Luke 2 21-40 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. As it was written in the law of the Lord, every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle gloves, or two young pigeons. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up unto his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. I like to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.' And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser. She was of great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. When they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." Amen. That is the word of the Lord. Well, we are here! By the grace of Almighty God, each one of us have made it to a New Year's Eve. The last day of the last month prior to the new year, none of us know what 2024 will hold for any of us. But we face the year with great joy because although we do not know what the next chapter may hold, we know the Author. He is trustworthy. And therefore, we greatly rejoice. Or as the Prophet said in Daniel 5.23, God who holds your breath in his hands and owns all your ways. All our ways belong to God, and every heartbeat belongs to God. For these two facts, we mortals must glorify God. God does not merely hold the ways of every individual man, but he also holds the ways of great nations. and he uses their histories for his grand purposes. As 2024 dawns upon Washington in just a few hours, I think back to the year 1769. For most Americans here today, the year 1769 holds no significance. Perhaps for a few Ivy League graduates, they might know that it was the year Dartmouth in New Hampshire received its charter. In 1769, the colonies were still part of England and we were yet still a full seven years away from the American Revolution, the war in which we miraculously won and the war that gave birth to our nation, officially recognized by King George in the Treaty of Paris of 1783. But before 1776, there was 1769. And seemingly, it was unspectacular. The French king Louis XV was running around sinning with his mistress Madame du Barry in 1769. But in a rather obscure island of Corsica, a man by the name of Carlo and his wife Maria welcomed the birth of a baby boy who would grow up to be incredibly resentful of the French monarchy. The boy's name was Napoleon Bonaparte. As most of us know, Napoleon would go on to become the French emperor and rule an empire for 10 years. He is still considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. and his wars and campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide. Between three and six million people died in the Napoleonic Wars. When Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Napoleon was yet unknown to the world. In the year of that declaration, 1776, Napoleon was only seven years old. that would be second grade in American school, still too young to affect any change upon mankind. Then in 1785, Thomas Jefferson succeeded Benjamin Franklin as the United States minister to France. Napoleon was still obscure to Jefferson and the world, being only 16 years of age. But by the time Thomas Jefferson became our third president in 1801, the entire world knew the name Napoleon Bonaparte. Thomas Jefferson served as president from 1801 to 1809, and their paths would historically cross in the year 1803. What happened in 1803? Well, if you were born in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, parts of Minnesota, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, then you owe your citizenship to the fact that God made Napoleon's path cross with Jefferson. In 1800, Spain had transferred the Louisiana territory to France. whose Emperor Napoleon held ambitions for establishing a French colonial empire in North America. Our third president was worried about the presence of France so close to us, and so Jefferson instructed the American minister in Paris to try to purchase the city of New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle, for which Congress had appropriated $2 million. Jefferson informed the minister that he could bid as high as $10 million, but no one except God would know whether or not Napoleon would accept or reject. To the American minister's surprise, the French foreign minister asked how much the United States would pay not just for New Orleans, but for all of the Louisiana Territory. They settled on $15 million, an amount that translates into roughly 4 cents an acre, an incredible bargain of a deal. Napoleon told Jefferson to quickly make his decision or else he might change his mind. Jefferson swiftly used executive authority to approve the purchase as he was still unsure about the constitutionality of being able to do so as the president. But the deal was too good to be left alone, and Jefferson knew he had to move quickly. The Senate later ratified Jefferson's decision, and you could view the transfer documents online as I recently did myself. Later, during the Senate debates, one senator boldly predicted that within a century, those settlers in the Louisiana Purchase would turn the wilderness into, quote, a seat of science and civilization, end quote. And he urged his fellow senators to overcome their trepidation and approve the Purchase without delay, reminding them, quote, We have a bargain now in our power which once missed we never shall have again." Two-thirds of the Senate agreed. On October 20th, the Senate officially voted 24-7 for the ratification of the Treaty with France by which the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France. As a result of that treaty, our nation doubled in size in the year 1803. So here we are, about to plunge into the year 2024, and only God knows what the year ahead holds. In 1802, no one knew that a French boy born in 1769 would enable Americans living in 2023 to enjoy land purchased in 1803. Truly what the prophet Daniel said is true. God holds both our breath and all our ways. John Marshall, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, once rightly declared that the Constitution gives our government the authority to acquire land either by treaty or by war. This principle, by the way, is a biblical principle that dates back to the Old Testament Israelites. In that sense, Government behaves very much like an individual, with the capability via his personhood to acquire land, sign deeds and wills, sell personal property to whomsoever he or she shall choose. Personal property ownership is not merely a constitutional right But it is a constitutional right because it first and foremost is a God-given human right, as seen most clearly in the 8th commandment, Thou shalt not steal. The 8th commandment is God's implicit, clear endorsement of personal property ownership rights. Evidently, God takes personal property rights very seriously. Personal property, however, is owned by one having personhood. And here, in the 21st verse of today's chapter, John powerfully informs us that personhood begins at conception. This is not only important for Christmas, the season we just came out of, with the birth of Christ, nor is it just important for the pro-life movement, but it's important for theology. You heard that correctly. Life begins at conception. Earlier, I quoted the prophet Daniel stating that every breath belongs to God. In the 21st verse of today's chapter, Luke the Physician informs us that the child's name was Jesus before he was conceived in the womb. In terms of biology, that would be fertilization. At the moment of fertilization, we have a human. A person made in the image of God. The name Jesus in the Greek is equivalent to Yeshua in Hebrew. It means Yahweh saves or the Lord saves. Matthew 1.21 puts it this way. and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." You see, since conception, the child's name was Jesus. And this is particularly important because a mere clump of cells a Savior doth not make. In what theology labels the hypostatic union, we have belief that Jesus was fully God and fully man. Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, two natures, one person. As God, Jesus' death on the cross was able to atone for humanity's sins. As man, Jesus was able to represent humans, not fallen angels, on the cross and thus fully pay for the sins of any human who would put his faith in him. Luke 221 informs us that it is theologically accurate to state that, at conception, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. This was not merely a clump of cells to freely exterminate, murder, and abort. Rather, at conception, Jesus had full personhood and was already identified as the Savior of mankind. Hallelujah. Now, as we move into the rest of the chapter, we read that the parents of Jesus, Joseph and Mary, kept the Old Testament laws, and 40 days after Jesus' birth, they were going up to Jerusalem from Galilee to present Jesus at the temple. If you're wondering why it says that they went up to Jerusalem in verse 42, when on a map Jerusalem is south of Galilee, it's because this is a reference to elevation and not to geolocation. Jerusalem was located on a mountain, and hence anyone going to Jerusalem always traveled up to it. Like the parents of John the Baptist, Evidently, Joseph and Mary were godly individuals. Now, both from their lives and the lives of Simeon and Anna from today's chapter, we see an important principle. We see that God uses humble and godly people going about their ordinary lives for his exceptional and grand purposes. God uses ordinary for his exceptional purposes. For Simeon and Anna, their long wait in service to God was rewarded by them being given the chance to behold the baby Jesus, their Savior. And the fact that in verse 24, Joseph and Mary offered a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons indicates that Joseph and Mary were or at least of modest means. Per Leviticus 12.8, those who were richer were commanded to offer a lamb. God granted the poor to offer a pair of turtle doves instead of a lamb. And that is what we see happening here in verse 24. Of all the parents in the world, God chose a socioeconomically poor couple to raise the Son of God. But they were not the only ones who were poor in today's chapter. We read about two individuals, one male and the other female, who were godly individuals waiting for a long time for the promised Messiah. In verse 37, we are told that Anna served God daily by fasting and praying. Sometimes I get young people coming to me and asking me, what does it look like to serve God? What does it mean to serve God? Well, here we have a clear descriptive of what it means to serve God. Did you know that being in church today, you're serving God by worshiping, fasting, listening to this sermon, and praying? You're serving God. That's what service to God looks like. Anna was a widow, and for 84 years, she virtually lived in the house of God. You could have spent some time at home, not gone to church, and said, I'll check the box by watching a sermon on YouTube. But this is it. You serve God by coming to church, by being present in worship. That is how you serve God. Anna was a widow, serving God, praying and fasting. And those acts, the act of fasting and praying and being in the temple, pleased the Lord as service for Him. And she was rewarded by being able to see the Messiah that she long awaited for. In fact, the entire nation of Israel was waiting for a very long time, not just for the Christ, but for the Word of God to once again be spoken to them by a prophet. You see, both the births of Jesus and John the Baptist marked an extraordinary time, as the Word of God had not come to any prophet for public proclamation since and since dates are important as we're about to go into this new year. The Word of God had been quiet since Malachi in about 460 BC. After a silence of approximately 460 years, God was again beginning to speak to his people, first through John and then through Jesus. Nearly five centuries of silence from God, and then suddenly in the wilderness, the great promise of Isaiah was beginning to be fulfilled through the ministry of John the Baptist during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. God's perfect historical timing upon the assassination of Julius Caesar Jesus Christ of Nazareth was born during the reign of Rome's first official emperor, Augustus, and he was crucified under the reign of his second emperor, Tiberius. Christianity, as a new religion, flourished and spread rapidly because Rome by then had united what was then the entire known world. and with his Roman citizenship, perhaps the greatest missionary of all time, the Apostle Paul, was able to move rapidly throughout this vast empire, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ extensively. Time and time again, God uses history to accomplish his purposes It is no wonder, therefore, that God had Paul right in Galatians 4.4, but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son. God is watching history, the days, the hours, the very second. He's aware of it all, and he acts exactly at precisely the right time. So what about you? Are you waiting for God's perfect timing in your life? Perhaps God has closed the door and he's telling you to wait. I encourage you not to get impatient with God. His timing is always the best timing. God sent Jesus at the right time in history, using the right means, and on a human level. It seemed as if a man was just greedy for money. A worldwide Roman taxation decreed by Caesar was the means that God used to bring Christ and his parents to the right city so that the Messiah could be born at the right time. In Bethlehem, the city of David, in order to be the Savior for the entire world. And that is my second point today. It's found in verse 31 and continues in verse 32. Jesus came to seek and save people from all nations around the world. Listen to those verses. Thou hast prepared before the face of all people a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. The latter part of that passage is written there to inform us that Jesus was Jewish. Let us never forget that a descendant of Israel was the Savior of the world. Jesus is truly the glory of the nation of Israel, a place where right now as we speak, there is much tribulation. And the Bible says that one day prior to Christ's return, the nation of Israel will as a whole believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah. The glory of Israel is not in Israel of, in and of itself. The glory of Israel is in her Messiah, Jesus Christ. And then, the former part of that verse is written there for people like you and me, the Gentiles. non-Jews. And boy, am I glad that verse is there. We who were once without hope now have the hope of living both this life and eternity with God as our Savior. Hallelujah! As 2023 closes out in a few hours and yet another year finishes, the most important question in our earthly lives is this, how do we attain that hope? How do we attain the hope of eternal life? How do we flip through each calendar year and know for certain that heaven is awaiting as our final destination? The answer is by believing in the gospel. The gospel that Paul preached throughout the Roman Empire is the gospel I am about to preach to you today. Four simple points. Number one, there is a God who exists. He is eternally holy. He exists in three persons. Not three gods, three persons, but one God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He spoke and he created the entire universe into existence simply by speaking from nothing. Point number two, God created man, Adam and Eve. He made them good, but they sinned against God, and as a result, they passed on a sinful nature to all of their descendants. They passed on a sinful nature to all of us. And as such, we are guilty of sin against an infinitely holy God. We deserve, therefore, hell when we die. Sins committed against an infinite holy God deserve infinite punishment in hell. We deserve hell for our sins. But the good news is this. Listen closely. For God so loved the world, he gave his only son Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, he lived a sinless life, and then he died on the cross paying for the sins of those who would believe in him, resurrecting on the third day, It's a historical fact, not a myth. And then he ascended into heaven. Then lastly, point number four, if you would repent and believe in Jesus as your Lord, God, and Savior, you shall have eternal life. The moment you believe in that gospel that I just preached to you, the same gospel that Paul preached, The message of salvation, the Bible says that you are born again and your sins are forgiven. The moment you believe, you become a Christian and you're headed for heaven. And as 2024 dawns upon us, we see examples like Anna in verse 37, who, year after calendar year, just committed her life to serving and loving God with all of her heart and might. Caesar didn't mind her. Pilate thought nothing of her. The religious leaders probably scoffed at her. But it doesn't matter what others think. It matters what God thinks. And in the eyes of God, she was faithful, praying and serving God night and day. And in God's eyes, she lived a successful life, year after year, a blessed life. How about you? How has your year been spent? The end is inevitable. Have you served God well? Are you getting closer to hearing those admirable words, well done good and faithful servant? enter thou into the joy of your Lord." And so, my third and final point comes to us from verse 40. The verse is a descriptive of Jesus in three categories – physical, spiritual, and mental. Jesus grew in height, Jesus was strong in spirit, And because Jesus was also fully man as he was fully God, Jesus grew in wisdom. The entire verse is qualified, however, by this apt statement. The grace of God was upon him. Do you see that right there in verse 40? Go ahead, read it for yourself. As we close out 2023 and head into a new year, I sincerely wish for each one of you to have a physically healthy, spiritually growing, and mentally enriching 2024. But more than anything else, I hope and pray for each one of you to know and grow in the grace of God through Jesus Christ. There's nothing more important than that. You are not saved by being in church today. You are not saved by your works. You are saved simply by faith alone, in Christ alone, by the grace of Almighty God alone. Hallelujah. I opened up this message with Napoleon and so I will close with Napoleon. Napoleon, as many of you know, did not remain emperor. Eventually he was captured and exiled to St. Helena. And just like the rest of us, all your accomplishments, all your trophies, all your awards, once you die, will mean nothing. In fact, it will be someone else's junk, cleared out. What matters is what you did for Christ. While he was there on St. Helena, Napoleon had a lot of time to reflect on life. And among the many things he said while exiled, this one in particular is noteworthy for us this morning. Listen to what Napoleon said as his ears were closing out. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love, and at this hour millions of men would die for him." End quote. As we go into 2024, will you be willing to die for the one who died for you, Jesus Christ? Let us pray.