is day The little ones aren't gonna bleed to death from circumcision

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They keep covenant promise with God The flintstone, you know that no bacteria can live on a flint

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Didn't know about these things medically God knows every detail all the

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Every fiber that's woven into the fabric. There are We could launch off into huge discourses on every one of these elements

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She shall continue it says in the blood of her purification 33 days She shall not touch any hallowed thing nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled she bears a female child and she shall be unclean two weeks as In her customary impurity and she shall continue in the blood of her purification 66 days when the days of her purification are fulfilled whether for a son or a daughter then she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtle dove as a sin offering to the door of the tabernacle of meeting

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And so the parents have to bring a sin offering to the Lord for their baby, that's what

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Joseph and Mary are doing when they come to the temple now quickly

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Over in verse 8 it says and if she's not able to bring a lamb and this was a provision for poverty

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She may bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons one is a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering

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Joseph and Mary don't have enough money to buy a lamb. They they do the bird offerings here

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So the priest shall make atonement for her and she shall be clean one more really quickly numbers 18

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And this is where Things the drama really builds for me. It's really exciting to think of what's happening here verse 1 of chapter 18

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Then the Lord said to Aaron Now, how is it that all of the firstborn children of Israel can serve in temple service and Levitical service?

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The answer is they can't and they won't So the parents have to give an offering of five shekels in order to redeem their firstborn and it supports the work of the priests and the

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Levites This is what's happening with Jesus now the irony is we have

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Mary and Joseph fulfilling the custom of the law for the firstborn and the firstborn

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Overall creation is the subject It's unbelievable the drama that's happening here and I don't know if Anna and Simeon know all the details of this

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They have to pay money to redeem Purchase back their children this symbolic way

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They could go home with them and the Lord's service and work will continue through the priests and the

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Levites That's why Jesus is being presented at the temple.

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Now, let's go back to our text Luke chapter 2 with this

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Prophecy this prompting this leading of the Holy Spirit Simeon just has got to be filled with great joy and and Thanksgiving when they bring in the child

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Jesus They do for him according to the custom of the law, which we just reviewed

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He took him up in his arms and he blessed God and said Song of Simeon what we sing is our recessional

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Lord you're now letting your servant depart in peace according to your word

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For my eyes have seen your salvation My eyes have seen salvation

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Salvation is of the Lord Salvation is found in Jesus Christ in him and alone.

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I see it with my own eyes. The promise is fulfilled You prepared this all before the face of all peoples and oh

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Lord I recognize and acknowledge that this one is also going to bring light and revelation and salvation to the ends of the earth to the

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Gentiles And that's us and the glory of your people

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Israel So Simeon's been busy while he's waiting

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He's been just and faithful and devout and praying and waiting for the consolation of Israel he's been serving verse 33 says and Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother behold

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This child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel The arrival of Christ in the incarnation is salvation to the nation's but lest we forget he comes with a sword

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In his second coming the enemies of God will be judged in Israel's own history within 40 years of the 70 years of this period

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They're going to abandon the true faith because they reject the Christ Their temples going to be destroyed and the people of God through persecution are gonna be preserved

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The message of Jesus is not all fuzzy and happy It's a message of condemnation to the earth who doesn't believe in him.

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Let's let's we forget kiss the Sun Give honor to the

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King And Lest you be angry and his wrath be kindled but a little and for Mary we always think of Mary and her shock and her

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Magnificat and all the things surrounding This birth but think about what she's going to experience verse 35 a sword will pierce through your own soul also

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Mary's going to be confronted with her need of salvation in her son and She's gonna stand at the foot of the cross and watch her beloved

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Blessed son to whom all the promises have been given to whom the angel has spoken of to her

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She's gonna watch him die on the cross She's gonna be pierced with many sorrows the thoughts of many hearts are going to be revealed so we see

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Simeon waiting in faith with hope with expectancy We see him serving we see him witnessing proclaiming the truth to to Mary even

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But we see him also Giving thanks and praising God and all of these things we can emulate to them

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We can follow him and do this Let's quickly consider Anna now

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Now there was one Anna Prophetess The daughter of Faneuil of the tribe of Asher I want to pause here really quickly because the tribe of Asher was part of the northern kingdom and The vast majority of them had been assimilated into a

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Syria never to be seen again But in the providence of God Faneuil's family

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Anna She finds herself in Jerusalem She's not carried away in the

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Assyria. I don't know how her family ends up back in Jerusalem I don't know if they side with Judah hundreds and hundreds of years before I don't know what happens here

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But she is there from the tribe of Asher. She was there of great age now

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I think this is how you calculate Her life it says she was of great age

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And had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity So let's say that she got married when she was 17, which not it would not have been unheard of She probably became a widow at the age of 24 and for the last 60 years

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She has devoted herself to prayer and fasting That's how I do the math.

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I break all the parts apart You and I struggle to keep our eyes open for our last prayer at night the bed is too comfortable for us in the morning to crack open the

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Bible to read it devotionally and this woman is characterized by a life of selfless service to God through prayer and fasting for 60 years day and night

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Praying Fasting Serving God Night and day

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I'm challenged by The diligence and devotion of Anna I Have all of the promises

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God revealed to me and I don't labor in this way Not only do

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I have the incarnation of the Christ I have all of his teaching I have it all written in this book and I have his resurrection and his ascension and his reign and his rule

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I have all of it All of the promises are here in front of me and I don't have this kind of devotion.

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Oh Lord grant us This hunger and thirst for your righteousness this kind of devotion to you

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In verse 38 says in coming in that instant

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She gives thanks to the Lord she's been waiting for the

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Messiah The whole nation should have been in the temple waiting for him but she alone and Simeon and a few people are waiting anticipating the arrival of the

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Lord Jesus Christ. What does she do? She goes out and testifies and speaks of him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem So as we attempt liturgically in Faith to to walk with our spiritual forefathers

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It seems to me that we should be waiting in a different way Waiting is usually attended with idleness

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But not this kind of waiting This kind of waiting is filled with faith and hope and expectancy and actually a lot of work

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Discerning the working of the Holy Spirit obedient to him the Spirit prompts him and he goes to the temple

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The Spirit has prompted Anna and she doesn't depart from the temple that serves there for probably 60 years

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You and I need to like Anna and Simeon find our place of service in the church and in the kingdom of God and Like Simeon we need to speak the truth about the reality of the judgment of God in Christ along with the message of salvation

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We have to speak the truth to this Wicked and dying world that without Christ they will perish but with Christ they have

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Eternal life and we have to witness and testify like Anna who

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Heard the news saw the Christ and went out and spoke to all those who look for redemption in Jerusalem you and I need to preach

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Christ to every creature under heaven to make the joyful noise the sound that Jesus Christ has

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Come in all things the

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Christian life is a life of thanksgiving and praising God and Doxology you and I can do all of the things in some form that Simeon and Anna have done in anticipation of Christ in his second

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Advent Amen Let's pray together now.

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Oh Lord we

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We thank you for these saints of old who are men and women just like us of the same spirit, but But also filled with the spirit.

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Oh Lord I pray that you would fill your people with the Holy Spirit like you filled Simeon and Anna And oh

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Lord, I pray that we would wait For all the little things of life that are bothering us and troubling us waiting for a better marriage

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Waiting for a better employment waiting for the test results, whatever it is Oh Lord, I pray that we would not become idle in our waiting and not give up That we'd be filled with faith and hope and expectancy and we would diligently labor with our hand to the plow

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Doing the work that you have given us to do and oh Lord help us to have a heart for service within this church body where every member would be serving the church in some way and Give us a desire to make your glory known

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Far as the curse is found to proclaim the the reversal of the curse in Jesus Christ And all of this would be to your glory and honor and would fill our hearts with praise

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Thanksgiving and adoration giving you all the glory for Jesus sake in whose name we pray