The Sights Before Christmas (Luke 2:1-20)

Can you win a game of chess if you only have a few pawns with your king? Your coach will tell you no^[1] – that those pawns need to be promoted into more powerful pieces. Even with support from the rest of the chessmen, the odds of a pawn checkmating an enemy king are one in a thousand.^[2]

When Jesus came on that first Christmas, He came as God’s Indescribable Gift to us. But it was also a significant move in His plan to checkmate Satan, sin, and death. Of course, God isn’t playing games with humanity. He is waging war and rescuing us from our captors. But, through the centuries, as He moved in conquest, the devil made counter moves in his effort to defeat the Lord.

Perhaps Satan thought he had God on the ropes. It didn’t seem like the Lord had made much progress for several hundred years. God’s people were subjected under Satan’s puppet king. And, looking at the board, when the Messiah arrived, He was surrounded not by knights, but by pawns.

When we read Biblical accounts of Christ’s birth, a consistent theme is how amazed and astonished the people in these scenes were. And we should be astonished, too. Solomon tells us that, “God works so that people will be in awe of him.”^[3] So, let’s look at Luke’s telling on Christ’s birth and allow our hearts to be filled with awe at the wonderful, generous power of God.

Luke 2:1-3 – In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. ² This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

Luke sets the scene by first showing us the power of Rome. We’re meant to see a contrast between earth’s king and Heaven’s King – between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of light.

Augustus, also called Octavian, was the first Roman Emperor.^[4] He expanded his territory through bloody conquest. Now, he was reorganizing how the empire would be administered.^[5] He would need more soldiers and he would especially need more taxes to fund his dominion. And so, he called for this census so he could tax and, in some cases, conscript fighters accordingly.^[6]

Luke 2:4-5 – ⁴ Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, ⁵ to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.

The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 90 miles.^[7] Like walking from here to the far side of Bakersfield. The likely route Mary and Joseph took would be difficult and dangerous. Descending down toward the Dead Sea and then a constant ascent up into the Jerusalem hills.

Now a lot of the details we traditionally associate with this story are not actually given in the Gospels. Hopefully it’s not too upsetting to hear that there’s no sign of a donkey on this trip. Maybe they haven’t one, maybe they didn’t. We tend to put that in because we don’t like to think of poor Mary walking all that way while great with Child. But, there’s nothing in the text about the trip itself.

Nor can we be sure she was 9 months pregnant at the time they traveled.^[8] That’s usually the image, right? As the donkey makes its last steps into Bethlehem, her contractions start. It makes for great drama, and it may have happened that way, but we have to read that into the text.

Joseph and Mary weren’t stupid, and in Matthew we see they stayed for an extended period of time in Bethlehem. Perhaps it was less last-minute and less haphazard than the movies suggest.

The important thing is not the timing of their arrival, but the fact that they did arrive. You see, the Messiah had to be born in the city of David. Luke keeps bringing up David. Why?

It’s because God made eternal promises to and through David. The King of kings, the Savior of the world, the One Who would make everything right would be a descendant of David. Along with that promise, God made many other promises concerning this Son of David. And God is never slack concerning His promises. He keeps them to the letter, even in the smallest details.

Now, it’s surprising that Mary came along on this trip.^[9]

Perhaps her pregnancy caused so much social friction in Nazareth that it was best for her to go with Joseph. Or perhaps it was because the Syrian province (which included Judea) taxed men and women.^[10]

Luke 2:6-7 – ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

It doesn’t say the contractions started the moment they arrived. They may have already been there for weeks. Luke also does not indicate that Mary and Joseph were rudely rejected by all the innkeepers of Bethlehem.^[11] For one thing, Bethlehem was probably too small to actually have a commercial inn.^[12] And the word Luke uses for inn doesn’t mean a hotel. In fact, it’s the same word he later uses for the “upper room” that Jesus and His disciples use for the last supper.^[13]

The term means a guest room. This was likely the home of their extended family. Lots of people were there for the census. The house was packed. Let me ask you moms this: If you were about to give birth, do you want 8, 10, 20 people in the room with you? Or would you like some privacy?

Here’s a question I hadn’t thought about before: Who was in the stable that night? Again, we have this idea that it was just Mary and Joseph, maybe a few sheep and cows, right? It’s likely that a midwife was there with them assisting, especially considering this was Mary’s first delivery.^[14]

The point Luke is making in this account is less about that night being scandalous or embarrassing. His point is to show us what kind of King Jesus was, right from the start.

What kind of King leaves His throne? What sort of Kingdom would He establish? Luke’s wants to highlight the humble and lowly nature of the Lord Jesus. This was a King Who came to serve. This was a King Who did not demand a palace. This was a King Who paid everything that was necessary on behalf of His people.

Compare Him with Caesar, who was driving his people from here to there so he could extract from them to fuel his greed. But not Jesus. He came to be with us. Whether that was in a stable or in a fishing boat or by a well or in your living room. That’s why He came – to be Emmanuel.

Luke also wants us to realize that Jesus was a real human Baby. He was, of course, fully God, but it’s just as essential that He be fully Man. In the first few centuries after Christ’s death and resurrection, heresies arose which taught that Jesus was not, in fact, actually human. That He only seemed to be human.^[15] But He really was fully God and fully Man. He was swaddled up like any other baby.

Luke 2:8-9 – ⁸ In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Why did the new come first to shepherds? The angels could have appeared to Herod, or Augustus himself. Maybe the high priest or the Essenes out in the desert. How about the zealots? If God wanted to make a move to establish a Kingdom, some soldiers would be helpful, right?

Instead, shepherds. Pawns. Shepherds were generally seen as outcasts – undesirable, unclean.^[16] But we remember the connection to David. David, who was anointed while tending sheep and told by God that he would shepherd Israel.^[17]

It is a foreshadow of how Christ would be the Good Shepherd, Who lays down His life for His sheep.^[18] How, laying down His life, He was the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.^[19]

God wanted it to be very clear Who Jesus was and what He would do. You see, these shepherds between Bethlehem and Jerusalem were likely watching over the temple flocks – the sheep destined to be sacrifices on the altar of Israel.^[20] God was explaining the Gift He was giving us.

Luke 2:10-14 – ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: ¹¹ Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:  ¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

This is amazing not only because it was a miraculous visitation by supernatural beings, but because their statements are a direct refutation of the worldly king who thought he was in charge.

When Octavian became emperor, he was given the name “Augustus,” which means, “exalted one,”^[21] or “holy and revered.”^[22] He was worshiped by the Imperial cult,^[23] and Roman inscriptions called him the “savior of the world.”^[24]

But here are the angels saying, “No, no, the Savior of the world, the Messiah, the real Lord has just been born in Bethlehem.” And this Messiah will usher in real peace.

You see, Augustus established the Pax Romana. After decades of civil war, he brought stability to the empire.^[25] But it was at the edge of a blood-soaked sword. It was a dark peace.

But into that dark, the light of heaven suddenly broke through with an offer of real peace. Not one enforced by violence, but one offered in grace. Not one that lasts for 250 years, but one that lasts forever.

But who gets to enjoy this peace? Well, the angels give two qualifiers. The first is hidden in the english. Where it says news of great joy that will be for “all the people,” scholars explain it is a specific reference to those who belong to God.^[26]

Who belongs to God? Well, that’s in the second qualifier: the people on whom His favor rests. Those who have willingly received His gift of grace. Those saved by grace, through faith in this Messiah, Christ Jesus. But for those who refuse to accept Christ as Savior, there is no peace.

The angels told the shepherds how to find the newborn King. The question is: Would they go to Him? Well, of course they would, right? But remember what happened when the scribes and priests were told the King was born in Matthew 2? They stayed home. They were uninterested.

God’s gift has been arrived. Maybe you’ve never believed Jesus is Who the Bible says He is. But He is the Savior and Messiah. He is the only One Who can rescue you from the guilt of your sin and the grave. Are you willing to believe? You can receive this gift today and you don’t have to be afraid.

That was what the angel said to the shepherds. They were terrified, but they didn’t have to be afraid. Neither do you. Now, we do need to be confronted and redirected and converted, but not afraid. Because our Savior is a King of love. Pleased as Man with men to dwell.

Luke 2:15-16 – ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.

The angels returned to heaven. Do you think they were disappointed? Wouldn’t it have been great if they went through the streets of Bethlehem? Or flown right into the palace of Jerusalem or Rome? But this was not about God’s gift to angels. It was about His love for humankind. And though they be weak as pawns, it was shepherds and carpenters that the Lord wanted to spend that first Christmas with.

For their part, the shepherds had immediate belief. A faith that moved. They left their sheep and supplies behind, not waiting for someone else to cover them. This was too important, too amazing.

Luke 2:17-18 –  ¹⁷ After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

This is another subtle hint that Mary and Joseph weren’t absolutely alone in the stable. The shepherds come, see Jesus and His parents, then tell their story and “all who heard it” were amazed. Someone else was there.

They were all amazed at what had happened. But this was just the beginning of what Jesus was willing to do for us. He is the most generous, most caring Person to ever exist. Consider what He deserves – the praise and the pomp and the pageantry and everything else. But He set it all aside and offered Himself so you can be saved. So you can receive His everlasting life. So that He can love you and walk with you and share His inheritance with you. He is a Savior born for you (v11).

Luke 2:19 – ¹⁹ But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.

Perhaps Mary had been wondering why this Child of promise had such a lowly entrance into the world. Had God forgotten them? Did He forget to provide them what they needed? What about in the days to come? Would He be faithful? But as Jesus lay in a manger, the Lord sends Mary and Joseph a powerful testimony of His care and faithfulness. He proved His goodness and ability to Mary and Joseph that night.

Luke 2:20 – ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

It says they “returned.” They went back to their regular lives, but they were transformed. Now, they weren’t just watching sheep, they were simultaneously doing the heavenly work the angels did before – praising God and preaching the Good News. And, as they lived their regular lives, they waited for the next part of the story to unfold. How long would it take? When would the next part unfold? They didn’t know. But that didn’t matter, because they knew the Savior Himself. They had opened the gift and their lives would never be the same.

Christ came to save you. Have you received that gift?

If you have, this story then reminds us that Christ came to dwell with you, walk with you, live with you in whatever life He’s given you. And as we live our lives, we’re commissioned to be a part of His ongoing work of love, power, and grace. Lives that praise and glorify God as we share the Good News that the Savior was born for us, the Messiah, the Lord.

We may feel insignificant, like pawns without much power, but God has decided to bless us and use us and fill our lives with His Presence. So, celebrate His victory and generosity and affection as we remember Him this week, thanking and praising God for His Indescribable Gift.

There Was An Old Woman Who Lived To Serve Jews (Luke 2:36-38)

They are called the 400 silent years.

It is the time between the Old Testament and New Testament, during which no inspired Scripture was written.

It would be wrong, however, to say that God did not speak. He certainly spoke to Anna as a “prophetess.” She may have been over 100yrs old. That cuts deep into the 400 so-called silent years.

God speaks. He’s a talker, with lots to say. He reveals Himself to us so that we can know Him.

He speaks to everyone through the wonders of the created universe. You could call it, “Creation Evangelism” or, “The First Testament.” “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3). Design demands a designer; creation, a Creator. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.”

God reveals Himself to each person through his or her conscience. Everyone has a conscience. Our conscience gives us an awareness of what is right and what and wrong. Don Stewart writes, “Humanity knows intuitively the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. Furthermore, they know from their conscience that they will ultimately be held responsible for their behavior.” Another commentator said, “Conscience is the voice of God in the soul.”

God speaks to you from the Cross upon which Jesus was crucified. If you listen, you hear, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Most of you recall Verizon’s “Can you hear me now?” ad campaign. No matter where the tech was, you could hear him on Verizon’s superior network.
It’s Christmas and God has brought you here so He can chat you up. If you are not a Christian, then His Creation… Your conscience… & The Cross where He took your place in death that you might live…

They are the very voice of God drawing you to Himself.

Only a fool says “there is no God” as you experience and explore the wonderful world He has created.
In your conscience, you know that you are a sinner.
With your attention drawn to the Cross, God’s Spirit provides the ability for you to repent and believe.

Since you know He is speaking…“Can you hear Him now?”

We will spend the next few minutes with Anna. We’ll see her living in the Temple, always ready to serve her fellow Jews.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

We start asking kids this question when they’re in elementary school.

A poll revealed that the #1 career among children is Professional Athlete. Rounding out the top ten: Doctor, Don’t Know, Teacher, Veterinarian, Firefighter, Scientist, Astronaut, Engineer, and Law Enforcement.

I couldn’t find, ‘Widow who lives in the Temple serving God with fasting and prayers.’ Most likely, Anna didn’t aspire to the career that would occupy the majority of her very long life. Nevertheless, that was her calling and she went about it as a gift from the Lord.

Some of us are in our dream job. One or more of you might go as far as saying you hate your job. You might have upward mobility. Perhaps you are stuck, can’t start over. The possibilities are many.

Anna didn’t choose the course of her life, but no matter the twists and turns, she walked her course to please God.

Luk 2:36  Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

Asher was one of Jacob’s sons. He was the progenitor of one of the tribes of Israel. When you search the Bible for him, you find his greatest achievements stated in the form of prophecies: “Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties… Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil” (Genesis 49:20 & Deuteronomy 33:24).

It sounds like he owned a day spa.

When the tribes of Israel inherited their land, Joshua assigned to Asher western and coastal Galilee. It was a region with some of the most fertile land in Canaan, with rich pasture, wooded hills, and orchards. You could say of Asher that he was materially well-off.

He is remembered as a privileged, wealthy land owner, rancher, and farmer. God is not opposed to wealth, only its potential to trip you up in your walk with Him. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The love of money is what motivates people to lie, steal, cheat, gamble, embezzle, and even murder. Jesus warned that “you cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). By one estimate, stock market losses wiped out $9 trillion American’ wealth this year. Meanwhile, Heaven is cranking out the dividends to those who invest with God.

The Bible encourages us to counter the hold money may have on us by being thoughtful, generous, hilarious, regular givers to the work of God.

We can’t know if Anna was once, or even then, materially well-off. We can say that she spent most of her life living meagerly. She’s an example to us of being rich in faith.

Her dad, ‘Phanuel,’ is mentioned nowhere else. Nothing is known about her family, or her deceased husband’s family. Whether or not any relatives were still involved with her, her daily contact was with the Temple servants. They would be like family to her.

Don’t think of her as some crazy oracle, the kind highlighted in fantasy movies. Prophets didn’t necessarily predict the future. Technically, we would list Anna with the godly Old Testament women called prophetesses: Miriam (Exodus 15:20); Deborah (Judges 4:4); Huldah (Second Kings 22:14; Second Chronicles 34:22); and the wife of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:3). The scope of their speaking for God can be ascertained by reading the relevant passages. What I get out of them is that they advised with wisdom derived from the written word, and they revealed the will of God. We could say that they functioned in the office of prophetess to advise about the will of God.

Anna’s ministry, whatever its scope, assured the people God was not silent. He was behind the scenes, prepping for the fulfillment of His promises to them. If in your walk with the Lord He seems silent, know that He is behind the scenes, prepping for the fulfillment of His promises to you.

BTW: Sometimes silence can be effective, edifying communication.

Luk 2:37  and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the Temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

What happened to her husband? Did they have children during their seven years of marriage? If not, why not? Still a relatively young woman when her husband died, why did she not get remarried? Don’t know. Don’t know. Don’t know. Don’t know.

She may have been 84 years old, or widowed for 84 years. If she married in her teens, she would be over 100.

At some point she “did not depart from the Temple.” If someone spends a great deal of time somewhere other than home, we say they live there. Anna really did live there.

Another big part of her being a prophetess was to “[serve] God with fastings and prayers night and day.”

Anna was on-call, day and night, to pray for you.

“Fastings” can be translated, “Going without eating.” I buy Chaplain gear from a website called ColdDinnerClub. The name represents firefighters & police officers not being able to finish a hot meal on account of their commitment to serve. Anna was often not able to finish her meal, and, in addition, she practiced the discipline of fasting.

Jesus spoke of praying, giving, and fasting as spiritual disciplines. I doubt any of us would claim to be satisfied with our praying, giving, and fasting (Matthew 6). These disciplines, however, are not a one-size-fits-all program. Talk to God about your praying, giving, and fasting.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? She was pretty spry for her age. Pilates?? No, God measured out her physical health.

If you have your health, do you have everything? Of course not. What is the condition of your soul?That’s the essential thing. Charles Spurgeon writes, “I venture to say that the greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us is health, with the exception of sickness. Sickness has frequently been of more use to the saints of God than health has.”

Luk 2:38  And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna came just when Simeon was holding baby Jesus and prophesying about the royal family.

The words, “that instant,” are truly amazing. Simeon, Anna, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus converged in a fleeting moment of time. It was a case of right place, right time, in God’s providence. He had foreseen the free actions of these people, and then He saw to it that their meeting came to pass for His glory.

If I asked you to name a spiritual “that instant” moment in your life, most of you could do so. If you were saved later in life, not from an early age, the moment you received the gift of salvation was at “that instant.”

As long as you are on Earth, you should expect “that instant” moments.

We aren’t told how Anna “gave thanks.” It may have been silently, in her heart. Maybe it was out loud. It probably describes not just her immediate reaction, but an ongoing one. We can assume that she was thankful prior to this. Now she would take gratitude to an entirely new level.

I’m reminded of the apostle Paul and what he described as the thorn in his flesh. After praying about it, the Lord revealed to Paul that it would not be taken away. Paul reacted, saying, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (Second Corinthians 12:9-10).

God’s answer wasn’t “No,” it was grace, sufficient grace. Paul was grateful. That is ‘next level’ gratitude.

Anna “spoke of Him to all…” As a prophetess, she already did this, but now there was a renewed excitement that expressed itself in her sharing.

“All those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” were godly Israelites who hoped for the arrival of their promised Messiah. Here that hope is called “redemption.” A redeemer was a certain person described in the Bible, who had a very important role in their tribal culture. The Jews connected the Messiah to the person in the Law of Moses known as the “kinsman-redeemer.” Our friends at gotquestions.org put it like this:

The kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who had the privilege and responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need. The Hebrew term (go el) for kinsman-redeemer designates one who delivers or rescues (Genesis 48:16; Exodus 6:6) or redeems property or person (Leviticus 27:9-25, 25:47-55).

Another commentator said,

“A kinsman-redeemer was someone who redeemed what was lost. This could be the other persons’ property, their freedom, or even their name. The kinsman might also be called upon to exact revenge on someone who may have killed their relative. In short, the kinsman was a rescuer and restorer.”

Summarizing our redemption as Christians, one author said, “To be redeemed is to be forgiven, holy, justified, free, adopted, and reconciled.”
Commenting on our need to be redeemed, Dave Hunt said, “The more clearly we see the infinite chasm between God’s glory and our sinful falling short thereof, the greater will be our appreciation of His grace and love in bridging that gulf to redeem us.”

There were four requirements you had to meet to be go el:

You had to be kin.
You had to be willing.
You had to be able to redeem.
You had to pay the price in full.

Jesus was Israel’s go el.

Jesus was God in human flesh. He became just like you and me, our kin, which put him in position so that He could redeem us.
Jesus gave up His life for us as a sacrifice of His own free will.
Because Jesus was God, He has the ability to redeem us.
Jesus paid the redemption price. We are told, “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people…” (Titus 2:14).

If you want to understand redemption, read the short Book of Ruth in your Bible. It tells the story of a go el rescuing and restoring his kin. It tells it as a love story.

God redeeming you by sending Jesus as your go el is a love story; it is THE love story.

The holiday season is for most people a fun time of the year, filled with parties, celebrations, and social gatherings with family and friends. For many people, it can be a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, and anxiety. You either know someone who has suffered loss for whom the holidays hit hard; or you are that someone.

Anna was that someone. We need to be careful to not suggest a backstory for Anna that is purely speculative. One thing for sure is that she had suffered the loss of her husband. She remained widowed all her very long life.

No one chooses that path to walk on. Little girls don’t aspire to widowhood.

Some little girls will get a bride Barbie doll this year, but not widowed Barbie, with coffin Ken.

We might immediately admire Anna’s life devoted to God, living in a makeshift room in the Temple, praying and fasting night and day, blessed with getting to see Jesus, the Redeemer. At the same time, I think the majority of us look at Anna and say, “See you; wouldn’t want to be you.”

You have, or you will, suffer loss on your way to Heaven. It might be great loss, by our reckoning. Anna can minister to you in your loss.

It isn’t a matter of trying to be like Anna. You are an Anna already. In fact, you’re better off than Anna, spiritually, because you have God’s Spirit in you.

Anna didn’t overcome loss by praying and fasting and living at church. She didn’t discipline herself out of depression. She was on a walk with God, and she accepted that her path went through the loss of her spouse, and all these other things that followed.

You don’t know where your path will lead me, let alone you. On Earth, it will involve greater or lesser loss, on account of the problem of sin.

The psalmist wrote, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 76:3). It would have been a good life-verse for Anna. Let it be yours while waiting for your own; or, if you have been given a life-verse, let it fill your heart.

Simeon Says: Wait (Luke 2:22-35)

Simeon awoke every morning with the imminent hope he would see the Messiah.

Does that sound like anyone you know? Christians in the Church Age awake to the imminence of Jesus’ return to resurrect and rapture us.

One day, and we don’t know how many days it was after Simeon initially received the prophecy, that day came. God the Holy Spirit directed him to the Temple. His excitement must have been palpable.

Undoubtedly others knew of the prophecy. Seeing Simeon, with an extra bounce in his step, they may have followed him.

“There He is,” God’s Spirit announced. Where? Is it that guy? Is it that guy?

“Simeon – He is that 40-day old in the arms of His teen mother.”

It is a good bet Simeon figured that, when he saw the Messiah, it would be ‘deliver’n time,’ not diaper’n time. We are so familiar with the Christmas story that we assume Israel was waiting for a baby to be born. They were not.

Simeon, however, was anything but disappointed. He blessed the little family, then went away hopeful.

Throughout the Bible we find God working in unusual ways that we could never predict. Sending a baby to do a Messiah’s job isn’t strange for Him:

He sent a stutterer to be His voice to Pharaoh.
The youngest, least obvious teenager was His choice for King.

His work in your life will be no less unusual. It is His signature as the craftsman who is completing His good work in you.

Brother Andrew put it this way: “I am a fool for Christ. Whose fool are you?”

With that under our belt, so to speak, let’s take this wonderful passage verse-by-verse.

“Simeon Says, “Wait”

Do you think of little Jesus like Boss Baby – an infant with the mind of an adult? We sing, Mary, Did You Know? The better question might be, “Jesus, what did You know?”

The subject of how Jesus processed the world as an infant isn’t discussed in Scripture. The only appropriate verses I can think of are in the Gospel of Luke where the baby in Elizabeth’s womb, John the Baptist, “leapt” when Mary came to visit pregnant with Jesus. He and cousin Jesus were definitely not normal babies.

If we are careful doing so, I think we can make a few suggestions as to how Jesus would look back upon His infancy.

Luk 2:22  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
Luk 2:23  (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “EVERY MALE WHO OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”),
Luk 2:24  and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.”

The Law God gave to Moses when Israel exodus-ed Egypt required Jesus be circumcised (Leviticus 12:3), and presented as their firstborn to God (Exodus 13:2 & 12). It was also necessary to bring an offering for Mary’s purification after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8). Jesus would be 40-days old when Simeon encountered Him. .

As a newborn, Jesus kept every requirement under the Law thanks to the obedience of Joseph and Mary. We are informed in the Book of Hebrews that Jesus “learned obedience” (5:8). It means that He was fully immersed in being human. As a Jew, He must obey the Law. He would throughout His lifetime perfectly obey God and the Law of God, first with the needed assistance of godly parents, then on His own.
Both in the womb and now 40-days having emerged from it, the Lord had not only fulfilled prophecies of His virgin birth, but was perfect. Jesus learned to walk in holiness before He learned to crawl as a toddler.

Luk 2:25  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.

In the Gospel of John, we are told that Jesus “came to His own.” He came to Israel, as their “Consolation,” i.e., the Messiah. His own, however, received Him not. That is an understated way of reporting that they hated Him and had Jesus crucified.

Towards the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus lamented over the Jews in Jerusalem. He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37).

Every Jew could have been a Simeon.

Jesus is the Savior of all men, especially those who believe. He draws all men to himself by the agency of the cross. God is not willing that any perish, but all come to eternal life. Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

The leadership hardened their hearts and resisted the grace of God. Yes, God’s grace is resistible. The first Christian martyr, Stephen, substantiated it when he accused these same Jews, saying, “You always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51).

But there was Simeon; and there were others like him, believers. This would greatly encourage Jesus in His mission, just as it would any of us with a mission, to find faithful followers.

Simeon was “just and devout.” The two words summarize Simeon’s walk on Earth:

Towards men, he was motivated to do what was “just,” meaning right.
Towards God, he was devoted above all other persons or things.

This is another way of saying, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ ”(Matthew 22:37-40).

It is always a good idea to reflect upon your love for God. It can easily wane as we wait for Him. Not always out of disobedience. We can leave love for Jesus in the dust of our zeal to serve Him.

As for “your neighbor,” Jesus told a parable, The Good Samaritan, so that we would not ask, “Who is my neighbor?, but, “Whose neighbor am I?” You are everyone’s neighbor, to do good to them and thereby glorify God. You make the invisible God, visible.

“Consolation” sounds weird to English ears. I immediately think of a consolation prize for losers. We describe someone as inconsolable.

Simeon used it hopefully. The nation would be consoled when the Deliverer came:

He would deliver them from the oppression of other nations.
More importantly, He would deliver Jews and Gentiles from the oppression of the malevolent ruler of this world, of sin, and of death.

Luk 2:26  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.

Was Simeon an old man? Nothing in the text indicates his age.

He lived in a state of imminence. The Messiah might appear any moment. Imminence is a big thing to us. Jesus could return any moment to resurrect the dead in Christ, and nearly simultaneously rapture living believers.

It seems that it was widely known that the Holy Spirit had “revealed to him” this marvelous promise. In that way, it was a shared promise. You could get up every morning and check the obituaries in the Jerusalem Daily News. If Simeon wasn’t listed, then you still had a chance to see the Messiah.

Luk 2:27  So he came by the Spirit into the Temple…

Maybe the Holy Spirit gave him a strong impression to go to the Temple.

Maybe he had a dream, or a vision, or a prophecy.

Maybe another God-fearing believer received the message from the Lord to give to Simeon.

Or a bunch of seemingly random coincidences suddenly seemed to him God’s providential direction.

God the Holy Spirit is multi-lingual, especially when it comes to communicating in unusual, non-linguistic ways. He especially likes to ‘sign’ things to you. Throughout our walk with Jesus, we will learn SSL – Spirit Sign Language.

If you are not receiving anything from the Spirit, one possibility is that you are not listening. All of us understand the husband who is not really listening to his wife. Whether it is on account of the game on the television or something else, he’s not hearing her. Or those scenes when someone isn’t listening and the speaker starts stating absurdities.

A first step to listening is to believe God’s Spirit ‘speaks’ to you. Then go through the Book of Acts and note the various times and ways the Spirit ‘spoke’ to the apostles and disciples.

We read, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son… who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Baby Jesus was the first step in revealing God to His creatures on Earth. Coming as a baby by itself shouts volumes about God’s understanding of, and use of, power and sovereignty. Human infancy isn’t exactly a strong position to take in a cosmic war against supernatural creatures bent on your destruction.

Satan is the ruler of this Earth. From the Garden of Eden forward, he has been trying to stop the coming of the Messiah. With all of his many resources, both natural and supernatural, how easy would it be to simply kill the promised Christ as an infant. In fact he tried to do just that.

Satan incited brutal King Herod to “put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

Sidebar: Secular scholars try to discredit the slaughter by saying there is no historical record of it. One may yet be found. Without minimizing the event, mathematicians have calculated the likely number of male children in Bethlehem and its districts who met Herod’s criteria – 12. Significant, sure, but not exactly newsworthy when dealing with a despot who regularly killed his own family members.

Luk 2:27  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,

I can’t speak for Simeon, but I know what I’d have thought. When I saw the Deliverer, I’d be expecting deliverance! An infant deliverer meant decades more of waiting for the political aspect of deliverance. Think Moses.

This is the third time our attention is drawn to God the Holy Spirit’s ministry in Simeon:

“The Holy Spirit was upon him” (v25).

The Holy Spirit “revealed to him” (v26).

He “came by the Spirit” (v27).

God’s Spirit did not indwell him. The indwelling of God’s Spirit is a gift promised to believers in the Church Age.

Jesus promised that those who believed in Him would receive the Spirit of God. This includes all believers. Are you a believer?

Then you don’t need to seek Him, per se; He lives in you.

I always liked the comic book Green Lanterns. They are intergalactic peacekeepers who receive superpowers from power rings. A Green Lantern’s ring is charged using the energy from a power battery that resembles an old-fashioned lantern made of dark green metal. A Green Lantern’s ring must be recharged every 24hrs.

Ever hear of Hour Man? He was chemist Rex Tyler, who created Miraclo which granted him super-strength and endurance, but only for one hour.

Do you think of God the Holy Spirit as if He is a power source that wears-off and needs replenishing?

The Spirit is not a power but a Person with power. His presence in you makes it possible to obey God’s Word. What God says to do, you can do.

Luk 2:28  he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

Simeon wasn’t a priest or Levite. Joseph and Mary were from far away. Simeon may have been a complete stranger to them when he found them. Was there an awkward moment in which Simeon clearly wanted to hold their baby?

Again I want to stress I have no idea what Jesus perceived. But this is a marvelous moment for Him on Earth. A human being who was waiting for His coming held Him in his hands. God had come in human flesh as promised 4000 years prior.

Luk 2:29  “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;

There is nothing to indicate Simeon died soon thereafter. Let us suppose for a moment that he did not. His life had been all about waiting for the fulfillment of this promise. Now, that part of his life had ended, pretty abruptly. He would have to transition into a new ministry.

It can be hard to do something like that, since so much of your identity is wrapped up in what you’ve been doing. If the Lord tells you to stay, stay. But if he tells you to go, to move, then do it.

“Peace” came from Simeon realizing God kept His Word. Some dialogue from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan came to me. Kirk asks Khan something like, “How do I know you’ll keep your word?” Kahn replies, “I’ve given no word to keep.”

God has given His Word to keep, in these 66 marvelous books, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Everything we need for living life in a godly way is found between its covers… Or in your Bible app.

Luk 2:30  For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Luk 2:31  Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
Luk 2:32  A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

Notice Simeon says Jesus will “bring revelation to the Gentiles,” then the “glory of… Israel.” It seems out of order. Shouldn’t it be to the Jews first, then Gentiles? But that is precisely what occurred:

In His first coming, rejected by His own, Jesus put Israel on hold while the Gospel would go out to the Gentiles. The apostle Paul stated at the end of the Book of Acts, “the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” (28:28).
In His Second Coming, all Israel will be saved. Quoting Paul again, “Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:25-26).

Luk 2:33  And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

Make note that Luke says, “Joseph and His mother,” using the wording appropriate to the virgin birth.

Parents, have you ever felt inadequate in raising children? That’s a rhetorical question, by the way. How inadequate must Joseph and Mary have felt to raise Jesus in light of so much expectation upon Him.

The best they could hope for was that He would grow up to be a godly master craftsman. It is all they knew, all that they had to impart.

They knew God. They entrusted Jesus to God. Chip Ingram said, “Remember that you are not called to produce successful, upwardly mobile, highly educated, athletically talented machines. Giving your children great opportunities is good; it is not, however, the goal of parenting. Christlikeness is. Above all, seek to raise children who look and act a lot like Jesus.”

Luk 2:34  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
Luk 2:35  (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

David Guzik writes, “The ‘fall and rising of many’ would be shown in the way that Peter repented, but Judas despaired; in that one thief blasphemed, the other believed. Jesus is like a magnet that is attractive to some, but others are repelled from Him.”

Jesus was a “sign,” which here could be translated, target. We use the phrase, “He has a target on his back.” That’s the idea.

Mary would be more than heartbroken. A “sword” would pierce her heart. Hers would obviously be a unique suffering, seeing as Jesus was born to her in such a unique way. No one would be able to say to her, “I know what you’re going through.”

Multiple commentators note four main lessons we learn from Simeon: We wait, we watch, we worship, and we work.

Simeon ‘says’ each of them.

I encourage you to read and reread the story of Simeon with those characteristics in mind. Ask the Lord to reveal your progress or regress in each of them. Then yield yourself to His leading in order to wait-watch-worship-work as you walk.

Lady Sings The News (Luke 1:46-55)

Jesus Refulsit Omnium
Corde Natus ex Parentis
Adeste Fideles

It isn’t tongues… I don’t have a brain tumor… It’s not from Parkinson’s.

These are not spells from Harry Potter. I’m not making fun of President Biden.

They are the Latin titles for what music historians consider the oldest Christmas hymns:

Jesus Refulsit Omnium translates to, Jesus, Light of All the Nations, written by St. Hilary of Poitier in the 4th century.

Corde Natus ex Parentis translates to, Of the Father’s Love Begotten. Christian poet Prudentius wrote the poem that inspired this song in the 4th century.

Adeste Fideles is the familiar, O Come, All Ye Faithful, from 1841.

Away in a Manger, Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing… These are probably what come to mind when you think about traditional Christmas carols. As classic as these songs are, they’re not old.

There is in the Bible the overlooked oldest of the hymns of Christ’s birth.

You might know it by its Latin name, Magnificat.

It is found in only one place, in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

The Magnificat is one of four hymns recorded by Luke in response to the birth of Christ. The other three are:

Zechariah’s Benedictus (1:67-79).
The angels’ Gloria in Excelsis Deo (2:13-14).
Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis (2:28-32).

Luke presented Christmas as a musical; or at least having its own score.

Christmas is a time for song. I feel sorry for those who refuse to celebrate for one reason or another. They miss out on so much praise.

BTW: Have you been told that our celebration of Christmas has pagan roots? There is historical evidence that the opposite is true. One historian wrote,

The pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, was almost certainly an attempt to create a pagan alternative to a date that was already of some significance to Roman Christians. Thus the “pagan origins of Christmas” is a myth without historical substance.

http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-10-012-v#continue

Or Google Calculating Christmas.

We don’t want to ruin the Magnificat by picking it apart. Happily, it suggests it’s own three movements:

In verses 46-49, God’s calling upon her life draws praise from Mary.
In verses 50-53, Mary sings about the Messiah transforming the world.
In verses 54-55, Mary’s song finds its crescendo in God’s trustworthy promises and prophecies.

Let’s set the scene within which this song was sung. Finding herself pregnant after the angel Gabriel’s visit, Mary went to see her cousin, Elizabeth, to see if Elizabeth was also pregnant like the angel had said. Elizabeth was visibly pregnant, being six months along in her pregnancy with John the Baptist. He went full Pentecostal, leaping inside her womb when Mary arrived. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth spoke a blessing over Mary.

Mary began to sing:

Luk 1:46 “My soul magnifies the Lord,
Luk 1:47  And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
Luk 1:48  For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
Luk 1:49  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

Magnificat is Latin for “magnify.” In her case, Mary magnified God by rejoicing in Him.

The Doctrine of the Virgin Birth is implied in the Old Testament. It wasn’t revealed until later on, in the New Testament. No one in Israel was anticipating a miraculous virgin birth. The Jewish leaders would accuse Jesus of being illegitimate.

Mary was a young, betrothed girl, pregnant out of wedlock. Her condition was considered shameful socially and morally.

Mary chose to believe God and rejoice.

Do you believe God? Then choose to rejoice in your circumstances.

We applaud the person whose human spirit cannot be broken. William Wallace yelling, “Freedom,” while being disemboweled gets Mel Gibson an Academy Award. Why do the smallest things rob our joy as believers? Why does anything?

You’ll notice that Mary sang about things in the past tense as if they had already occurred. Scholars call this the ‘prophetic past-tense,’ meaning it hasn’t happened but it most certainly will because God has prophesied it.

Mary was 15 years old, maybe 16 tops. God has a habit of calling upon youth:

David was the youngest in his family, just a youth, when he slew the Philistine giant.

Daniel and his three friends were youths when taken captive to Babylon.

Jeremiah is thought to have been 17 years old when God called him.

A godly young man or woman, boy or girl, has the same Holy Spirit in them as an adult. God wants to use young people.

Mary was no theologian. Her song was spontaneous and inspired. She sang it with joy for an audience of three – two of whom were in utero.

There are two ways we can approach Mary’s song:

We can approach it intellectually by looking at its various parts.

We can approach it devotionally by taking it as a whole.

We are going devotional. Our understanding of ‘devotional’ is discovering what the Bible says to us without taking it out of its original context.

Looking at the Magnificat devotionally, we can say that it describes every servant God calls

Mary’s service was unique in the Christian story, sure. There are a lot of saints like that, whose names are known for a unique part they played.

You are an unknown. To people, that is, not to God. But you are no less loved or blessed than Mary or any other servant. It is impossible for Jesus to love one servant more than another.

“My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”

Is God your Savior? If not, receive Him – right now!

Jesus is the Savior of the whole world, especially those who believe.

“Spirit” refers to the immaterial part of humanity that connects with God.

Human beings are souls. In its most basic sense, the word soul means “life.” It has been called the “life essence of the body.”

Humans are born spiritually dead, with souls blackened by sin. Believe Jesus and you are born again, born spiritually. You receive a new nature, and the Holy Spirit.

“For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”

A paraphrase of these words is, “God took one good look at me, and look what happened – I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten.”

God took one look at you. You were dressed in filthy garments. You were born with a sin nature and you were a sinner. There was nothing about you to commend you to God.

Mary looked just like that, too. There was nothing holy about her, nothing to set her apart.

You were just what He was looking for, to save and transform, to perfect you to meet the Father as His bride.

“All generations will call me blessed” doesn’t only apply to Mary:

Think of all the Bible’s hero’s and heroines whose names are upon our lips.

Think of all the ‘famous’ Christians not in the Bible we called blessed.

You are no less blessed, though you work in obscurity, no one ever knowing your name. (You might be better off).

“For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.”

Our God is “holy,” which in part means that on account of His perfection, He can do nothing wrong or evil. We can therefore trust that “great things” are happening in our lives as we walk with Him.

I admit sometimes I apply this wrongly by thinking, “That’s just great, Lord.” We don’t always recognize all things working together for our good, but we know they are because God is almighty and He loves us.

A new movement in the song begins in verse fifty:

Luk 1:50  And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.

From “generation to generation,” God oversees history. He has the watch. He acts providentially to fulfill His promises and push forward His agenda of redeeming the human race and His ruined Creation. No matter how much the plan of redemption seems to be in jeopardy, believers in every generation, “those who fear Him,” experience God’s mercy.

Luk 1:51  He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
Luk 1:52  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
Luk 1:53  He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.

Throughout history there are “proud,” “mighty,” and “rich” individuals who hold earthly power. They always seem to be winning. They are not. Time after time, God has “scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.” Think of Pharaoh and Moses and you get the idea.

The reversals listed herald the changes to come in the future Kingdom of God on Earth

Satan is the current ruler of this world. At one point in history he had a throne in the city of Pergamum. God had a church there. Believers may be “lowly” and “hungry,” but the church cannot fail.

I should rephrase that and say, “believers will be lowly and hungry (in need).” The Church Age in which we find ourselves is a time when we magnify the Lord in our weaknesses and sufferings. The apostle Paul wrote,

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
2Co 12:8  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God can and does heal. Healings are few and far between, if we are honest.

Either the church is failing, as many suggest.

Or we are living in a time during which having a thorn in the flesh is more a testimony then healing it would be.

The final movement of the Magnificat is about Mary’s people, the nation of Israel:

Luk 1:54  He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy,
Luk 1:55  As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

God determined to call out a special people for Himself, and through that special people He would bless the whole world with the Messiah. He chose Abram to be the father of that new people, the nation of Israel. He would later change Abram’s name to Abraham.

God’s unconditional promise included land. It was a specific land, an actual property, with dimensions specified, to be Israel’s forever.

Joel Richardson writes, “Among the most critical matters of urgency for the church in this hour is acquiring a biblical view of Israel. Exposing the spreading cancer of anti-Semitism, arrogance, and misinformation within the Body of Christ is one of the most important challenges of our day.”

If anyone deserved to be abandoned by God, it was Israel. Their history is full of rebellion and idolatry. God continually “helped” Israel, calling them His “servant.”

We serve an incredible Promise Keeper. If He has begun a work in you, He will complete it – despite your efforts to go your own way.

Think of your life as a musical, e.g., PG the Musical.

What is the audience experience as folks watch your musical? What is your score on Rotten Tomatoes? Because you can be sure people are watching.

Here’s a better way of thinking about it. Each of us, as believers in Christ, are writing our musical. Our thoughts, our actions, our decisions, all contribute to it.

Mary’s song was a Magnificat.

Our song, our musical, can likewise be a Magnificat as we choose rejoicing

Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Disbelief

Most popular non-Biblical Christmas story of all time?

I didn’t say your favorite. Most popular. And it’s not Die Hard. BTW: You die hard Die Hard fans – Do NOT Google Die Hard + Ambulance while you’re here. Do it later.

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, was an instant classic. It’s full title is, A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.

Published on December 19, 1843, the first edition sold out by Christmas Eve. By the end of the year thirteen editions had been released.

In 1849 Dickens began public readings of the story, which proved so successful he undertook 127 further performances until 1870, the year of his death.

A Christmas Carol has never been out of print and has been translated into several languages. The story has been adapted umpteen times for film, stage, opera, and just about every other media:

There have been at least 23 motion picture adaptations.
62 theater adaptations.
4 operas.
29 television adaptations (with new ones every year).
5 graphic novels.

Then there are the radio performances, recordings, and straight-to-DVD’s. It’s almost impossible to count what are classified as ‘derivative works,’ where the storyline, or a character, are utilized.

For all its popularity, you almost never hear anything about what inspired Dickens.
There are good reasons to believe that Dickens had a Bible story in mind. But not one that most people would in any way think of as representative, or even appropriate, for Christmas.

It’s the story of the Rich Man & Lazarus. It is found in the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Let me read it to you in its entirety:

Luke 16:19  “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
Luke 16:20  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
Luke 16:21  desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:22  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
Luke 16:23  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:24  “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
Luke 16:25  But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
Luke 16:26  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
Luke 16:27  “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
Luke 16:28  for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
Luke 16:29  Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
Luke 16:30  And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
Luke 16:31  But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Try reading that before opening gifts on Christmas. It will certainly set a mood. It’s reminiscent of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Yet this WAS Dickens’ inspiration:

First, there is the Rich Man – Ebenezer Scrooge – who sees his death, and there is a poor ‘man’ – Tiny Tim – who is going to die.

Second, it is made clear that like the Rich Man, Scrooge, beyond death is headed to torment in the afterlife.

Third, around the time A Christmas Carol was published, Dickens wrote a short biography of Jesus for his children, titled The Life of our Lord. The “Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man” was one of only eight stories that Dickens chose to include in that volume.

Fourth, a passage in a book titled, The Oxford Illustrated Dickens, mentions the Rich Man & Lazarus in a sentence together with Scrooge.

Fifth, and most significantly, the Sunday after Dickens was buried in Westminster Abbey, Dean Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, preaching on exactly this parable, spoke of Dickens as the “parabler” of his age. Stanley said that “By [Dickens] that veil was rent asunder which parts the various classes of society. Through his genius the Rich Man… was made to see and feel the presence of Lazarus at his gate.”

The story of the Rich Man & Lazarus is often called a parable. It isn’t. It doesn’t follow the rules of a parable:

For one, in a parable there are people or things that represent other things. In the Parable of the Sower, for example, the seed represents the Word of God; and the soil, the various conditions of the human heart. In the story of the Rich Man & Lazarus, everything is itself – not a representation.

For another thing, parables do not name their characters. If this was a parable, it was the only one Jesus told that used a proper name. Lazarus was a real person, and the description of him was his true daily life.
You may also have heard the Rich Man referred to as Dives, as if that was his name. Dives means wealthy. The ‘name’ was given to him by translators and commentators to further emphasize to readers that this is not a parable.

Jesus was talking with men from a sect of the Jewish religion known as the Pharisees. They considered themselves right with God because of their meticulous adherence to the written Laws of God. Their wealth was, to them, evidence that God was pleased with their devotion.

In one place we’re told that these guys were so meticulous about giving God 10% of their wealth that they gave 10% of their spices to God. Here is what Jesus said:

Matthew 23:23  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

You see where Jesus was coming from. For all their claim to scrupulously keep the Old Testament Law of God, they were not right with God.

Lazarus was beyond poverty. He had to be carried to the Rich Man’s gate to beg. He was covered in foul sores from head to toe. The household dogs had it better than him. They, at least, did get table scraps. With a little seasoning, I might add.

It was unthinkable to a Law-keeping Pharisee that such a person could be right with God. His destitute condition was, to them, a sign of God’s displeasure. He was getting what he deserved.

Lazarus wasn’t taken to a place of rest and refreshment because he deserved it. He was taken there because, in spite of his miserable condition in life, he believed God.

How can I say that? I can say that because he was greeted by Abraham, and the place was referred to as Abraham’s Bosom. We are told in the Old Testament that Abraham “believed God,” and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Not by works of righteousness that he had done, but by faith, was Abraham justified by God to be taken to his rest. All those taken to Hades, to wait with with Abraham, must have like-faith. They are there by faith, not works.

Hades. It is described as a temporary abode for a person’s spirit when it leaves the physical body at death. But not everyone is in the same part of Hades after death.

Luke 16:24  “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
Luke 16:25  But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
Luke 16:26  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

The Bible is very informative regarding the afterlife. The moment you die, your spirit leaves your body. From the creation of the world until the coming of Jesus Christ, the spirits of all the deceased went to Hades:

One part is a place of bliss and comfort, called Abraham’s Bosom. It was called Paradise by Jesus, when He promised one of the thieves crucified next to Him that “Today, you will be in Paradise.”
The other part is a waiting room of unrelenting conscious torment.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after His death on the Cross changed the population of Hades.

Jesus is described in the Book of Ephesians as having descended there, and evacuated those in Paradise, taking them with Him to Heaven.

Subsequently, when a believer dies, he or she is said to be immediately absent from their body, and present with the Lord, not in Hades, but in Heaven.

Jesus left behind in Hades all those who were not right with God by faith. They wait there until the final judgment.

If you’re not a believer – Death abruptly ends your opportunities to have faith in Jesus and be saved. There is no second chance after death. When you die, you will go to Hades to await your final destination, which is Hell. The Rich Man, Dives, is still there.

Luke 16:27  “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
Luke 16:28  for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

Among the many things we can glean from this is that the Rich Man understood that religion could not save anyone. It could not make a person right with God. He wanted his brothers to know that it’s “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).

Luke 16:29  Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

Reading the Old Testament, it is abundantly clear that works cannot save you. Think again of Abraham, father of the Jews. He believed. It was by faith.

The Rich Man wanted Lazarus to preach; but he had already been a sermon. He had been a living sermon, in his suffering.

Here’s how: The Law that these Pharisees claimed to obey talks plenty about helping the poor and needy. Earlier we quoted Jesus saying that they, “neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

The Rich Man had left “mercy” undone. While he weighed out his spices, to tithe, a fellow Israelite lay begging just yards away.

The very presence of Lazarus, and his treatment at their hands, condemned them as law-breakers. It revealed them as self-righteous, void of God’s righteousness.

Lazarus was thus called to a very hard ministry. That’s right; ministry. Do you ever think of him that way?

The Rich Man had guests all the time. Think of all the other Pharisees and scribes and visitors who would come to dine sumptuously with the Rich Man, and be confronted with Lazarus as a silent sermon.

What was his text? It could have been any number of passages, e.g., “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:35).

In life, Lazarus was carried. In death, he was again carried – but by angels. Are all believers carried? Probably not. I think Lazarus was carried after his death to remind us that after a believer dies, every pain and suffering, every sorrow and trouble, is immediately left behind. His being carried in like was overshadowed by his being carried to Hades.

Lazarus would no longer need to be carried, but he was carried one last time as a kind of representation of a life well-lived.

It’s not unlike what Bob Cratchit says quoting his invalid son, Tiny Tim: “He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.”

Think of it as street theater. In the Old Testament, God frequently instructed His prophets to act out a scenario in public. Lazarus probably didn’t realize that he was a street theater Gospel preacher to lost Pharisees.

Luke 16:30  And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
Luke 16:31  But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

The Rich Man reasoned that if Lazarus returned from the dead, his brothers would believe.

In what classic Christmas tale does a man return from the grave to warn his partner? Jacob Marley does in A Christmas Carol.

A lot of people demand a sign from God. It seems like it would be effective. It’s not. Just a short time after telling this story, Jesus did raise a man from the dead, another man named Lazarus.

The result was that the Pharisees and the other religious leaders of Israel began to plot more earnestly to kill both Jesus and Lazarus.

Ebenezer Scrooge sees Tiny Tim’s death, and his own death and destiny, and it stuns him to action. His reformation reminds you of the Grinch’s heart growing three sizes larger.

Here, sadly, is where Dickens falls terrifically short. Let me read to you from the end of his Christmas Ghost Story:

… to Tiny Tim, who did not die, [Scrooge] was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.

BTW: The Total Abstinence Principle has nothing to do with alcohol or the avoidance of other vices. It is abstinence from being bitter, mean-spirited, angry, dour, greedy, grasping, self-centered, and unforgiving. It is moral self-improvement.

As he ended, Dickens kept using the word “good.” Be good; do good works. Improve yourself. In the sermon preached eulogizing Dickens, the minister concluded that his greatest achievement was that, “the Rich Man… was made to see and feel the presence of Lazarus at his gate.”

That was the extent of Scrooge’s reformation. Be good. It is what every religion, or philosophy, or psychology, tells you.

There’s a rhyme that puts this into perspective:

“Do this and live!” the law demands,
But gives me neither feet nor hands.
A better way the spirit brings,
He bids me fly, and gives me wings!

Without the indwelling spirit of God, we lack the power to be good, or keep a program like the Total Abstinence Principle.

Sadly, if Scrooge were a real person, he’d die to find himself alongside the Rich Man, in Hades. No amount of good works, or self-improvement, can save you.

Was Dickens a Christian? Historians disagree. He certainly had Christian influences that come through his writings.

If he was a believer, he didn’t feel the need to stress repentance and the Cross. A Christmas Carol doesn’t point you to Jesus. Scrooge wasn’t saved from sin, but from cynicism.

Scrooge needed Jesus. He needed a conversion; to be transformed by God, not merely to reform himself. He needed to be born again by repenting of his sin and believing Jesus saved him by dying on the Cross.

Why is being a good person not enough to get you into Heaven? Because no one is a “good” person; there is only One who is perfectly good, and that is God Himself. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible also says that the wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23a).

God took action to save us. While we were in our sinful state, Christ died for the unrighteous (Romans 5:8). By His death on the Cross, He exerts an influence that draws all men to Himself. He is the Savior of all men; but not all receive His salvation. Only those who believe.
Salvation is not based on our goodness but on Jesus’ goodness.

If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9).

This salvation in Christ is a precious gift, and, like all true gifts, it is unearned (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8–9). The message of the Bible is that we can never be good enough to get to Heaven. We must recognize that we are sinners who fall short of God’s glory, and we must obey the command to repent of our sins and place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Christ alone was a “good” – good enough to earn Heaven – and He gives His righteousness to those who believe in His name (Romans 1:17).

Most of you have had your wills freed by God’s prevenient grace in order to receive God’s indescribable gift of salvation in Jesus.

Rejoice. Your conversion and transformation are the better ending to the story.

No matter your condition or situation, you are doing street theater out in the world. Your life is a sermon.

If you have not received the Lord… It is our prayer that this year’s celebration of His birth will mark your new birth.

Crazy Rich Pharisees (Luke 16:19-31)

Ask someone what is their favorite Christmas movie, and most will answer with one of the classics:

Its a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street
A Christmas Story
Home Alone
White Christmas
Elf
The Santa Clause

Inevitably someone will say, Die Hard. After all, it was Christmas when John McClain saved Nakitomi Plaza.

A lot of folks, however, object because they just don’t think of Die Hard as having the proper Christmas spirit.

Ask someone what is their favorite Christmas Bible verse, and most will answer with one of the classics:

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Matthew 1:23  “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Luke 1:30 & 31 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

What if I suggested the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus?

If you’re not immediately familiar with it, let me read a portion to give you the gist of it:

Luke 16:19  “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
Luke 16:20  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
Luke 16:21  desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:22  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
Luke 16:23  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

I’ll bet none of your Christmas cards featured that parable. More than a few folks would object to that as a suitable text for Christmas. It seems to lack the proper Christmas spirit.

It might surprise you who did think of the Rich Man and Lazarus as an inspiring Christmas tale. None other than the man who wrote perhaps the most endearing Christmas fiction of all, Charles Dickens.

First published in 1843, it has never been out of print. There are umpteen dramatized or animated adaptations of it; there are new ones every year. I’m talking about, A Christmas Carol.

There is good reason to believe that the Dicken’s classic has its roots in the Rich Man and Lazarus:

First, there is a rich man – Ebenezer Scrooge – who sees his death, and there is a poor ‘man’ – Tiny Tim – who is going to die.

Second, it is made clear that Scrooge is headed to torment in the afterlife.

Third, around the time A Christmas Carol was published, Dickens wrote a short biography of Jesus for his children, titled The Life of our Lord. The “Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man” was one of only eight stories that Dickens chose to include in that volume.

Fourth, the Sunday after Dickens was buried in Westminster Abbey, Dean Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, preaching on exactly this parable, spoke of Dickens as the “parabler” of his age. Stanley said that “By [Dickens] that veil was rent asunder which parts the various classes of society. Through his genius the rich man… was made to see and feel the presence of Lazarus at his gate.”

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is, if you’ll pardon the pun, the Die Hard of the parables, in more ways than one.

From this day forward, every time you see, or read, a version of A Christmas Carol, it is my hope that you will think of the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus that inspired it.

By the way: Many scholars argue this is not so much a parable as it is a true account. They point out that it is the only time Jesus used real names – Lazarus, Abraham, and Moses.

The first thing I want to say is that the parable isn’t about being rich; it’s about being right – specifically, being right with God.

Jesus was talking with men from a sect of the Jewish religion known as the Pharisees. They considered themselves right with God because of their meticulous adherence to the written Laws of God.

For example, in one place we’re told that these guys were so meticulous about giving God 10% of their wealth that they gave 10% of their spices. Here is what Jesus said:

Matthew 23:23  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

You see where Jesus was coming from. Their problem wasn’t that they were rich; it was that they were not right with God.

Behind all this is a fundamental biblical principal. It was stated most clearly by the apostle Paul when he said, “We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it – and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good” (Galatians 2:16 MSG).

Are you trying to be good? Do you think that if you do more good than bad that you will be accepted into Heaven when you die?

Then you are the rich man in this Christmas tale. You need to be rich in faith. If you’re not, you are the poor rich man.

Let’s meet the rich poor man. Lazarus was beyond poverty. He had to be carried to the rich man’s gate to beg. He was covered in foul sores from head to toe. The household dogs had it better than him. They, at least, did get table scraps.

It was unthinkable to a Pharisee that such a person could be accepted into Heaven. His condition was, to them, a sign of God’s displeasure. He was getting what he deserved in their minds.

It wasn’t simply that the rich man lacked compassion. His works-based understanding of God’s Law encouraged him to despise Lazarus.

This story is not about being poor, either. It is about being poor in spirit. Jesus promised, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mathew 5:3). Lazarus’ afterlife destination proves he was indeed among the poor in spirit – he was one who was rich in faith in God to save him.

We read elsewhere in the Bible, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The poor rich man and the rich poor man died and both arrived in a place called Hades.
It is a temporary abode for your spirit when it leaves your physical body at death.

Luke 16:24  “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
Luke 16:25  But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
Luke 16:26  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

I find it interesting that the rich man knew Lazarus’ name. I doubt he knew it in life; but he knew it in the afterlife.

The Bible is very informative regarding the afterlife. The moment you die, your spirit leaves your body.
From the creation of the world until Jesus Christ, the spirits of all the deceased went to Hades – described for us here. It is divided by a chasm into two areas:

One is a place of bliss and comfort, called Abraham’s Bosom in honor of the father of the Israelites. It was called Paradise by Jesus.

The other area is a place of unrelenting torment.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after His death on the Cross changed the population of Hades. He descended there, and took those in Paradise with Him to Heaven. Now when a believer dies, he or she is said to be immediately absent from their body, and present with the Lord in Heaven.

Jesus left behind in Hades all those who were not right with God by faith. If you’re not a believer – When you die, you will go to Hades to await your final destination, which is Hell.

Death abruptly ends your opportunities to have faith in Jesus and be saved. There is no second chance after death.
The poor rich man realized it, and begged for his family on the earth:

Luke 16:27  “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
Luke 16:28  for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

Is there really a place of torment? Is it forever? Speaking about Hell, John Walvoord wrote:

According to the Bible… Hell is just as real as Heaven. The Bible clearly and explicitly teaches that Hell is a real place to which the wicked/unbelieving are sent after death. We have all sinned against God. The just punishment for that sin is death. Since all of our sin is ultimately against God, and since God is an infinite and eternal Being, the punishment for sin, death, must also be infinite and eternal. Hell is this infinite and eternal death which we have earned because of our sin.

You don’t have to go there. In fact, God has gone to great lengths to keep you from going there. He has revealed Himself to mankind, and shown the way to Heaven.

Luke 16:29  Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

Abraham’s testimony was that God has revealed Himself sufficiently for a man to have faith in Him, thereby entering Heaven after death and avoiding Hell. To an Israelite like the poor rich man, He had supremely revealed Himself in their Scriptures – what we call the Old Testament.

Today we have even more. We have the New Testament as well as the Old.

What about those around the world that have no Bible? They have the witness of God’s creation to their conscience. In fact, in one place God said He was the one Who scattered men everywhere in the hope they would seek after Him, and find Him.

God is not willing that anyone should arrive in Hades, or afterward be consigned to Hell.

Luke 16:30  And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
Luke 16:31  But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

The poor rich man reasoned that if Lazarus rose from the dead, his brothers would believe.

In what classic Christmas tale does a man return from the grave to warn his partner? Jacob Marley does in A Christmas Carol. It’s abundantly clear that Dickens had this parable in mind as he wrote.

A lot of people demand a sign from God. It seems like it would be effective. It’s not.

Just a short time later Jesus did raise a man from the dead, another man named Lazarus.
The result was that the Pharisees and the other religious leaders of Israel began to plot more earnestly to kill both Jesus and Lazarus.

Scrooge sees Tiny Tim’s death, and his own death and destiny, and it stuns him to action.

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is meant to stun you to spiritual action.

The action isn’t to do more good works – like buying a turkey for the Cratchit’s. It is to realize that no amount of good works can save you, but that faith in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, does.

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Call upon the Name of the Lord.
Then talk to someone you know who has identified themselves as a Christian.