The Consolation Of Israel

Luke’s Birth Narrative and the Presentation at the Temple

Well, good morning beloved if you can please open your Bibles to Luke chapter 2. We'll be examining this morning verses 22 to 40 when you do have that. Please do stand for the reading of God's Word again.

Luke chapter 2. Starting in verse 22 here ye this morning the word of the Lord When the time came for pure for their purification according to the law of Moses. They brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the law of the Lord every male who first 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.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and There was a man and this man was righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him By the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

He came in the spirit into the temple 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.

You're prepared in the presence for all peoples a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. And his father and his mother marveled at what said about him and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother behold This child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel.

For a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own soul also so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. And there was a prophetess Anna the daughter of Fennel of the tribe of Asher and She was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin and Then as a widow until she was 84.

She did not depart from the temple Worshiping with and fasting and prayer night and day and coming up at that very hour She began to give thanks to God and to speak to of him To all who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they performed everything according to the law of the Lord they returned into Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong filled of wisdom and the favor of God was upon him and God bless reading his word.

The Humility and Poverty of Christ’s Early Life

You may be seated Sovereign Lord, we do come before you thankful for the appointed times and seasons in which we have received in which you have placed us in. Well, we thank you that we receive even now this morning in your word a Beautiful vision of redemptive history being worked out by the Consolation that came through Jesus Christ that in the visitation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ You've appointed for the fall and for the salvation of many that in Jesus Christ You have given us a rock of offense or rock of ages in which we must now confront In which we must now decide Whether we shall build our lives or whether we shall be brought to pieces.

Because of this great war rock this great rock of ages that you've appointed even for us today even this morning. We pray Lord that you'd give us your grace your peace and your power to receive the consolation Which was promised in times past and receive it with joy and Thanksgiving in Jesus name.

Amen. Well brothers and sisters as we continue on the series in the gospel of Luke We're now at a very interesting point in the narrative of Christ's life still We are not in his earthly in the beginning of his earthly Ministry in terms of the appointment that came through John the Baptist as he was baptized.

This is a unique account amongst the gospel narratives. Most of the Gospels often begin either with the The narrative of his birth and then jumps right into his ministry with John the Baptist. But here we receive some insight in Luke's gospel.

Remember who Luke is. This is a man who is a scholar who's a historian who's a physician who has taken his time to hear various Viewpoints various narratives of the life of Jesus and he's compiling it and as he's compiling it he's bringing together some data points that we just frankly don't see in the other Gospels and As he's bringing us this narrative of the early life of Jesus.

He gives us insight as to what it looked like when he was presented at the temple. Now, this is a big deal. Today, we don't live by temple worship but in the Old Testament in the beginning of the New Testament temple worship was still very much the center in citadel of True worship and so according to the customs according to the tradition that had been passed down in Holy Scripture.

When a child a male child was born a firstborn son That child was brought forth to the temple to be dedicated now interestingly enough. This is where many modern evangelicals and even some brothers and sisters who baptize infants get some of their ammunition for child dedication or for child baptism.

They see a custom a tradition that was in the Old Covenant and they say well Certainly we need to have an equivalent today in the New Testament Church now that is in itself kind of a fallacy. We don't have to Necessarily come up with an alternative to something that's in the Old Covenant just for the sake of doing so.

But interestingly enough we do have here a case in which Christ of course is brought to the temple and it says in verse 22 When the time came for their purification According to the law of Moses they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

So when a woman gave birth at that moment according to the Old Covenant she was considered Ceremonially unclean because she had just delivered and she was still in a time of uncleanliness and purification.

Therefore she had to be brought to the temple for purification the child alongside her also. And it says in verse 23 as it is written the law of the Lord every male who first opens the womb should be called holy to the Lord and To offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law the Lord a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.

And so here we want if you're following along today's notes Mary brought the child to Jerusalem. Just so you know last week. I didn't give you notes this week. I'm giving you lots of notes. So Mary brought the child up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and for her purification according to the law.

Now again, I want to I want to emphasize a difference here between presenting a child and baptizing a child. For again many of our brothers and sisters on the other side of the fence of this issue as pastor Connolly Brought forth the in our catechism teaching the mode of baptism the correct biblical mode being that of full immersion and yet There are many brothers and sisters out of tradition out of maybe even a faulty hermeneutic Decide that we ought to also baptize infants or babies and they see a precedence for this namely in the Old Covenant again where Individuals or infants were brought forth dedicated at the temple and there was a ritual purification.

Part of the ritual purification included water. And so they say well look beautiful there you have you have essentially a proto Infant baptism that is happening even in the Old Covenant. Therefore we must continue that that that's that that tradition that that rich History of faith by baptizing infants even now in the New Testament Church.

But brothers and sisters Great difference there is between a baptism, which is what John the Baptist was doing later on in the in his life in ministry. Versus a law that required purification and dedication for the firstborn for the children of the household.

There's a big difference between the two even today modern evangelicals will continue as a proto practice of this kind by by also dedicating their children, which is a tradition we see even more prevalently in the Orthodox and Catholic systems where a God parent is appointed and that person is now that child is now under the purview of parents and then God parents.

But these are not things that we see presented in Holy Scripture, these are not things that we see prescribed for us in the New Testament worship of God's people nor do we see a prescribed for us in regard to the relationship between dedication and baptism.

We don't see those two correlated in Scripture. So much as many of our friends would want us to consider. But we see continuing along the lines of dedication as it was the law of the Lord for the child to be Dedicated for the child to be called holy for the scripture says every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord Jesus Christ being the firstborn of Mary again being miraculously conceived through the Holy Spirit bring brought forth through the womb of a virgin and This child was to be called holy.

This is ultimately foreshadowing the child not just any child. But the child that was to be born the child that was to be called holy the child that would save a people from their sins all pointing towards Jesus Christ and verse 24 it says.

And to offer a Sacrifice according to what it said in the law of the Lord a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons now. You may read that and you may not bat an eye but this is actually giving us some insight into the social economic system of that time and We're at we're.

Joseph and Mary were economically at that time. Why is that important. Because Mary and Joseph were only able to offer offer a pair of turtle doves or pigeons? Indicating that they were poor once you write that in the notes if you can.

This is indicating the fact that the law gave provision in Leviticus chapter 12 verse 8. It gives provision for those who are poor that they can offer a pair of turtle doves or pigeons. This is indicating again the poverty in which Christ was brought forth into the world.

Remember for a moment last week's message in the previous week's message. Where Jesus Christ came into the world? He didn't come born in a palace. He didn't come born in a king's Chamber, but instead he came into this world lowly humble destitute.

Poor with nothing to give with nothing to offer. He was born to lowly parents. Parents who were also poor had nothing to offer. So much so that even when they went to dedicate their son their child at the temple.

They had to use the bare minimum pair of turtle doves or pigeons. Because it's what they could afford where the more wealthier in society could offer more in their dedication. Provision was made in Leviticus chapter 12 verse 8.

For those who were poor and destitute to give just the bare minimum and there you have God's Son. Being dedicated in God's temple with just the bare minimum. With just enough to be dedicated with just enough to get by what an astonishing mark of humility.

That God's Son would be brought into the world in such conditions, but also to such humble and lowly parents. They didn't have the pedigree of Riches though they did have the right pedigree in regard to being descendants of David descendants of Abraham.

They didn't have a lot of wealth or influence or power. These are not people of grand Means, but instead lowly poor destitute people. Demonstrating the humility of Christ in his self humiliation that he would appoint for himself parents of such lowly stature.

It's beyond comprehension that God who in eternity past enjoyed an unbroken chain of worship of glory of power of adoration would himself humble himself to the point of being born in a manger having parents who had nothing to give or offer in terms of richly goods and richly treasures and Yet that this poor child would end up becoming the treasure of nations.

That this poor child would end up becoming the inheritance of the nations that men women children of all ages of all backgrounds of all types of Socioeconomic backgrounds would come to this Jesus this poor and lowly Jesus Who is now exalted?

Above every name who holds in his hands the riches of all treasures of knowledge and wisdom. That he himself is the wealth of all people this Jesus from humble beginnings as to his humanity now enthroned and glorious praise as the exalted Christ.

And if we see here marked in Luke's Gospel the emphasis on the humility the emphasis on the self humiliation of Christ's early life his entrance into the world, but also even to his dedication the lowliness of Christ in his appearing in the world.

Jesus's life is marked by poverty at every point. He's marked at poverty at his Conception by having a mother who's a teenager by having parents who were not even married yet then having parent coming into the world in a Slowly fashion being born a major then being dedicated with only two turtle doves then also as a man as a Minister as a rabbi being one who could not even lay his head down anywhere because he had no place to call home.

Luke is adamant at emphasizing the lowliness humility and the poverty of Christ and he in his gospel reminds us time in time again. You'll see this this this meta narrative that is unraveling here in Luke's theology.

In Luke's narrative He's demonstrating time and time again the poverty of Christ. And it is through that poverty the Apostle Paul says that we might become the riches of God in Christ. His poverty is a reminder to every single one of us.

His poverty reminds us of his love of his patience of his kindness. But also of his provision that this Christ is Jehovah Jireh the one who provides. And he provides most importantly what we all desperately need which is salvation.

Every single one of us has fallen short of the mark. Every single person here is a sinner born a sinner and you will also die a sinner. The only difference is in this life in this temporal life that we have we have Opportunity and we have and we have a chance even now to hear the gospel.

The gospel that is preached a death burn resurrection of Jesus and we can respond with with saving faith saying Lord I know I'm a sinner, but I don't want to stay a sinner. I want to be a I want to be a saint.

I want to be under grace. I want to be under the power of your resurrection. He'll transfer you from death to life. He'll transfer you from a sinner to a saint. You'll still be a sinner. You're still content of the old man, but that sinner is no longer just a sinner.

He's also a son of God a child of the Most High and you and I can have that by faith. In this Jesus who for our sake became poor for our sake took on poverty for our sake became What he needed not to be.

But out of love out of grace out of kindness. He lavished all of these beautiful things upon us in the Beloved so that we may be saved by grace through faith in Jesus's name and This is what was being foreshadowed even in holy in in the dispensation before Christ it says in verse 25.

Simeon, the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and This man was righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Here you have a man who was a prophet who God had appointed who God had ordained and God had spoken to him by the Revival.

God is working. He's pouring out his spirit upon men women and children at the coming of Christ. And of course even more powerfully so in the inception of the New Testament Church in Acts chapter 2. But even then you see God using the Holy Spirit.

God appointing the Holy Spirit the third person to triumph God To reveal to set the stage for this Christ and he had promised him this he promised this man Simeon this and it was revealed To him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

God had appointed this man Simeon to not only know about the future coming of Christ. But also that he would see with his own eyes the salvation of the Lord. Now what set Simeon apart from others? I don't know with the scripture doesn't tell us.

But it does gives us insight to this Expectation to this working of the Holy Ghost even at the time of the birth of Jesus. And it says in verse 27. He came in the spirit into the temple when the parents brought in this child Jesus To do for him according to the custom of law.

He took him up in his arms and blessed God. This this man Simeon saw the salvation of the Lord as he had been waiting for the Consolation of Israel. If you're following along in the notes Simeon was a man waiting for the arrival of the Messiah.

Now this is important because brothers and sisters if you ask any Jew today what they're waiting for. What will they tell you? They're waiting for the Messiah. You know in the times past if you ask Simeon what he was waiting for He was also waiting for the Messiah, but the difference is Simeon a Jew was one who had received insight by the Holy Spirit that the Messiah would be born in his day.

You ask a Jew today what they're expecting what they're waiting for at a middle school teacher who I got very much along with that time I was a Jehovah's Witness and he was a Jew and so we would talk about religion all the time and the Similarities and and and and the fact that we were not Trinitarians and and but the biggest difference even then between a Jehovah's Witness and a Jew is that Jehovah's Witnesses still believe that Jesus is the Messiah the Christ.

And so we would talk about this a lot and and I'd ask him like so so what are you waiting for like what like? Who are you looking for? He's like well right now. I'm just looking to myself. I am my own Messiah right now, and if the Messiah shows up then great, but if not I'll have to do.

Think about that for a moment brothers and sisters there's an entire group whom God has revealed himself to in times past an ancient people who God made a promise in a covenant with. Who says I will that God says I will promise a seed to you a seed that will bless you that will be an abundance and inheritance to the nations that through this seed all the nations all the families of the earth would be blessed and They missed their own Messiah.

They missed them. Not for a lack of witness. Not for a lack of evidence, but because of the hardening of their hearts the rejection of their own Savior of their own Messiah. Therefore Christ later on in his ministry Pronounces judgment upon his own people the covenant breakers.

Promising that upon that generation would fall all the righteous blood of times past and of times future. That upon that generation would come great calamity and destruction. Because they had missed the sign of the coming of their Savior of their Messiah but Simeon was a man who was looking forward to the consolation of Israel the consolation being the peace that comes the the gracious kindness that came through the Messiah which means comfort.

So if you're following on the notes Simeon was a man waiting for the arrival of the Messiah and the consolation of Israel. Which means comfort they were waiting for the comfort and this reminds us of what the scripture says in Isaiah chapter 40 verse 1.

Comfort comfort my people says your God. Comfort comfort was coming into the world through Jesus Christ. Comfort had come in the person and work of Jesus and yet only a few Received that promise consolation.

Brothers and sisters, let us beware that we be no different because many of us that we live on the Dispensation of times in which we received the fullness of the gospel and the first coming of Jesus Christ and we know this truth.

We accept this truth. Still we too may fall prey to missing out on the consolation that God gives through his Son. The peace that he promises that peace that surpasses Transcends understanding. How can we miss it?

Well, we miss it often because of the circumstances of our own lives. We think to ourselves that my circumstances are too big for God. They're too big for the scriptures they're too big for me to just pray away or for me just to just just to be able to Comprehend and and bring it to the church.

Brothers and sisters, let me produce this line of thinking for you as presented in Scripture. That there is nothing too big for our God. Amen. There's nothing too big for our God. So, I don't know what all of your individual circumstance may be this morning what what they may be this week.

But no one be assured of this that God is bigger than your circumstances. Not only is he bigger than your circumstances. God is actually in your circumstances. Did you know that he's in the details of your life?

In the small details even just as he's in the small details of the story that we're reading from today. You have again God speaking by means of his Holy Spirit to a prophet Simeon God appointing that at the same time which his were Christ's father and mother were now Bringing him to be presented at the temple that Simeon would be there at the right time at the right place.

It's all about the details my friends and God is in the details of your life. There's nothing happens in our life by happenstance. We believe in a sovereign Benevolent God who appoints all things for his glory and for our eventual good.

Now it's often kind of misused the scripture from Romans 8 that it says obviously, you know this scripture well. That God works together all things for good for those who are called according to his purposes and we say we see everything that happens.

It's good. No, no, no, no. Not everything that happens is good, but it is eventually for your good. So when you think to yourself about your circumstances, it's clear that at times there are things in your life That are not good.

It's not good to be laid off. It's not good to have problems in our marriage. It's not good to be going through a difficult time. Those are not good. But what is he producing in the midst of those bad?

Difficult things is the eventual good of the glory of his name. God is doing all things for his glory. Not necessarily for your happiness. God is not one who is here to serve your happiness. But rather it is in the pursuit of his glory that we find true peace and happiness.

It's where we find our consolation our Consolation is found in the pursuit of his glory. That's where we find true consolation and that's where Israel for the majority failed. They were looking for the glory of Israel the glory of the nation the glory of the prestige of triumphing over Rome Triumphing over the enemies and yet they lost sight of the glory of God that came in the face of Jesus Christ the greatest glory that could be beheld by human eyes.

God incarnate in Jesus was rejected and Their glory became their shame. The scripture says Let it not be so for us. That we miss out on the consolation that God gives through Jesus Christ because we are looking to our circumstances.

We are looking to the glory of other things rather than the glory of our King of our blessed Savior. Even the Savior of Israel Jesus Christ. Don't miss it out for as even when Simeon received This word is prophetic word by the Spirit and he had seen its fulfillment.

Notice what he goes on to say as he blesses God. He takes a child in his arms. Holding Jesus this child the promise a child the child of promise and he says Lord. Now you're letting your servant depart in peace according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation and you have been and you have prepared in the presence of all peoples a Light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel.

What a beautiful Prophetic word he speaks in fulfillment of the prophetic word that he had received through the Holy Spirit. He says Lord now let your servant depart in peace. He's saying this God now I can die.

Now I can die in peace because for years and decades. I have been waiting eagerly in expectation of your promise. That's faithfulness. That's faithfulness. Brothers and sisters be faithful live a life of faithfulness like Simeon Who was waiting for the consolation and all that he got to see was at least the the the child.

He didn't get to see his crucifixion. He didn't get to witness his Resurrection didn't get to witness his ascension. Didn't get to witness the outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon the people of God in Acts 2.

He didn't get to witness so many things, but what he got to witness was enough because it was what was promised. It was what was promised and what God promises and when he fulfills it's enough. And so Simeon seeing the promise of God and not only seeing it, but actually holding it.

Can you imagine? Holding that child. It's an exciting thing when you hold any newborn, baby, but particularly this one who he knows will save a people from their sins and He's saying God now I can die in peace.

Why? Because it is according to your word. He's a lot. He lived a life of faithfulness based upon living out the word. He says Lord now let your servant depart in peace according to your word. God says I promise you Simeon through the Holy Spirit.

You will see the salvation of the Lord you'll see this promised child and that's all he promised and Simeon being faithful knowing that he received the promise to which he had received and was given through the Spirit.

He could say now I can go in peace according to your word. Could you say such a thing? God made you a promise if God spoke to you and he speaks to us through his word. Would it be enough and saying God?

Thank you now. I can die in peace. According to your word because I have seen your faithfulness. I have seen and tasted that you are indeed good and brothers and sisters. Can I remind you God is indeed good.

God is indeed Blessing his people. He blesses you even in times of great trials and difficulty. Even when it doesn't when life doesn't feel like a blessing. He's still blessing you. He still loves you.

He's still pursuing you. So then may we pursue him With such fervor that we can say the same words as the Prophet did that I can now die in peace. Because I've seen your promises. According to your word and not only does he say that but he says in verse 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation.

Literally, he's literally seeing the child of promise in his hands that through this child salvation would come to the world. Salvation would come to the nation's so much so that he goes on and say and you're prepared.

That you have prepared in the presence of all people. So not just the Jewish people not just for the consolation of Israel. But really for the consolation of all peoples. Verse 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles.

You see Simeon a prophet. I think he was more than just a prophet. He knew the Word of God. He knew that part of the eschatological expectation of the Christ of the Messiah. Wasn't just for the peace and consolation of Israel.

But also to fulfill what was promised to Abraham that through the sea. Through the promised child would come blessing to all the families of the earth in all the nations. So this man knew the Word of God.

And he knew that this promise extended far beyond the national borders of Israel. But was indeed a child for all nations a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel beautiful.

You see Jesus was appointed as a promised child to see the blessing and the salvation for all people. So if you're following the notes human rejoicing seeing the Salvation of the Lord and the light to the nations in the newborn Jesus.

As the angel the Lord indicated earlier in the narrative and Luke's gospel in his name and bringing forth this child. His name shall be called Jesus. Why. For he shall save a people from their sins. He will also bring illumination to the spiritually dark nations under demonic principalities.

You see part of the equation here as we see in the Old Testament. This narrative being played out God out of all the families of the earth had chosen one particular people one family the offspring of Abraham.

He chose Abraham as his as as his inheritance Jacob as his inheritance and that through Abraham Isaac and Jacob he would build a family that would represent him on the earth and God us in Deuteronomy 32 a portion the nations under the sons of God.

And the scripture teaches us this that the nations began to Sacrifice not to God but to demons. They begin to worship created things begin to worship principalities and powers that we're not Yahweh that we're not the true God of Israel.

And God says I want my people Israel to be fully devoted to me to be a people that's distinct in part peculiar among the nations and that through the witness that Israel would give all The nation's all the families of the earth wouldn't receive a light and revelation of the true God.

But what ended up happening tragically is that this people became wayward? Became a backslidden people and so much so that they began to apostatize and worship bow Worship Moloch worship other gods and deities even sacrificing that on to Yahweh but using the temple of God to worship and sacrifice on to demons and because of their spiritual harlotry their spiritual uncleanliness God appointed for them judgment and Judgment came more than once upon this people.

But God made a promise even to them that through them still would come the Savior not just of Israel But of the entire world. So God didn't completely destroy this people but knew but allowed this people to continue to exist so that through them the Messiah would come and Bless all the nations of the earth.

The consolation of Israel is this even today that though they had been become an apostate people God still brought forth the Messiah from among their ranks from the patriarchs from those who whom God had appointed in times past and Jesus Christ has come in fulfillment of those promises in fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Jesus Christ is indeed the one who brings forth salvation for all people not just for the Jew But first to the Jew and also to the Gentile for God's witness even in the inception of the early New Testament Church Was a witness first to Jerusalem and Jesus said this upon his ascension.

You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and then to the ends of the earth. God's witness in the first century and the first several years of the Christian Church was primarily to the remnant of Israel and God then brought forth an apostle an apostle that would be a Representative of him to the nations to the Gentiles and this was a man whose name was Saul who became the Apostle Paul.

God had appointed a new prophet a new apostle to be a representative not only to the Jewish people, but also primarily to the Gentiles. God's promise of revelation. For the Gentiles has been fulfilled as even now most of us sitting in here today are not Jews, but instead Gentiles.

Showing that even now the greatest harvest work that has happened under the face of under the heavens has been received Primarily by the nation's people of every tribe language nation tongue every skin color every hue has now come under the submission of King Jesus.

And Though there be a remnant of Jews who receive Christ and who are believers in the Messiah. The lights of revelation for the Gentiles has come we are living in such a time even now and Simeon closes off his praise to God by saying it will also be for the glory of your people Israel.

Jesus is the glory of Israel and he's the glory even of the new Israel. Those who are who make up the Christian Church Jews and Gentiles. Jesus is the glory of his people. He's the revelation to the Gentiles so much so that Western civilization itself is built upon the principles of a Judeo-christian worldview evidence that all of civilization today is still built upon a Christian worldview one that says that human beings of all skin colors of all Backgrounds are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable right rights that you were made in the image of God.

This is a Christian worldview. This is a biblical worldview one that finds its origin in Scripture and even so in the gospel of Jesus Christ that men women and children everywhere are Endowed because they bear the mark and image of their creator.

Indeed light has been given to the nation's to the Gentiles and glory for the people of Israel. Verse 33 says in Luke chapter 2. It says that his father and his mother marveled at what said about him and Simeon blessed them and said to marry his mother.

Behold this child is Appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel. For a sign that is opposed and a sort of pierced through your own soul also. So that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.

Simeon like the good prophet that he is speaks almost in a riddle. But also at the same time very plainly He says to marry his mother this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel showing and Demonstrating that yet though Jesus be the glory of Israel He's also appointed for the fall and for the rising of many in that people group in that nation.

And this is fulfilled obviously in his ministry where Jesus divides the people. People were divided over Jesus. Jesus was a polarizing figure. You know today in today's society. We don't like polarizing figures.

We want we're always looking for the next great uniter. We're looking for the next JFK the next Ronald Reagan. We're always constantly looking for the next person who's gonna bring together both parties both people groups whites blacks Asians Hispanics who's gonna bring together Democrats and Republicans and independents and libertarians.

They're gonna bring everyone together under the same roof. So we'll all be happy. You know, that's not what Jesus did. That's not what the Messiah did he didn't bring people together and say all we're all just one big happy family.

We'll all figure it out. No Jesus was polarizing. He was so polarizing that they killed him because of the claims that he was making. That's how polarizing he was and Yet it was prophesied even by Simeon that this would be the case of this child that this child Would have called a sword of division.

Jesus said so of himself even that the gospel that his message would be a sword even in one's own household. That it would divide people because the truth of the matter is truth divides between right and wrong what is and what is not and what is right and what's wrong and.

So what Jesus does in his earthly ministry is he divides? People. And on that great day when our Lord returns He will divide people again and in this time there will only be two camps as there really has always ever been two camps.

You'll either be an enemy of God or you'll be a friend. You'll either be a son or you will be Disregarded you will either be a goat or you'll be a sheep and on that day you want to be a sheep. Not a goat that goes off into destruction on that great day but instead you won't be found as a sheep of Jesus Christ who hears his voice and follows him and this child Christ would become the one on which many will fall upon.