Turn with me now to Luke chapter 2, and we'll actually begin with verse 21 and read to verse 35. Luke chapter 2, beginning with verse 21 and reading to verse 35. It's found on page 1180 of the Bibles provided there in your rows. We read, 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. 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 is 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 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. 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, 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." Remember, the grass withers and the flower fades, but God's word abides forever. Amen. This morning, as we're continuing our series through The Word Became Flesh, we're looking at the idea that salvation is confirmed. And as we do, I wonder if you have reached Christmas fatigue or exhaustion yet. For some of you, I know it's only the 15th of December, maybe some of you feel like, well, we really haven't even gotten into the season yet, but others of you may be reminded of the fact that you've already seen Christmas trees and you've heard all sorts of things, even songs since October, and you're just reaching your level of fatigue. whether it's commercialism or consumerism or the busyness with parties and gatherings and travel, extra stresses or conflicts, responsibilities. It could be the sorrow and hurt of pain of having to hear all I want for Christmas or last Christmas. or it could be real in that family members have passed and you're feeling that hurt and pain of the moment. And so maybe you're just sitting here thinking to yourself this morning, you know what, there's only a few more days and then I can just be done with this. Let's just get back to our routine and get back to just a different sort of perspective, let the new year come in and off we go and we're just that much closer to spring. And yet if you're feeling that way this morning, then I believe that this passage is for you. Because you have an individual by the name of Simeon who was also waiting and going through a season and a time. And instead of being discouraged in enduring the waiting, he instead was hopeful. And so as he awaits with anticipation the promise that he would see the Lord's Christ, ultimately, we then learn that salvation and the true meaning of the season can be brought to us from this passage as salvation is confirmed for us. As we want to consider the putting this forward for us this morning, there's three things that we want to see. The first is this, that believers wait in faith for God to do what He has promised. Secondly, that believers then utter the truth that God will do what He has promised. And lastly then, believers rest in the salvation that God has provided. And so as we wait in faith for God to act, as we speak the truth about what God will do, and as we rest in the salvation of what God has given, we then see how salvation is truly confirmed. So this morning then, let's notice firstly just how believers wait in faith for God to do what he has promised. Now we see the waiting in faith on the part of Simeon, but in order to understand him being put before us, we have to see what Jesus and Joseph and Mary are doing. And so in verses 21 through 24, we then read that Mary and Jesus are going through the time of purification and presentation. Even prior to that, we see on the eighth day that Jesus was circumcised according to the law and according to the custom of Israel. At that time, Joseph and Mary then acknowledged that his name was to be Jesus, the name that both the angel had revealed to both of them in Matthew 1 as well as in Luke chapter 1. And the amazing thing that we see brought forth here in Luke chapter 2 by the hand of Luke is that five times Luke emphasizes the fact that Joseph and Mary did exactly what was prescribed for them to do in accordance with the law. They had Jesus circumcised. Mary was then presented for purification. He then was presented to the Lord and the offering was paid. All of this testifies to us that Jesus truly can be that promised one who can represent us before the living God. In their obedience, we see that according to Leviticus chapter 12 in Old Testament custom, or in the perspective of the law of Moses, that the woman was identified as one who was ceremonially unclean, and after she had gone through the appropriate period of time, then she was to present an offering before the Lord. The reason that women had to go through this is that it was once again a recognition of the sin that had been inherited from our first father, Adam. And this rite presumed that this woman then was impure because of the guilt of sin. And so, sacrifice had to be made. And all of these things, there's a beautiful picture that is set before us. And that picture is the reminder of the need for cleansing and the one who is circumcised and the one who is presented and the one who is being held in the arms of Mary as she in turn brings her offering before the Lord is the one who is the fulfillment of those things promised. The cleansing for this couple is found in the babe in their arms. Jesus is the promised one who reconciles us to God and is the one who is that lamb who would be slain to take the sin of His people on Himself and thereby remove their guilt. and make the way open once again to the Lord. Believers yet wait in faith for God to do what He promised. As Mary and Joseph are showing the picture of the promise of God, here then comes Simeon, the believer, who is waiting. The cool thing about Simeon is there's a whole lot of stuff we don't know about him. And the reason that is fantastic is that it speaks to us again of how God comes alongside, of how he uses and speaks through common individuals. We saw that last week with the shepherds. Not the scribes, not the religious leaders, not the king, not the priest. lowly shepherds who were despised by all. There are some who speculate that Simeon was a priest. We just don't know that. We don't know how old he is. Some have speculated that he was really, really old. But the text doesn't tell us. And yet, it isn't important. It doesn't matter what he did for work, where he lived, even what his lineage was, or how old he was. What is important is what we're told, and it's this. that He was just or righteous and devout, that He was waiting for the consolation or the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon Him. The reason that it is so wonderful that He's identified as simply a common individual is that it means then that you and I can identify with Him. that there isn't some special thing that he has because he's just up there and we're down here. But rather, all those who would look to God by faith can have this testimony made about them. That through the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised one of God, they also can be declared righteous. That they also can then live before this holy God, and they also then can have the Spirit dwelling with them. The statement about Simeon here is a statement as to where his trust, his hope, his confidence rested. His being righteous wasn't because he somehow had a righteousness in himself. The Bible is clear that there is none righteous, no, not one. Rather, it is a declaration that God makes about this one. Because God had done a work in his heart He had changed it so that it was no longer a heart that was dead, but living and believing the promises of God. It's one who acknowledged that he could only be blessed as God had forgiven him of all his sins and as one who had cast himself on the mercy of the living God. We see that he really believed this because he then was devoted to follow and serve God. Not as a mechanism to earn or to remain in his position of favor, but rather as a demonstration that he was one who believed and who trusted and who belonged. And God affirmed this. By granting him his spirit. This is the testimony for anyone. Who would not look to themselves? and rest in their work before God, but rather would look outside of themselves to what God had promised. Notice, his confidence was in what God declared, for he waited for the comfort of Israel. The name Simeon means God has heard And what's really neat about this individual being named Simeon and then seeing what happens in the context of his life is that God speaks then to the name of this one and says, as you have this desire to see the promised one, so I have heard your prayer and have answered it. And as you have cried for a deliverer or a hero, as you have longed for comfort, as you have desired that promised one who will ransom you from misery and sin. So I have heard, and I will keep you from seeing death until you are able to see who has been promised." God heard. We've been noting here thus far that the believer waits in faith for God to do what He promised. Pages of Old Testament Scripture unfold for us throughout hundreds of years of history that God would send that One who would provide salvation. That God would bring forth that One who would overcome our sin and our misery. Simeon believed that. He waited for it. And God testifies of the truth that He will do it. Do you believe this as well? Have you looked at what God has noted is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ? And do you see that what God has provided for us in Christ is something that we ourselves can't do? Yes, Mary and Joseph made offerings and yet the offering was only temporary. It was only a picture of what the ultimate remedy was. It was only a picture of what God ultimately has done and will do through the Lord Jesus Christ. And so that's where they then believed and trusted. Simeon, the same thing. Notice he's not looking for the consolation of himself, but rather he's waiting for the promised one, the deliverer of Israel. How about you? True believers don't look to themselves. They don't look to anyone else. They don't look to society. They don't look to kings or princes or presidents. They don't look to their bank account. They don't look to the status of their family or the work that they do. They ultimately look outside of themselves for where true comfort, where true hope, where true healing, where true help resides. And it's in the gift of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Is that where your faith rests? But we see then in this interaction between Simeon and Joseph and Mary and the statement that he makes in verses 29 through 32 that not only do believers wait in faith, but believers will utter the truth of what God will do. Simeon speaks a prophetic word. And with this statement, I'm not saying that we are prophets in the sense that we foretell the future. But we do utter the truth as to what God will do. It's a declaration of what he has mentioned or noted in his word, and it's speaking this to others so that they may hear and believe and also then receive. this true peace and consolation. It's a speaking of the Word of God, for notice what He declares, "'My eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.'" The statement here of light and glory are statements from the gospel as presented by Isaiah. The gospel is in Isaiah. We read it just a couple moments ago from Isaiah chapter 42, but consider what Isaiah declares in chapter 40 when he says, comfort, comfort my people, says your God, speak comfort to Jerusalem and cry out to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. If that's not good news, I don't know what good news is then. The fact that God here declares that there is real consolation, that God and man who has been divided, who has been separated because of sin, so that fellowship has been broken and a true relationship to be had, God in turn says that I will overcome your sins. That I will bring about peace and reconciliation between us. That ultimately is real comfort. And Isaiah testifies to this. And Simeon in turn then notes this work that God has and will do. Elsewhere in Isaiah chapter 40, he then testifies to the comfort as to how this then unfolds in God's continued care The Lord shall come with a strong hand and his arm shall rule for him. His reward is with him and his work before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with his arms, carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. It's a testimony of true, real peace that is ours. And yet Simeon then utters these truths. He says this truth is not limited to one group or one people in one time or one place, but rather it's a light to the nations and the glory of God to Israel. In Isaiah 42, and in Isaiah 49, and Isaiah 51, and again in chapter 52, and again in chapter 60, in these five chapters, Isaiah speaks of God noting to the sun that through the sun there is the light to the nations. And that this light will be for their salvation. And so then Isaiah concludes in chapter 60, Arise and shine, may your light pour forth. Simeon, as he believes, then utters this truth to others of the promise that is ours, that God has made, that the light of Christ, that the gift of salvation, that the eternal hope that God has promised is ours through the Son. And it's meant for all who would trust and believe in the promise that He ultimately made. A beautiful way in which Simeon testifies of Jesus, which is quite unique, is that when he speaks of Jesus as the one who saves, or as he says, my eyes have seen your salvation, he's speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet not as savior, but rather as the one who has been fitted to save. And yet consider who he's looking at. He's not looking at a king in royal garb. He's not looking at one who has his entourage and who has the paparazzi following him and watching his every move so that they can report on all the things that are happening. He's not even in a position of wealth or prosperity or of any sort of significance that anyone would look upon him and say, yeah, there he is, that's the one. Simeon sees the deliverer at six weeks old in the hands of a mom who's having to make an offering of two pigeons. because they're so poor. The prophet Isaiah said that there would be nothing regarding him that we would desire of him. That there would be nothing in the context of his appearance that would stand out before us that would cause us then to say, he's marked out by that one. And yet, Simeon, based on the promise of God, strengthened by the Spirit, can testify and say, here, is the deliverer, the one who is the light to the Gentiles and the glory of God to Israel. The scriptures are quite clear that this one who is the babe in the arms of Mary is the one who fulfills the promises of God from long ago, who is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, who is identified as the Lamb who was slain from before the foundation of the world and is the only Savior and way to God, the only means by which God and man can be reconciled. Believers utter this truth. Simeon was so struck. He was waiting with bated breath, and when the Spirit finally directed him, he couldn't help but utter his praise and his adoration, and speak then in a prophetic manner regarding this one. Dear believer, you, in accordance with the name of Christ being set upon you, fulfill the office of prophet. And it means then you speak the truth of God in accordance. with His words. You've been given the Spirit as well to be able to speak of these things, and you also have the completed and full revelation of who Jesus is, not simply waiting for the work that He will do, but knowing all through the pages of Holy Scripture that He has fulfilled in thought, word, and deed, the complete and total law that you must have fulfilled, and yet He did it. And he then is the one who was declared to be perfect and without sin and without fault. And he then was that perfect lamb who was slain and took the curse of God upon himself for our sin. And yet God testified of his acceptance by raising him again from the dead on the third day. You have the complete and full revelation. And therefore, dear child, You speak. You utter the Word of God in faith, giving praise and thanksgiving that Christ has completed it all for you. But notice thirdly then, believers rest in the salvation that God has provided. Notice where Simeon takes Mary and Joseph, and Luke then takes us. As he testifies that this is the one who fulfills the promises of God to bring light and to bring glory, then Joseph and Mary are amazed at these things that are spoken, and then Simeon says to Mary, behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel. Jesus isn't just simply about a babe born. We have to do something with Him. And doing something with him doesn't mean we simply put him in a nativity scene or we light him up on our lawns or set him somewhere else. It ultimately is the recognition that he becomes the dividing point. The scriptures call him the chief cornerstone, the stone of stumbling, the rock of offense. He becomes the dividing point. He becomes the determining factor between eternal blessing and eternal damnation. Simeon tells us that those who believe have the promise of eternal life and resurrection to glory. as Jesus has risen from the dead and ascended and seated on high, and He promises that He has gone away, but He will come back in order to take us to be with Him. So as He has conquered and sits and rules as the King, so we then are promised that eternal glory is ours, if we trust in Him. but He also is a thing that some people stumble on. They can't get over the idea that God would only accept them through Jesus Christ. they're too proud to acknowledge their need for forgiveness, or they believe that somehow God will change His tune, that He will adjust His standards, and He will in turn say, you know what, you ain't that bad, so come on in, there's room for you. You did pretty good. You're an all right guy. You did okay. You did your best. If we could be accepted by God simply by doing our best and being okay, then God would never have needed to send His Son. And the Lord Jesus Christ wouldn't need to have humbled Himself even to the point of a cruel death on a cross. And yet we must do something with Jesus. The child of God doesn't rest in Himself. The one who, like Simeon, is identified as righteous and devout, he waits for the comfort promised in Christ. And when he saw Him, he believed all the more, and he praised God for it. The way of the babe is the way of suffering. The way of consolation is through the grief and sorrow and affliction rendered by God's justice. The shadow of the cross is present here in this passage. For Simeon testifies that the sign of Christ's work will be through the piercing of Mary's own soul. God in His infinite wisdom is preparing Mary for that time in which she will know then that the mission of her son is to suffer and die for sinners. And that the crucifixion is not somehow surprise or unexpected, but rather a fulfillment of the intended purpose of God. And yet the call before us is to rest in the salvation God has promised. And so the question I ask you this morning is, do you believe this promise? We've heard that believers by faith look to what God has said that He would do, and with it, they then stand there. Have you done that? Are you doing that? Will you do that? If you have done so, then I believe that Simeon then tells us secondly, then we speak forth the truth and we utter praise to our God. Notice his response when he saw that what God had said would be his. Look at his response. Oh, that's nice. I wonder what's on television. Oh, OK. He began to rejoice and praise God, and he even says, God, my mission and purpose of fulfilled in this life and therefore now take me home. I'm ready to go. My my job is complete. And you've allowed me to see this very thing. He visibly praises God. With his mouth. As he lifted his voice. If salvation has been confirmed in your life, the believer can't help but utter forth praise, adoration and thanksgiving to God. It also means that there's a call to live. As Simeon interacted with Mary and Joseph and had heard these things, as he waited, he went about his day longing with anticipation for what God would do. Believers need not be downcast nor disheartened. God may delay, but God is true to his promises. God cannot break his promises. God assures us that he is not a man that he would lie. And therefore, as you wait with expectation for his continued work in your life, and as you long for the second coming of Jesus Christ, you still can live. You need not be disheartened or discouraged, for your comforter and your consolation has been given to you in Christ who has overcome sin in the grave. And lastly, then, it's a call to hope. Yes, we sing joy to the world, and it's fitting that we do so. But I think a better message is a message of hope. For the promise of comfort means hope. For the declaration of consolation means hope. For the realization of what Christ has done, it means that our hope is certain and secure and firm to the end. We need not be people of doubt or despair or disheartened. But as God has fulfilled His promises in the Lord Jesus Christ, So we then can be those who have hope. We started this morning just considering how we may be feeling because of the season, whether it's fatigue or exhaustion based on the busyness of the schedule or the stresses at work or the sorrows that we may feel or just simply the things that are present in what's around us. And even just the lack of attention to what the gift of the incarnation truly means. And yet remember what we have heard. Emmanuel has come. Word of the Father now in flesh has appeared. The angels sing because God and sinners are reconciled. Even though you may be feeling at this point in time discouragement or sorrow or feeling burdened as to what has occurred, you can rejoice because God has given true comfort through the Lord Jesus Christ. A Savior has been born. Blessed be His name. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we ask that you would direct our hearts to believe the promises that you have made, to acknowledge what is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ, and as a result, that we would come before you humbly and by faith, not in ourselves, but in what you have promised and granted to us in your Son, in whose name we pray, even saying, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.