The Consolation of Christmas
Text: Luke 2:21-38
Core Idea: The wait is over – Jesus Christ is born on this day. He is all that we need – and He will satisfy our souls completely. Then let us lay our worries, troubles, sorrows, and anger at His feet as we surrender the throne of our life to Him – the Savior King.
INTRODUCTION
Good afternoon, Lighthouse. I want to warmly welcome all of you. This is not how we wanted to celebrate the last Sunday of this year – but still grateful that we can gather online to worship the God we love so much. I’ve been praying that this online experience will not in any way rob us of the wonder we have for God – so, let us continue to fix our eyes on Him, who alone is worthy of our praise.
I hope that all of you had a safe and wonderful time with your family and friends celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. But at the same time, as I was preparing for this message, I came to realize that this may not have been the most wonderful time of the year for some of you in our community – in fact, it might have been the most difficult time of the year, especially for those who suffered a lot of pain and trials this year, for those who lost someone or something that has been incredibly precious to you, for those who have been crushingly stunned by the events outside of your control, for those who are still waiting for God’s intervention, provision in your life. And honestly, this pressure to feel the joy of Christmas makes joy all the more difficult. This year may have left you speechless, perplexed, and uncomfortable. But where we may be wordless, know that the Word of God is not. When we open the pages of Scripture and turn to that first Christmas, we find that all was not merry and bright. The Christmas story is actually filled with great suffering. But I want to turn your attention to what David Mathis said so beautifully: “Christmas doesn’t ignore our many pains; neither does it bid us wallow in them. Christmas takes them seriously and reminds us that our God has seen our pain and heard our cries for help, and He Himself has come to deliver us.” This means that even though we may be overwhelmingly sorrowful at Christmas, in Christ, by His Spirit, God can give us the resilience to rejoice again. Friends, you don’t have to pretend like everything is okay. You don’t even have to hide your grief. But you should draw near to God. Tell Him how you feel. Pour out your hearts to Him, and receive Christ, who promises to be with us always. He will comfort us, and He will give us a reason to hope again.
Then with that in mind, let’s turn to our passage for today which is found in Luke 2:21-38. If you were with us last week, we learned that Christmas offers a message of peace to those who are terrified that their fears will turn into great joy. Continuing from that passage, we’ll meet two people who have been earnestly, desperately waiting for the coming of the Promised Messiah. Then this is a story about consolation as they embrace this child in their arms. It’s about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s about hope. Let me read this for us.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You may now dismiss Your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
After the birth of Jesus, He was brought to the Temple by Joseph and Mary because it was the time for the purification rites required by the law of Moses. We learn from Leviticus 12 that this took place at 33 days after the birth of a baby – so, here, we see Jesus when He was just over a month old. Now, when the three of them get there, they meet two people, Simeon and Anna, who have been waiting for the Messiah to come. And when they saw the child, they received Him with great joy and responded with great praise. Then I want to point out three things from this passage:
THE WAITING
THE CONSOLATION
THE CONFLICT
1) THE WAITING
Verse 25. “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” Verse 36. “There was also a prophet, Anna... She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying… looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” Both Simeon and Anna were waiting. We’re not sure how long Simeon was waiting for, but we learn a little more about Anna. Luke tells us that she became a widow after being with her husband for 7 years and remained a widow until she was 84. If we consider that in those days, people got married at around 14-15 years old, she could’ve been a widow for 60+ years. Luke also tells us that she never left the Temple as she worshiped night and day, fasting and praying – waiting for God who promised to bring redemption to His people. She waited patiently and persistently – and we’re astounded by this because we all know that waiting is hard.
The agony of waiting comes from the fact that our call for rescue feels like it’s met with silence that leaves us feeling alone, abandoned, and forgotten. And the anguish is added by the unknown duration that we must endure – which is why at times we feel like we would rather hear God say, “No” than “Wait.” We didn’t necessarily plan this, but it was incredibly timely that we read Psalm 13 today. I wonder how many times we cried out those words to God: “How long, LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” I wonder how many times Simeon and Anna have uttered these words.
Waiting is also hard because we’re afraid. Listen to what Henri Nouwen said, “Waiting is not a very popular attitude. In fact, most people consider waiting a waste of time. Perhaps this is because the culture in which we live is basically saying, ‘Get going! Do something! Show you are able to make a difference! Don’t just sit there and wait!’ For many people, waiting is an awful desert between where they are and where they want to go. And people do not like such a place. They want to get out of it by doing something. In our particular historical situation, waiting is even more difficult because we are so fearful. Fearful people have a hard time waiting, because when we are afraid we want to get away from where we are. But if we cannot flee, we may fight instead. Many of our destructive acts come from the fear that something harmful will be done to us if we wait longer. It impresses me, therefore, that all the figures who appear on the first pages of Luke’s gospel are waiting. The whole opening scene of the good news is filled with waiting people. And right at the beginning all those people in some way or another hear the words, ‘Do not be afraid. I have something good to say to you.’ Now Simeon and Anna are waiting for something new and good to happen to them.” Friends, where do you need to hear God tell you, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy”?
Brothers and sisters, it’s important to remember that the pressure of waiting is a normal part of the Christian experience. It serves to shape our character. For example, it’s teaching us to pray without ceasing; it’s reminding us that we are creatures dependent on our Creator; it’s increasing our faith as we learn to trust God and His ways. Submitting humbly to God’s appointed time of waiting shows that our chief aim is not happiness but the glory of God.
Then how do we wait well – in a way that honors God? Simeon and Anna show us that waiting is not inactivity. It’s very active and purposeful. Simeon was righteous and devout – he was growing in holiness, never compromising, never excusing himself to slip and sin. He was in tune with the Holy Spirit, which was why when the Spirit moved him to the Temple, he obeyed, and was able to see the child. Similarly, Anna worshiped, fasted, and prayed every day. Her waiting did not cause her to distance herself from God; if anything, it actually drew her nearer to God. Then here are some other ways you could wait actively, wait well:
First, constantly remind yourself that you’re not alone. It’s easy to think that you’re the only one waiting. This simply is not true. You’re not singled out by God. There are many faithful believers who God has appointed to wait. So, don’t fall into despair, disappointment by these lies. Second, remember God’s commitment to His work of grace. Paul says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” God is committed to the countless ways in accomplishing His purpose of making us more like His Son. In other words, He loves you so much that He will rather have you wait than for you to instantly gratify your desires. Lastly, count your blessings. It’s incredibly easy to grumble and complain while we wait. That was me. As I was holding my three-month-old son at night, waiting for him to go back to sleep, I was thinking about all the things that I could’ve done – read, write emails, prepare for the sermon, or even sleep. More I was consumed with this thought, the easier it became for me to get frustrated, anxious. But one day I started thinking differently. It was a blessing that I was able to put him to sleep – to have the strength and opportunity to do this. Also, I realized that I could use this time to pray for family, friends, and all of you in the church. Waiting can lead us to dwell on all the things that we don’t have; but how much more joyful and fruitful would it be for us to take waiting as an opportunity to recount all the things that God has already blessed us with – the things that we could have never earned or deserved.
Brothers and sisters, are you waiting? Let us wait well because this is not a wasted time – this is not a spare time in between the real things. It’s God’s appointed time to shape us and mature us.
But there’s one more thing: our hope can’t be anchored in the thing we’re waiting for; our hope must be ultimately anchored in something far greater – in the person of Jesus Christ, which leads to our next point.
2) THE CONSOLATION
Simeon said in verse 28, “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You may now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” Now, what did he mean when he said, “You may now dismiss your servant in peace”? Commentaries indicate that Simeon could’ve been saying that he was ready to die because his heart was fully satisfied or he could’ve meant more like a soldier finishing his duty – “I’ve watched my post; I’ve stood my guard; now, relieve me from duty because my time is up.” Either way, one thing is clear: Simeon found this deep-seated peace when he saw this child that brought an end to his search.
As I alluded in my previous point, our hearts seem to be waiting, searching for something – something to satisfy our souls, something to bring that peace to our hearts. Then what is it that we’re looking for, longing for, hoping after? What is it that if we found it, it would cause us to say, “Lord, you may now dismiss your servant in peace”? Is it wealth, power, reputation, romance, career? What’s the thing that if you were holding it in your arms, you would say, “This satisfies me. This is the consolation to my heart that I’ve been waiting for”? Simeon’s story reminds us that whatever we think will bring that ultimate consolation, if not Christ, will never be enough – in other words, our hearts will be restless until we find our rest in Him, until we find Him.
Simeon saw Christ and it brought an end to his searching, his striving and wrestling. Now, this couldn’t have meant that he could care less about everything else in life – it must be the opposite. It must have meant that he could look at everything else differently – without lusting after those things. For example, if you find rest in the Lord, work is no longer a way to gain peace for yourself, but it’s a way to pass on that peace to others. And that goes for the way you think about marriage, wealth, self-image, beauty, and more. Your identity, your worth will not be wrapped around anything of this world, which will free you to perceive everything from the peace you have in Christ. You won’t be desperate for these things because everything you desire and need is now found in Jesus Christ. Friends, have you found this Jesus? He alone will bring the ultimate consolation to our hearts that will end our restlessness.
But there’s more to this. This consolation isn’t just personal – it’s not salvation only for Simeon but for all nations. Simeon declares that this child will not only put an end to his sorrow, suffering, and searching – He will put an end to the sorrow, suffering, and searching of all those who look to Him. In other words, this child is not just for you and me – He will bring salvation and light to the world. He’s so much bigger than we could ever imagine. He’s not our personal, local God – He’s the God of the universe. Then how will He achieve this? This leads to our last point.
3) THE CONFLICT
Listen to what Simeon said to Mary in verse 34. “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” What’s going on here? Simeon just communicated to Joseph and Mary how glorious their Son was going to be – and now he turns to them and says, “This child is going to bring strife and division as well. He’s going to expose people’s hearts, and He will ultimately cause a sword to pierce through your very soul.” What kind of consolation is this? What kind of salvation is He bringing? But this all makes sense if you understand what Christmas was really about. Just think about the carols that we sang last few weeks. Angels We Have Heard on High: “Come to Bethlehem and see | Him whose birth the angels sing | Come, adore on bended knee | Christ the Lord, the newborn King.” Hark the Herald Angels Sing: “Hark! the herald angels sing | Glory to the newborn King!” Joy to the World: “Joy to the world! The Lord is come | Let earth receive her King!” Christmas is about the King’s arrival – and this is much more offensive than we think, especially because all of us have been sitting on the throne of our own lives.
Recently, I noticed that my four-year-old has been saying this phrase more and more in our interaction: “But I don’t want to.” Anything I would ask him to do, his response would be the same: “But I don’t want to,” as he demands everything to be done his way. Now, you could think, “Kids.” But if you really think about it, isn’t this really the unfiltered desire of everybody here? We’re just much better at hiding it than a child. All of us want things our way. So, it’s not surprising to hear Simeon say that when this King comes, some will rise in glory with the King while others fall with their rebellious hearts. Some will speak against Him while others will be for Him. Their hearts will be displayed as some joyfully surrender their lives to this King while others fiercely reject Him. Just remember what happened on Christmas day. The shepherds heard the news from the angel and joyfully received the King. But in contrast, we read in Matthew 2 that Herod was seething in anger and jealousy because his kingship was threatened by the birth of this child. The same announcement; different responses. And that was the whole story of Jesus’ life. Everywhere He went, He created division and conflicts. Listen to what Jesus says later in the Gospel of Luke (12:49, 51-53): “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Christmas is fundamentally disruptive. Christmas divides families and nations because it’s the arrival of the King – you either follow Him or fight Him. You see, Jesus didn’t come into this world to make us feel comfortable. He didn’t come to simply inspire us to live a good life. He came to threaten the status quo of our lives by bringing tension and conflicts because His ways are not our ways. He came to expose our darkness, save us from our sin, and rule over us with righteousness and love – which is why Christianity can’t be just a makeover to better yourself. No, it’s more like hearing the news from the doctor that there’s a massive tumor growing in your body, that without surgery, you won’t survive. It means that Jesus had to actually take the scalpel of His love, open us up, expose us in order that He might bring us healing and grace. No wonder salvation is incredibly disruptive, painful, and uncomfortable. The message of Christmas is devastating to those who want to keep control over their lives. But for those who are willing to lose their life, give their life to Jesus, we know that it’s the only way to life.
Then let me ask you, “Is your life rattled by your faith in Jesus Christ? Did you ever have to wrestle with your heart because your values, priorities, the way you spend your resources, time, the way you perceive and approach things in life were radically different from what Jesus was asking you to do? Has your faith in Christ led you to tension in any way or has it been strangely quiet, easy, comfortable?” If the latter is true for you, then ask yourself if Christ has truly come as the King of your life – because if He really is your King, He will not leave you alone. He will shape you, transform you to reflect Him – His beautiful image – and this will not be comfortable.
I want to end our time by talking about the latter part of Simeon’s prophecy – that a sword will pierce Mary’s heart. Think about what Mary went through – the devastating, heart-ripping, excruciating pain of watching her child suffer. She witnessed Him getting unjustly treated at the trial, abandoned by His disciples, humiliated and beaten by the soldiers – ultimately watching Him in agony, dying on the cross. She must have thought to herself, “What was the point of all this? Why did God send the Messiah only to be killed so violently?” But the Bible constantly reminds us that His death was not meaningless; it was purposeful. Even though it caused Mary’s heart to be pierced, ripped apart, Jesus needed to die because it was the only way to satisfy the greatest need of all people: freedom from sin. Jesus died to pay the penalty of our sin – including Mary’s sin as well. This was how He was going to bring salvation and light to the whole world. One pastor said, “The story of the gospel is that God the Father thrust the sword of His wrath and judgment through the very soul of Jesus, turned His back on His own Son so that you and I will one day enjoy the glory of His presence forever.”
I know that some of you had a really difficult year this year. You suffered. And I can only imagine how restless your hearts are even right now. If this is you, in light of Jesus’ suffering, I want to share just a few things about the sword piercing your hearts. First, remember that you’re not being punished. God’s just anger and wrath have been poured out on Jesus – and there’s now no condemnation. This is not His way of somehow getting back at you. Second, remember that God is not apathetic toward your pain. He hasn’t forgotten you. We may not understand why He’s allowing this to happen, but this doesn’t mean that He doesn’t care. In fact, the Christmas story reminds us over and over again that He loves us – to the point that He would empty Himself to come as a helpless babe. Lastly, let your pain lead you to long for eternity, for Jesus’ second coming because He promises in Revelation 21:4 that “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Brothers and sisters, your suffering, your pain, the sword in your hearts will one day turn to joy as He will overwhelm you with His comforting presence. Let us comfort one another with this truth.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, the wait is over – the Savior King has arrived on Christmas. He is all that we need – and He will satisfy our souls completely. Then as we end 2021, I invite you to lay your worries, troubles, sorrows, and anger at His feet. Let Him minister to you. Let Him heal you. Let Him strengthen you. And as we prepare for 2022, I invite you to let Him take the throne of your life – not just partially but completely. Think through your life – and see the areas of your life that you should learn to submit to His leading. It could be the way you think about marriage or romance; it could be about money or career; it could be the way you spend your time; it could be the way you treat others in the church and outside of church; it could be the way you approach spiritual disciplines like the Word and prayer. Whatever it is, let Him make you uncomfortable in those areas – that He will bring conflicts and tension to your own hearts – so that you’ll become more like our Savior King.