The Infancy of Jesus 11/13/2022

Hebrews as the Final Revelation in the Son

In the 60s AD, they were increasingly becoming persecuted because of their Christian faith. And so there was a temptation for them to deny Jesus and embrace their Jewish belief and tradition as they formerly had, because that was still a legal religion in Rome, the Roman Empire.

And the writer, inspired of God, of course, told these professing Jewish Christians, there's no salvation if you go that route. God's been moving through history, revealing himself, and he's revealed himself through Jesus Christ, his son, and to abandon him and go back is just like the Israelites going back to Egypt, and they forfeit their deliverance.

In chapter one, you will read about how Jesus is set forth as greater than the angels. And the nature of the writer's argument is that the Jews believed that most of the law of Moses was given by God through angels to Moses.

And therefore, although the Old Testament, the Mosaic law, was legitimate given by angels, God has revealed a finality and a fullness through his son, Jesus Christ. And that's why Jesus is shown to be greater than the angels.

We have a fuller revelation of who God is in his son, Jesus. Hebrews chapter one.

Hebrews chapter one. Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

Having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, you are my son, today I have begotten you. Or again, I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son.

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all God's angels worship him. Of the angels, he says, he makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire. But of the son, he says, your throne, oh God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.

And you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like a garment. Like a robe, you will roll them up.

Like a garment, they will be changed. But you are the same and your years will have no end. And to which of the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?

Are they not all ministering servants sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Let's pray. Our heavenly Father, Jesus Christ is better. He is better than all these things.

He is better than anything that the world can offer. In Christ is life. In Christ is eternal life. And Lord, we rejoice and we exalt you, that we know you and that we are found in you. Lord, we thank you for this text of scripture that exalts Christ over all things.

He is the exact imprint of your nature. Lord, what wonderful truths. We pray that in our lives we would give Christ the supreme place that he is deserved. We ask, Lord, that all things would fall under his authority in our lives.

And Lord, we pray that you would help us and guide us as we walk through the scriptures. We pray, Lord, that as Lars preaches this sermon, that we would hear your truth and the Spirit would take that truth and change our hearts.

We pray, Lord, that we would leave here with a better understanding of who you are and what you've done. Help us now, Lord, as we lift you up in worship through the preaching of the word. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen.

The Shepherds, the Infant Jesus, and the Call to Treasure His Word

Well, let's turn to Luke chapter one, or two, rather. I hope and trust that you're enjoying this study of Luke as I am. It's wonderfully rich. I think it's probably about my favorite book of the Bible, if you can say something like that.

Now, last week we considered the account of the shepherds and the angelic message they received in the fields of Bethlehem the night the Savior was born. The angel had declared to them, "'For there is born to you and there's emphasis on that, "'to you, shepherds.' This day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.".

The specific message of the angel, you will recall, was good news to these shepherds that although they were lowly persons and held in contempt by society, they had available to them salvation from sin before God through this child that had been born.

And the angel had told them of a sign that would confirm to them this truth, the reality of this promise, to you has been born this Savior. And so the shepherds rushed to the place where their faith was confirmed when they saw the infant wrapped in poverty and lying in his humility.

He was one for them. And then, of course, throughout our Lord's earthly ministry, he would be to others as these shepherds found him on this night, gendering hope, eliciting peace and encouraging the approach to him by all lowly and needy people.

And there's an emphasis in Luke's gospel on those who are poor and in need of him, who come to him. And you can come to Jesus Christ and be received by him if you come humbly, acknowledging your spiritual uncleanness and poverty, looking to him in faith for what he alone can bestow, even the forgiveness of sins and the kind of new life that he produces, which is fellowship with his father, a life of righteousness, peace, and joy, as you follow him along with his people.

Now, the shepherds had related what they had seen and heard from the angel to those present at the manger scene. And the result was the wonderment of Joseph and Mary at that news. And then we read of Mary specifically, there seems to be a continually pulling back to her and her reaction.

She treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. We then read in verse 20 that the shepherds returned to the fields glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen just as had been told them.

And this is the kind of response and it set forth in the narrative, the way the story is told. It's the kind of response that you and I ought to have as these shepherds, when we hear and learn of our Lord, whether it be through preaching, teaching, or own reading of the Holy Scriptures, we're to highly value every bit of news that we learn of him, storing it away as a treasure deposited securely in our hearts so that we might work through the matter, ponder it, meditate upon it, thinking and praying for a better understanding regarding its implications.

And then let us be as these shepherds, glorified and praising God that we were so blessed to have been allowed by God to have been given such news. It's a truism that it is a great privilege to have in our hands the news that angels long to look into, prophets strained to understand.

You have that in your hand, in your Bible. And it's great sin to take it lightly or disregard it with little interest, with disinterest or little value. And so may God put it into our hearts to love him and to love his word and to seek to understand it fully as it reveals our savior and our Lord.

You can spend a lifetime studying it and you'll never arrive at a final goal because it is ever rich and rewarding. And so we are to seek Christ in his word. Just as the ancient wise men urged his son to seek wisdom, we can say with regard to biblical knowledge of Jesus Christ blessed is the one who finds wisdom.

In other words, finds Christ. And the one who gets understanding for the gain from her wisdom is better than gain from silver, her profit better than gold. She's more precious than jewels. Nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand, even eternal life in Christ. In her left hand are riches and honor. In her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are at peace. She's a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.

Those who hold her fast are called blessed. And the New Testament says that God has made Jesus Christ onto us wisdom. And so these things are applicable to seeking him and knowing him. Well, we now arrive to the next recorded event in the life of Jesus, which is his circumcision and his naming, by the way, and his presentation in the temple.

And so here's Luke 2, 21 to verse 35. And Lord willing, we'll attempt to get through it in the time we have this morning. When eight days were completed for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus.

The name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Now in the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

As it's written in the law of the Lord, every male who opens the womb should be called holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

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. 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.

And so he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed 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 Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.

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 which will be spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Throughout this infancy narrative of Luke, we have seen Luke's clear and repeated emphasis that this Jesus born to Mary is the son of God incarnate, who is also the promised son of King David, who's come to usher in the promised and long anticipated kingdom of God, the kingdom promised to David.

We may break down this passage for easier understanding by first considering the circumcision and naming of Jesus in verse 21. And secondly, we will give attention to the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple.

And then thirdly, we'll examine the prophetic witness of Simeon to the infant Jesus. And so first, the circumcision and naming of Jesus, Luke 2 21, it reads, and when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

We gave some attention to the ceremonial meaning of the Jewish rite of circumcision when addressing the circumcision to the infant John the Baptist, recorded back in Luke chapter one. And so we'll not do so again at this time, other than reiterate this, the bottom line.

Circumcision was a physical sign for a physical people constituted as a physical nation of Israel, which was in covenant relationship with God. Upon Israel breaking its covenant, his Mosaic covenant relationship with God, God cursed this people and poured out his wrath upon them.

And even as God had declared his purpose to judge his people by defeating them militarily, destroying their land and its capital Jerusalem, God promised to send them his Messiah. And by the way, that destruction took place, of course, back in 587 BC.

But now, you know, five full centuries and then some had passed. But God promised even in the midst of his judgment that he would send his Messiah, his anointed one, that's what Messiah means, who would save a remnant of those Jewish people from their sin by removing the guilt of their transgression from them.

And who would establish a new and better covenant with his people. This promised Messiah would be one of them, one born under the law of God, as they, but whose life would be fully obedient and compliant to God's law.

He would then die as a sacrifice for the sin of his people, a holy and perfect sacrifice atoning for their guilt, whereby securing their forgiveness of sin and their reception of all the promises of God's blessings from them through him.

The apostle wrote of this in just a few words. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who are under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Notice God is sending his son, that's the eternal son of God, to be born of a woman, that's the incarnation, assuming our human nature, that he might die in order to redeem those who are under his law, who are under the damnation of his law for having broken it.

So that we, Paul includes himself and Gentile Christians, that we might receive the adoption as sons, in other words, children of God. The Lord was born a Jew. He lived as a Jew under the law. During his earthly ministry, he ministered to the Jews almost exclusively, although we will see an emphasis in Luke's gospel of him occasionally reaching out to Gentiles, foreshadowing this age of grace, this worldwide kingdom of Jews and Gentiles.

But he had become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God in order to confirm the promises given to the fathers. He was under the law of God his entire life, serving it fully and blamelessly, and the righteousness that he manifested in his own keeping of the law of God is credited or counted as if it were belonging to those who believe on him, thereby elevating his disciples to the place of sons of God.

For the one who abandons self-will, self-righteousness, acknowledged sin, comes to faith in Jesus Christ. He is granted as a gift the righteousness of Christ. His sins are forgiven because of the death of Christ on the cross on his behalf.

And thereafter he is regarded as a legitimate child of God, son or daughter of God, as though that believer had been obedient to the law of God himself all his life. And that's why there's no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.

And you and I cannot fathom the kind of glory that's gonna be manifest one day when we stand before him, the glory of the children of God that's conferred upon us when we stand before Christ and our salvation is fully received.

And so from his earliest days, we see our Lord submitted to God's law. He was one of the circumcised, one of the covenant people of God, a child of Abraham. And with the circumcision of the infant Jesus at eight days of age, Jesus was under solemn obligation to God, his father, to order his entire life in conformity to the law of Moses, which was the law of God.

Again, to a quote the Apostle Paul, I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised, he is a debtor to keep the whole law as was Jesus upon his circumcision. But let's also recognize the necessity of Jesus to be circumcised in order for him to have been held in any regard by his Jewish brethren.

Here are the words of J .C. Ryle. Let it suffice us to remember that our Lord's circumcision was a public testimony to Israel. That according to the flesh, he was a Jew made of a Jewish woman, made under the law.

Without it, without circumcision, he would not have fulfilled the law's requirements. Without it, he could not have been recognized as the son of David, the seed of Abraham. Let us remember furthermore that circumcision was absolutely necessary before our Lord could be heard as a teacher in Israel.

Without it, he would have had no place in any lawful Jewish assembly, no right to any Jewish ordinance. Without it, he would have been regarded by all Jews as nothing better than an uncircumcised Gentile and an apostate from the faith of the fathers.

So this circumcision really equipped him also for public ministry. Well, in this episode of the circumcision and naming of Jesus, we see the faithful actions of Joseph and Mary, bringing their child to be circumcised.

Of course, the baby Jesus is wholly passive in this rite, but of his parents, they were active, it has been said, reflecting the piety of obedient Jewish parents, Joseph and Mary undertake to circumcise the child on the eighth day and give him the name the angel said he would possess, Jesus.

In every action, this couple is showing faithfulness. They are examples of faith. As devout Jewish parents, they follow the Mosaic law. Jesus has been born into a good family. May the Lord enable us to be faithful parents in raising our children in a godly way as well.

Well, it was when the son of Mary was circumcised that he was formally named. Again, we read in verse 21, when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Luke, of course, records that the angel Gabriel gave Mary the name of Jesus. And that's found back in Luke 1, 30 and 31. Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and she'll call his name Jesus.

Jesus, of course, simply means savior. It's the same as the Old Testament Hebrew name, Joshua or Hebrew, Yeshua, sometimes pronounced with a Y, Yeshua. It's the Old Testament Hebrew equivalent. And so his name, Jesus, sets forth his work and his accomplishment.

Matthew had recorded in his gospel that Joseph was to name his son, Jesus. In Luke's gospel, Mary was to name her son, Jesus. Both father and mother were told by angels to name him Jesus. And so the angel had said to Joseph regarding Mary, she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus.

Why do you call him Jesus? Which means savior, for he will save his people from their sins. Now let's consider the presentation of Jesus in the temple. This is a glorious account and has significance, great significance.

We read of Joseph and Mary coming to the temple in Jerusalem which occurred 40 days after the birth of Jesus. Verses 22 through 24. Now when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were completed, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

As it's written in the law of the Lord, every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.

And so here we read of the ritual of Mary's purification, having given birth to a son. We see again the infant Jesus and his family firmly rooted in Judaism. Jewish law required every Jewish mother to offer a sacrifice on the birth of her child.

She was formally unclean, ceremonial unclean. And the instruction is found in the law of Moses, Leviticus chapter 12. The Lord spoke to Moses, say 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 impurity, she'll be unclean.

And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification 33 days, that would be 40 days altogether. She shall not touch any hallowed thing nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.

If she bears a female child, then 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, 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 and meeting.

And then he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her, and he shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who is born a male or a female. And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons.

One as a burnt offering, the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her and she will be clean. And so a woman was regarded as ceremonial unclean for 40 days after the birth of a son.

80 days if a daughter, and one of you boys or girls might wonder why was it twice as long for giving birth to a daughter? Ask your mother. I don't know, doesn't say. But it's clearly stipulated in the law of God.

Your mother, I'm sure, has an answer for you that's suitable. Well, in every way, there's mother's purification. Jesus lived again in a faithful Jewish family. And so after the days of their purification, 40 days, the family came to the temple where a burnt offering and a sin offering were to be offered.

The law of Moses called for a lamb for a burnt offering, but in the place of a lamb, the poor could offer a turtle dove. And therefore, here we see the poverty of this family displayed. Once again stressed, for they offered two turtle doves in accordance with the law.

Our Lord Jesus, even in his infancy, was associated with the needy and the helpless. He stands as one with us and one for us. No one need fear to approach Jesus. He sympathizes with us in our weakness and our afflictions.

Joseph and Mary had two purposes for coming to the temple. The first was to offer sacrifice. The second was to offer their firstborn son to the Lord. We read in verse 22b, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

Verse 23 gives the meaning behind the presentation of Jesus. As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. The instruction to this presentation of a male son is found in Exodus 13.

The setting is Egypt when Israel was in bondage. So that the Egyptians would release the Israelites from slavery, God brought great judgment upon the land of Egypt. And so on a single night, the death angel was to pass through Egypt, slaying all the firstborn sons of every household, whether Egyptian or Jewish.

To spare the firstborn of Israel, the Lord told Moses to set them apart. And so we read in Exodus 13. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, "'Consecrate to me all the firstborn. "'Whoever opens the womb among the children of Israel, "'both man and beast, it is mine.'".

And so on behalf of each household, a Passover lamb was offered so that God's judgment would pass over that household, sparing the oldest son of that household. And thereafter, the firstborn son was to be dedicated.

That is, in a sense, offered or sacrificed to the Lord or dedicated to a service. And so an animal was presented as a substitute for that son. And so we read in Exodus, "'It shall be when the Lord brings you "'into the land of the Canaanites, "'as he swore to you and your fathers, "'and gives it to you, "'you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, "'that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal "'which you have, the males shall be the lords.'".

And so we see that our Lord Jesus was dedicated to the Lord from his earliest infancy. Once again, we read of emphasis given to the observance of the law, the law of Moses, the law of God by this family.

But actually the details of verses 21 through 24, although certainly important and provide details of our Lord, they actually serve to lead up to the major point, the major message of this episode. And this is the encounter with Simeon and Anna.

Because of the time, we don't have time to address Anna today, we'll do so next week, Lord willing. Here we have two elderly prophets, a man and a woman, who frequented the temple grounds. And so let's consider this encounter with Simeon.

I wanna read the verses again. Behold, there is a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. By the way, in your New King James Version, notice the capital C, not in the ESV.

The translators of the ESV regarded this word consolation as a name for Jesus, 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.

So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed 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 prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.

And 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 which will be spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

This is a rich passage. Here is a man named Simeon. Nothing is known of him other than what is set before us here in Luke's infancy narrative. He's described as a man of Jerusalem waiting for the constellation of Israel.

Now Luke's gospel is already set before us a number of faithful and righteous Jewish people in those difficult days of Israel's history, both Zacharias and Elizabeth, you'll recall, were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinance of the Lord blameless.

And then there was Mary to whom the angel addressed, highly favored one, the Lord is with you. And now here is Simeon, who is said to have been just and devout waiting for the constellation of Israel.

One rightly said of Simeon, notwithstanding the general low spiritual condition of the Jewish people at that time, they were nevertheless, as always, genuinely pious and upright ones who served God faithfully and who, especially during the years before and around the coming of Jesus, look forward with great yearning to the coming of the Messiah.

They were expecting the constellation of Israel, the salvation to come to the Messiah. And one of this group of faithful people in Jerusalem was the devout Simeon. He was constantly under the influence of the prophetic working of the Holy Ghost.

We read Luke introduced Simeon in a way that gave unquestioned credibility to him and the witness that he would provide. Luke describes Simeon as just, righteous and devout, waiting for the constellation of Israel.

But not only that, the Holy Spirit was upon him. Here is a man who was about to bear prophetic witness of the infant Jesus and his testimony is impeccable. Simeon was waiting for the constellation of Israel.

What a significant phrase. Constellation is a word that depicts a state of wellbeing or a state of rest and peace after a long and difficult trial or period of trouble. We speak of consoling people who are troubled.

He was waiting for the constellation of Israel. This described the need of the physical and spiritual state of Israel. It was a time of great difficulty and trouble for the curse of God was upon the Jewish people.

The nation, though once highly favored and regarded by God, had fallen under God's curse for having transgressed its covenant with him. And so all of the consequent curses of God that the Lord had threatened his people had been poured out upon them.

587 BC, the city of Jerusalem destroyed, Judah ravaged, the temple razed to the ground, the walls razed, and the few survivors taken back to Babylon. The wrath of God was upon them. Well, at the consequent curses of God, when the Lord first established a covenant with them, he not only announced the blessings if they obeyed his covenant, his law, but he also announced the curses that would come upon them if they transgressed his law.

And that's, of course, what happened. And so when God had restated his covenantal stipulations with its accompanied results, just before Israel entered the promised land at the death of Moses, and under the leadership of Joshua going into the land, he had the people stand up and declare openly and loudly both the blessings and the curses of God.

And here, we spelled out in your notes from Deuteronomy 27, 14 and following, the curses of God if they refused or failed to keep the law of God as a nation. Here's the instruction before going into the promised land.

The Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Israel, cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of craftsmen, and sets it up in secret.

Of course, they did that throughout their history. And all the people shall answer and say amen. They acknowledged what was true and they acknowledged the consequences of failure. Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt, and all the people shall say amen.

Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor's landmark, cheats him out of property, and all the people shall say amen. Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off the road taking advantage of the helpless, and all the people shall say amen.

Cursed is the one who perverts to justice, do the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and all the people say amen. Cursed is the one who lies with his father's wife because he has uncovered his father's bed, and all the people shall say amen.

Cursed is the one who lies with any kind of animal, bestiality, and all the people should say amen. Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father, the daughter of his mother, and all the people should say amen.

Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law, and all the people say amen. Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly, and all the people should say amen. Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person, corrupt politicians, and all the people should say amen.

Cursed is the one who does not conform, or confirm all the words of this law by observing them, and all the people say amen. They knew what they were getting into. And all of God's curses had fallen upon Israel in the sixth century B .C., 800 years after that law had been given.

God destroyed the land of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, its temple, had forced the surviving Jews into exile to Babylon and the other nations of the world. Nevertheless, God had promised that he would not always hold Israel under his wrath.

Being estranged from him due to its centuries-long rebellion and transgression, he promised that he would bring comfort, consolation, as it were, to his people through their Messiah, who would himself bear their transgression, atone for their sin, and restore them to God.

And in fact, Isaiah 40 through 55 is commonly referred to as the book of consolation, for it contains prophecies and promises of God redeeming Israel and Jerusalem to his favor. And so Isaiah 40 opens with these words of prophecy, looking forward to the days of Israel's restoration.

And this was given in the eighth century B .C. by Isaiah. Comfort, yes, comfort my people, says your God. Speak comfort, consolation to Jerusalem, and cry out to her that her warfare is ended, her iniquity is pardoned, for she's received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

O Zion, a reference to the people of God, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain, O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift up, be not afraid, say to the cities of Judah, behold your God.

And behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him. Behold, his reward was with him, his work before him. He'll feed his flock like a shepherd. Here's a prophecy of Jesus.

He will gather the lambs with his arm, carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. And now in Luke 2, 25, in which it's declared that Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel, the Greek word for consolation is perikalete.

This is the same word that's used in the Greek translation of Isaiah 40, verse one, which in English reads comfort, perikalete. Yes, comfort, perikalete. My people says your God. Simeon was full of faith and hope because he was looking for the comfort of Israel.

And in this baby, Jesus, this has arrived. Jesus was the comforter, the one who would restore God's people to God. Simeon was full of faith and hope because he was looking for the comfort of Israel. He was looking for the messianic age, the kingdom of God, the time of Christ, for the anointed one of God, who would bring redemption to God's people.

And further, he's described as having the Holy Spirit upon him. His witness is a reliable. The kingdom of God has arrived. And here's the king coming in to the temple. By the way, let's make a quick application for us and then move on.

If we desire our witness to be effective, like Simeon's was effective, these qualities need to be recognized about us as they were in Simeon. May we also be seen by others as righteous and devout, living rightly and consistently before others.

May we be full of faith and hope so that others may see that we're ordering our lives according to God's words and promises like Simeon did. And may we be walking and speaking, giving evidence that the Spirit is upon us.

And when this is evident, people will realize that there is truth in our words, whether or not they respond to what we have to say. Let us be good testimony, a good testimony of witness for Jesus Christ in our fallen world.

Well, we read of what happened upon the entrance of Joseph and Mary and her child entering the temple precincts. And so beginning in verse 26, we read of Simeon. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.