There are four books of the Bible that tell us about the
life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. These are called Gospels,
which means, “good news.” They have been grouped together at the beginning of
the New Testament. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are named after
their authors, and so we say at the beginning of our Gospel reading, “The holy
Gospel according to St.-whoever-wrote-that-Gospel, the such-and-such
chapter.”
There is a common expectation that the four Gospels are like
biographies. Biographies almost always begin with the birth of a person, and
then the life of that person is laid out in a systematic and sequential way.
This style of telling a person’s life, however, has not been around very long.
Biographies weren’t really written before the 1800s. The Gospels aren’t
biographies. They are far from complete records of everything that Jesus did
and said. St. John the Evangelist tells us why he included what he did in his
Gospel. He said that if everything were written down about Jesus, then all the
libraries of the world wouldn’t be able to contain them all. But these things
were written that you should believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that you may have life in his name. Learning about Jesus is different than
just learning about somebody famous. It’s not meant to be just information. It
calls for judgment. What do you say about Jesus? Is he the Christ, is he the
Savior, or not?
And so the Gospels are different from biographies. They do
not systematically tell a complete story. In fact, two out of the four Gospels
do not say much at all about Jesus before he was baptized in the Jordan River
by John the Baptist. Only Matthew and Luke speak of his life prior to his
baptism. And even in Matthew and Luke there is quite a bit we might otherwise
like to know. Both Matthew and Luke speak about the very early life of Jesus,
but after he is maybe about 2 years old, the Gospels don’t tell us anything
more about Jesus until his baptism, except for one episode when he was about
12. That is when he went to Jerusalem with his family. The family headed for
home and accidently left Jesus behind. He was busy discussing God’s Word in the
Temple. But this is the only thing we hear about Jesus’s life from about 2
years old until he was perhaps around 30 years old, when he was baptized.
During this Christmas season, when we are thinking about
Jesus’s birth, it is only natural that whatever the Gospels do say about
Jesus’s earthly life should be focus of our readings, and so it is. Although we
don’t know hardly anything about Jesus as a boy and a young man, the Gospels
tell us more about when he was a baby.
The first part of Luke chapter 2 is the Christmas Gospel.
This is where we hear about Mary and Joseph making their way to Bethlehem
because of a census and giving birth while lodging in a stable because there
was no room for them in the inn. This is also where we hear about the shepherds
in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night, but an angel of the
Lord appears to them and tells them that a Savior was born for them.
Our reading today is the second part of Luke 2. This is
about 6 weeks after Jesus’s birth. The Law that God gave to Moses required
sacrifices for Mary and Jesus. Mary needed to offer sacrifice in order to
become ritually clean after childbirth. Jesus, her firstborn, needed to be
redeemed as the firstborn child by sacrifice. This hearkened back to the time
of Passover while the Israelites were still in Egypt. The firstborn belonged to
God and he would take that life unless it were redeemed by the blood of the
lamb that was placed on the sides and tops of the doors. Ever since that time,
the firstborn of each family was redeemed by the sacrifice of an animal in
their place.
This devotion to the Law is God humbling himself. When he
sent his Son to be born of a woman, he entered also under the Law, even though
God is Lord of the Law. Jesus would not have needed to keep that Law as God,
but he voluntarily kept the Law as an Israelite and as a human being in our
place in order to fulfill it. The way that all laws work is that if they are
kept, then the outcome will be good. If they are not kept, then the outcome
will be bad. Since we have not kept the Law, the Law is not our friend. It is
calling out for our punishment. If we actually kept the Law, then we could
count on it for our blessing, but since we have not, it calls for our
punishment.
In order that the Law should not condemn us, Jesus entered
into our place. Not only did he take the punishment that we deserve for
breaking the Law, but he also kept and fulfilled the Law that we have not been
able to keep. His keeping of the Law is credited to us when we believe in him.
What we see in Jerusalem about six weeks after Jesus was born is a small part
of the way that Jesus fulfilled the Law that was given to the Jews. Jews who
have not kept the Law cannot look to the Law for help. All they are going to
find there is condemnation. But they can look to Jesus, who lived the perfect
life and fulfilled the Law that they were not able to keep.
While Mary, Joseph, and the Baby were in Jerusalem they met
an elderly man named Simeon and an elderly woman named Anna. The old man had
been waiting for the fulfillment of a promise God had made to him that he would
see the Christ, the promised Savior, before he died. Luke does not answer all
the questions we might have about this. We might wonder how Simeon was told
that this would happen. We might also wonder how it was that Simeon knew that
Jesus was the Christ versus all the other baby boys that he saw. It is possible
that an angel, a messenger from God, told him directly. Luke does not say.
But Luke does record much of what Simeon said. He took Jesus
up into his arms and said, “Lord, now you dismiss your servant in peace,
according to your word, because my eyes have seen your salvation, which you
have prepared before the face of all people, a light for revelation to the
Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.”
These words are familiar to us. We know them by the first
two words in Latin, the “Nunc Dimmitis.” It is a part of our Divine Service
liturgy. We sing this song after receiving the Lord’s Supper. It is not a
coincidence that this song was chosen, nor is it a coincidence that it is sung
after communion. When Simeon took Jesus up into his arms he said that he has
received the Christ. God had kept his promise. This boy is a light that reveals
salvation for the Gentiles and for Israel. Accordingly, Simeon is ready to die
in peace.
When we receive the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we are receiving the same Christ that Simeon held. It is the body and blood
sacrificed for our salvation. This is our life, our hope’s foundation, our
glory, and our salvation. When we have returned to our seat after receiving the
pledge of God’s love and forgiveness to us in the Lord’s Supper, we are even
better prepared than Simeon to say, “I am ready to die in peace.” The message
God gives us is clear. If we have doubts about whether God’s good will is
toward mankind, then we should remember this gift that he gives to us. If he
gives us his own Son’s body and blood to eat and drink, then how can he deny us?
We are the very ones who have been purchased by that body and blood. Although we
have not taken Jesus into our arms, like Simeon did, we have become one with
him in an even closer way.
Simeon also makes a prophesy regarding Jesus. He says that
he is set for the falling and rising of many in Israel. A sword will go through
Mary’s heart. The thoughts of many will be revealed. Jesus was not accepted by
everybody. Some received him—usually they were the poor, blind, and needy. The
big shots, by and large, refused to believe in him. They thought he was a country bumpkin, a
Sabbath breaker, and a blasphemer. When he became popular with the people they
thought that he was a threat to their national identity and the relationship
that the Jews had with the Romans. This is why they killed him. These leaders
were not evil looking on the outside. Just the opposite. They were highly
respectable and greatly honored. But when Jesus came, their real thoughts were
revealed. They did not believe God’s Word. They did not believe in Jesus. They
believed in a lot of other things instead. They were liars and murderers.
The same thing still happens today. Faith and unbelief has
always divided the world in two ever since the beginning. There are a lot of
people in our community who are very fine citizens. They are polite and
respectable and obey the laws of the state. Nothing bad could be said about
them or their behavior. But they do not believe that Jesus is the Christ. They
do not stake their life and salvation on his crucifixion for their sins. They
do not hope in the resurrection from the dead. They believe in a lot of things,
but they do not believe God’s Word. They do not believe in Jesus. Therefore
they are left in their sins.
If this fact is made known to them with any potency at all,
then you will see another side of them. The mask will come off, and you will
see what they think of this Jesus whom you believe in. They will put you out of
their circle of friends and feel as though they have done the right thing by
doing so. In the end, Jesus will always either be embraced and adored or he
will be spit at and hated. There is no in between. He is set for the falling
and rising of every individual. The thoughts and beliefs of each will be
revealed in how they regard him.
Finally, the holy family comes across a very old woman named
Anna. She was a long time widow, which probably meant that she was very poor.
She was nearby and gave thanks to God when she heard about Jesus and saw him.
God was her only hope and stay. She didn’t have anything else to rely upon. She
was greatly cheered by seeing the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Savior.
She did what comes naturally to those who believe. She
talked about Jesus to all those who were waiting for the consolation and
salvation of Israel. Here we have the simplest and best understanding of
evangelism. When a person believes, he speaks. We can’t help but want to talk
about things that we love or enjoy. Even if you just get some new gadget for
the kitchen or the workshop, you are likely to tell your family and friends
about it. So also, Christians will speak about Jesus.
Note, however, that there is a big difference between
praising gadgets and praising Jesus . When you are speaking about Jesus you
will be confronting and fighting against powers and principalities who do not
want the name of Jesus to be known so that it can be called upon. This very
often makes it difficult or awkward to speak about Jesus. That might make you
think that you need some kind of program to do it.
No, don’t worry about that. You are all well equipped to
praise Jesus. You know who he is. You know what he has done. You know what
evils he has come to save us from. All that you need is some boldness. If you
find that lacking, then ask God for it. Realize that this might mean—in fact,
it probably will mean—that you will not be loved by everyone. The coming of
Christ reveals the thoughts of many. Something of a sword might pass through
your heart. But what are these things compared to being saved from hell and
being received as a child of God? That is what you are offering people when you
speak to them about Jesus. It is an act of love. True love does not look out
for one’s self, but for the good of the other.
Do not be ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of
salvation to all who believe—both you and those who cross your path.
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