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CHRIST’S COMING: ARE YOU WAITING? 12.12.04
(Luke 2:25-35)

25 Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. 26 The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

29 "Lord, now I can die in peace!
As you promised me, 30 I have seen the Savior 31 you have given to all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!"

33 Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, "This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. 35 Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." Luke 2:25-35 NLT

There was a family, not unlike the majority of families in the Northwest, who had no interest in spiritual things; never went to S.S. or church.
– One Christmas their little boy was invited by his best friend to attend the S.S. Christmas Program. This was a completely new experience for the boy, and when he got home he was all excited to tell his family what he’d learned about the very first Christmas. Here’s a small part of what he told:

"Well, way back then they didn’t have any Santa Claus, so they had these three skinny guys riding around on camels passing out gifts. They didn’t have Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer to guide them through the darkness. So they had to use this bright, shiny light that kind of lit up all the world."

It’s easy to understand why that little boy was confused about Christmas. Most of us here today don’t have that problem; we know what it’s about.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV
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Reviewing our text... As the story begins we see Mary and Joseph obeying the Law which said that when a mother gave birth to a male child, on the 8th day he was to be circumcised. Then on the 40th day after birth the parents were to take the child to the Temple and present him to God.

Mary and Joseph didn’t know, however, that when they arrived at the temple there would be an old man named Simeon waiting for them; his hair gray, his skin wrinkled, his back bent.
– As it turned out Simeon had waited all his life for this moment. He was part of a group of Jewish men called the "the quiet of Israel." These men devoted their lives to praying, to meditating, to reading God’s Word, and to waiting for the coming of the Messiah.
– For decades this man had been waiting for this moment, and when Mary and Joseph walked through the arch into the temple courts with baby Jesus, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Simeon, this is the One." And Simeon went over and took Jesus in his arms.
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There are three things I want us to notice about this event:

FIRST, there was A REMARKABLE ANTICIPATION. Look again at verses 25-26:

25 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. 26 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.

You see, SIMEON WAS WAITING. The fuller meaning of the word “waiting” is that it was done with CONFIDENCE and PATIENCE.
(Strongs #4327)

One of the reasons children are so important at Christmas is because children give us a vision of what Christmas ought to be.
– There is that sense of wonder, awe and excitement children have that somehow people too easily can lose when they become adults.

But here is Simeon, an old man, and he has not lost his anticipation. Every moment of every day he was anticipating the coming of the Lord.

Do we live like that? Christians ought to have that same spirit of expectation, looking ahead to the time when Jesus will come again.

11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right. 15 You must teach these things and encourage your people to do them, correcting them when necessary. You have the authority to do this, so don't let anyone ignore you or disregard what you say. Titus 2:11-15 NLT
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SECONDLY, there was A WONDERFUL ADORATION. Verses 28-29 tell how Simeon took Jesus in his arms and said:

"Lord, I am your servant, and now I can die in peace, because you have kept your promise to me...”

When we lived in California we had a chance to go to the Pebble Beach Pro/Am golf tournament; a tournament where pro golfers team up with various celebrities from Hollywood, the world of sports, etc.
– We were standing at the 17th green, a par three right along the Pacific shore, and got to see many celebrities.
– Having just moved from Kansas City as few months earlier where I’d spent seven of the last eight years of my life, I was excited to hear that George Brett, the Hall of Fame player from the Royals, was going to be playing that hole while we were there.
– He over-drove the green and landed in the sand trap. But, with his second shot he put it in the hole for a birdie.
– I was so jazzed about seeing him, and then to have him do something like that, I remember saying, “We can go home now; I’ve seen the best of what I can see!”

For Simeon this was the climax, the pinnacle, of his life because the one thing he had longed for was the moment when he could hold the Christ in his arms.
– Now he could finally stand back and say, "God, I’ve done everything I want to do. I’ve seen everything I want to see. Now I’m ready to die and be with you for all eternity."

What is the one thing that would cause your life to be absolutely fulfilled? What would it take for you to say, "Lord, I have
everything I want, I’ve done everything I want to do"?

“You can have all the things of the world, but if you don’t have Jesus, you won’t have anything. You can have Jesus and none of the things of the world and yet, still have everything.”

Christmas truly becomes a time of worship when we realize that Jesus is everything we need.
– Through Jesus, God came into our world and made the sacrifice that took the burden of our sins.
– Now the Holy Spirit lives within those who are consecrated, or fully devoted and radically obedient to Him, to empower them to live the life He’s given.
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THIRDLY, there was A MAGNIFICENT DESCRIPTION. Verse 30 records the ultimate description of who Jesus really is. Simeon begins by saying, for my eyes have seen your salvation….

He goes on to talk about how Jesus is to be a light to reveal God in the midst of the darkness and evil of our world.

A black preacher was trying to describe Jesus. I want to quote his description this morning, I hope it will help us understand more who Jesus really is:

"The Bible says my king is a 7-way king. He is the king of the Jews - that’s a racial king. He is the king of Israel - that’s a national king. He is the king of righteousness. He is the king of the ages. He is the king of heaven. He is the king of glory. He is the king of kings, & He is lord of lords. That’s my king.

"Well, I wonder. Do you know Him? David said, `The heavens declare the glory of God & the firmament shows His handiwork.’ My king is a sovereign king. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far reaching telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of his shoreless supplies.

"No barrier can hinder His blessings. He is everlastingly strong. He is entirely sincere. He is eternally steadfast. He is empirically powerful. He is impartially merciful.

"Do you know him? I wonder if you know Him. He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of the world. He’s God’s Son. He’s the sinners savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands in the solitude of Himself.

"He is august & unique. He is unparalleled & unprecedented. He is the loftiest ideal of literature. He is the highest personality of philosophy. He is the miracle of the ages. Yes He is, yes He is.

"I wonder if you know Him today? He sympathizes & He saves. He strategizes & sustains. He guards & guides. He heals the sick & cleanses the leper. He forgives the sinner.

"He delivers the captive. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged, & He rewards the diligent.

"I wonder if you know Him today? Well, this is my King. He is the King. He is the king of knowledge. He is the well-spring of wisdom. He is the doorway to deliverance. He is the pathway to peace. He is the roadway to righteousness. He is the highway to holiness. He is the gateway to glory.

"Do you know Him? Well, I want you to know Him today. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteousness. His yoke is easy. His burden is light.

"I wish I could describe Him to you but He is indescribable. He is incomprehensible. He is invincible. He is irresistible. Well, you can’t get Him out of your mind, & you can’t get Him off of your hands, & you can’t outlive Him, & you can’t live without Him.

"The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find fault in Him, & Herod couldn’t kill Him, & death couldn’t handle Him, & the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my King.

"And thine is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever & ever & ever & ever. And how long is that? Forever & ever & ever & ever & ever & after all the forevers, amen & amen & amen. That’s my King!
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From this Christmas story of Simeon, we know what he was waiting for with confidence and patience in his life.
– What Are We Waiting For?”

(based on “What Are You Waiting For?”
from SC ~ Melvin M. Newland)