Isn’t the story of Simeon and Anna wonderful? Here are these two marvelous elderly people, both very dedicated to God, both ardent in their continuing worship at the temple, both still hopeful that they will be given the privilege of seeing the Messiah before they die. And now God has granted their prayers. Can you imagine the excitement and joy that they felt? Can’t you just see old Simeon, his aged eyes glowing with joy as he holds the Christ Child in his arms? Can’t you feel the power of the Holy Spirit in this old man as he prophesies about this tiny baby?
Both Simeon and Anna were very old. We aren’t given Simeon’s age, but Anna was eighty-four. Most likely, Simeon was at least her age or older. Imagine the awe that was felt by all of those who witnessed this scene. Here were two aged people who were well respected because of their age. Their wisdom was revered. They had lived long lives. They knew many things, had experienced many things, had learned many things. Their words were to be respected, cherished and remembered.
How the world has changed. Today, youth is important. The younger the leader, the better. Fresh ideas, youthful enthusiasm, youthful energy… these are the things that are sought in our culture, in our companies, and often, even in our churches. And the old are turned out to pasture, sent to retirement villages with a watch and a pat on the back. Even our churches form senior adult groups - more often than not, a place where the aged can be with their cronies and not get in the way of our hurry-up world.
But the aged are wise. They’ve spent many, many years gaining their wisdom. No longer shackled by the pretenses of youth, they are open and honest and unafraid. Their thousands of memories are worth learning about.
How much time do you spend with the elderly members of your congregation? When was the last time you invited an older person to your home for coffee or dropped by to visit him or her? How much time have you spent visiting with the people at a nearby nursing home? How many people over the age of 60 do you know? And how many would you call friends? Did you ever stop to think about how much you could learn from someone who has lived a lifetime longer than yours? Make getting to know at least one senior adult a priority in the coming year. You can be a blessing to each other.
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
When a baby was born into a Jewish family, there were ceremonies required by Law to be performed. The first occurred when a male baby was eight days old… circumcision. Begun with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-12 NIV), this symbolized the separation of the Jewish people from the Gentile world and was continuing evidence of their unique relationship with God. After that, the first born male child was to be brought to the temple one month after his birth for the "redemption of the firstborn" - when the parents "bought" the child back from God. This ceremony signified the parents’ acknowledgement that the child belonged to God who alone had given the child life. The third ceremony occurred either forty days after birth (for a male child) or eighty days after birth (for a female child). Until this time, the mother was considered "unclean" and could not enter the temple. At this ceremony, the parents brought a lamb for a burnt offering and a dove or pigeon for a sin offering. If the parents were poor, a second dove or pigeon could be brought in place of the lamb. The priest would sacrifice these animals and declare the mother to be clean.
Joseph and Mary were not well off financially, even though Joseph had a good trade as a carpenter. So they brought two doves for the sacrifice at the temple. Some might ask, if Joseph and Mary knew who Jesus was, why would they go through all these ceremonies? If Jesus was the Messiah, was all this really necessary? Yes, it was. Because Jesus was not above the Law; He came to fulfill it.
There are so many people who feel that what is in the Old Testament is not relevant to us today… citing the reason that when Jesus was crucified, everything in the Old Testament went out the window. This is just not so. Every word written in the Old Testament is necessary and relevant, just as is every word in the New Testament. In fact, it is difficult to understand much of the New Testament without a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament as background. The difference is that ALL of the Law was nailed to the cross with Jesus. (Colossians 2:14-17 NIV – Note: The “written code” referred to in this passage is the Decalogue, better known as the Ten Commandments, the only portion of God’s Law written by His own hand.) This means that – while we need to be aware of God’s Law – we are no longer supervised by it. Rather, as believers, we live under the grace of God, having been freed from bondage to the Law through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. (Galatians 3:23-25 NIV)
As you study God’s Word, get to know all of it… from Genesis to Revelation. All of it is important, lest why would God have made sure it was preserved? Why would Jesus Himself – who is the living Word – repeatedly refer to it? All of it teaches us about our God and His relationship with the world. All of it helps us to know and understand Jesus, the better to reflect Him in everything we say and think and do. All of it helps us to better understand the world today and the world to come. So when you study God’s Word, remember that the Bible is not a salad bar. You can’t pick and choose just those portions you like and leave the rest. If you really want to get to know the Lord, consume ALL of His Word and don’t leave anything out.
"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17 NIV
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
When a baby was born into a Jewish family, there were ceremonies required by Law to be performed. The first occurred when a male baby was eight days old… circumcision. Begun with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-12 NIV), this symbolized the separation of the Jewish people from the Gentile world and was continuing evidence of their unique relationship with God. After that, the first born male child was to be brought to the temple one month after his birth for the "redemption of the firstborn" - when the parents "bought" the child back from God. This ceremony signified the parents’ acknowledgement that the child belonged to God who alone had given the child life. The third ceremony occurred either forty days after birth (for a male child) or eighty days after birth (for a female child). Until this time, the mother was considered "unclean" and could not enter the temple. At this ceremony, the parents brought a lamb for a burnt offering and a dove or pigeon for a sin offering. If the parents were poor, a second dove or pigeon could be brought in place of the lamb. The priest would sacrifice these animals and declare the mother to be clean.
Joseph and Mary were not well off financially, even though Joseph had a good trade as a carpenter. So they brought two doves for the sacrifice at the temple. Some might ask, if Joseph and Mary knew who Jesus was, why would they go through all these ceremonies? If Jesus was the Messiah, was all this really necessary? Yes, it was. Because Jesus was not above the Law; He came to fulfill it.
There are so many people who feel that what is in the Old Testament is not relevant to us today… citing the reason that when Jesus was crucified, everything in the Old Testament went out the window. This is just not so. Every word written in the Old Testament is necessary and relevant, just as is every word in the New Testament. In fact, it is difficult to understand much of the New Testament without a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament as background. The difference is that ALL of the Law was nailed to the cross with Jesus. (Colossians 2:14-17 NIV – Note: The “written code” referred to in this passage is the Decalogue, better known as the Ten Commandments, the only portion of God’s Law written by His own hand.) This means that – while we need to be aware of God’s Law – we are no longer supervised by it. Rather, as believers, we live under the grace of God, having been freed from bondage to the Law through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. (Galatians 3:23-25 NIV)
As you study God’s Word, get to know all of it… from Genesis to Revelation. All of it is important, lest why would God have made sure it was preserved? Why would Jesus Himself – who is the living Word – repeatedly refer to it? All of it teaches us about our God and His relationship with the world. All of it helps us to know and understand Jesus, the better to reflect Him in everything we say and think and do. All of it helps us to better understand the world today and the world to come. So when you study God’s Word, remember that the Bible is not a salad bar. You can’t pick and choose just those portions you like and leave the rest. If you really want to get to know the Lord, consume ALL of His Word and don’t leave anything out.
"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17 NIV
So often we think of the Magi in the traditional way - three kings from the East, dressed in all their finery, bowing down in the stable before the Baby Jesus in the manger. But that picture is a little skewed…
First, look at verse 11 … "On coming to the house…" By the time the Magi arrived in Bethlehem , Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus had moved into a house, and were no longer cohabiting with the animals. It is thought by some that Jesus was probably about two years old by the time these men arrived – that assumption made due to Herod’s order to kill all the male Hebrew children under the age of two.
Also, we’re not at all certain how many of them there were… But, since three gifts are mentioned - gold, incense and myrrh - tradition holds that there were three of them. However, they were not kings. They were, however, "wise" men. Some think they were exiled Jews who had remained in Babylon after the captivity… men who studied their own scriptures and saw the signs that the Messiah had been born. However, this is highly unlikely, since these men came seeking the "King of the Jews" - a reference that would only be made by a non-Jew. Some think they were astrologers, men who would study ancient manuscripts, including the scriptures, looking for special activities in the heavens. Such men would pay particular attention to a new star that suddenly appeared and would follow it wherever it went. Some hold that these men were not only Gentiles but were from three different countries, symbolizing through their actions the "bowing down" of the entire world before Jesus and also signifying that Jesus came for all men, not just for the Jews.
Whoever, they were, they were wise… because they paid attention to prophesy… to the urging of the Holy Spirit… to whatever it was that revealed to them that the Christ Child had been born.
Perhaps the most significant message is a more subtle one … the fact that these men came seeking Jesus, making a long and perilous journey just to see Him, bringing precious gifts to lay at His feet. How different they were from most of us! They came seeking Him, rather than waiting for Him to find them. They didn’t ask Him to explain Himself. They didn’t ask Him to prove Who He was. They didn’t ask Him for anything, but rather brought gifts, laid them at His feet, and then bowed down and worshipped Him.
Wise men and women today still seek Him, bow down and worship Him, lay the gift of their lives at His feet … not for what they can get out of it, but for what they have already received. How wise are you?
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:20 NIV
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt . Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." Matthew 2:13 NIV
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth , a town in Galilee , 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Luke 1:26-28 NIV
It’s interesting to note that the angel always spoke to Joseph when he was asleep, but he spoke to Mary while she was awake. I don’t know why God chose to do this, but it was obvious he was dealing with Mary and Joseph as individuals. He knew them very well and knew how each would respond. He used the best approach with each of them.
To my knowledge, I’ve never had a face-to-face confrontation with an angel. I’ve never had a "direct" revelation through a physical visit or a dream. But I do know that God has spoken directly to me - usually through other people, but sometimes through circumstances.
When I first began to listen to the Gospel message, God chose to use a good looking single man to carry that message. At that point in my life, He couldn’t have come up with a better way to get my attention! He kept things in the proper focus, however, by making that particular single man be so focused on Him that he did only what God wanted him to do - tell me the good news of Jesus Christ. God spoke to me through that young man.
God speaks to all of us in the way that we will best respond. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He uses our very nature to help convey His message. He speaks to us through other people, through His Word, through circumstances, even through animals (Don’t believe it? Read about Balaam and his donkey in Numbers 22:21-35!). Like Mary and Joseph, what you and I have to do is be ready to listen.
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Joseph was faced with a difficult decision. He was engaged to a woman who was pregnant. He was not the father. Most men wouldn’t have thought twice about what to do. They would have thrown Mary out, or had her stoned to death for adultery. It would have been a simple choice for most men. But Joseph was not “most men.”
Because he was a righteous man, Joseph at first considered quietly divorcing Mary (remember, betrothals in that day were as binding as marriage). But then the angel appeared to Joseph and told him that the child that Mary carried was the Son of God. So Joseph chose the more difficult road, the road that would be embarrassing, especially for himself. He chose to continue his relationship with Mary, to maintain their betrothal even though common sense told him otherwise.
Joseph’s decision reveals several very important character traits that we all should emulate. First of all, he was a righteous man, a man who was concerned with doing things the right way, in a way that would honor God. Second, he was a sensitive man, sensitive to the feelings of others. When he discovered Mary was pregnant, he could easily have exploded and could quite justifiably exposed Mary not only to public humiliation, but to a death sentence had he so chosen. But Joseph didn’t want to hurt Mary, so even his first thoughts were to protect her. Then, Joseph was responsive to God. When told by the angel that this was all part of God’s plan, Joseph didn’t reject it – even though the road he was being told to take was a difficult one, he didn’t turn away from God. Instead, he obeyed God’s instructions. And last, Joseph had a tremendous amount of self-control, because even though he and Mary were wed, he did not sleep with her until after Jesus was born – something most men could never do. After all, Mary was his wife. He had a natural desire for her. But he obeyed God and did not sleep with her while the Christ Child grew in her womb.
God honors integrity. He honors faithfulness. He honors our commitment to do what He says, no matter how difficult it is. And He honors our self-control, our resistance to temptation, no matter how natural and right that temptation might seem. As you grow in the Lord, look at the character of Joseph. He is one of many that each of us should use as role models in our walk with Jesus.
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
Mary had "found favor with God," but that favor did not mean instant success, power, money or fame. It meant that she would have to suffer ridicule and gossip. It meant that the man she was engaged to marry would come very close to turning away from her. It meant that she would end up having her baby in a stable, with donkeys and cattle as witnesses. It meant that she would have to flee with her husband to the foreign land of Egypt for fear of their child being murdered. It meant that she would have to watch her oldest son suffer and die on a cross.
But through her pain, her son would be the only hope of the world. Through her pain would come the One who would provide salvation to all who will accept it. Through her pain, God would illustrate His infinite love for mankind. Through her pain, God could finish His plan.
God has a plan for your life, too. But the road that follows His plan is often rocky and rough. Most of us require a large amount of honing before we become a shining reflection of Jesus. We have many, many rough spots that God must “polish away” before we can reflect Jesus to the world in the way He wants us to. And before we can accomplish what He has for us to do, we have to be educated, we have to learn through His Word and through the school of hard knocks exactly how we are to handle the job He’s given us. But, just like Mary, through our pain, He is able to make His glory shine to the world around us.
If you are a born again believer, you have "found favor with God." And that doesn’t mean smooth sailing. That means that God will do whatever it takes to mold you into the person He wants you to be. So if your life is rough right now, be patient. Praise God that you have found favor with Him. And marvel at what He does with you in order to carry out His plan.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV