First Sunday after Christmas (December 27, 2015)
“The Lord Comes to His Temple: The Lord Whom You Seek” (Luke
2:25-39)
Here
we are once again in this holy place in time and space. The Lord has come to his temple. The Word became flesh and became a temple
among us. And this place is a temple,
because the Word made flesh is present among us in Word and Sacrament. But before we consider Christ's presence in
this temple, let's travel back in time and view those individuals in the
Jerusalem temple when our recently-born Savior came to the temple in
Jerusalem. And as we do so, I want you
to consider a question, so "that thoughts from many hearts may be
revealed."
Imagine
yourself for a moment, a first-century Jewish person, inside the temple
courts. Consider your own personal,
individual reasons for being here. Why are you here? What do you seek? This is
important because a pilgrim could come here for the wrong reason. A seeker could journey to this place, but his
particular wants and desires are contrary to God's will. Why might some people be here? To try to impress God with how holy you
are. To try to impress your neighbor
with how pious you are. To proceed
impenitently through the liturgy with the highest desire being that you will
have got that done on your checklist for the day. To forgive God for something that happened in
your life. To build up heavenly rapid reward points for the number of trips
you've made to be here. To seek to
appease God's wrath upon sin with what you perceive to be a host of good works
on your part. To gain a leverage against
God that you will pull out as a trump card on Judgment Day. Heard enough?
Let me give you one more – to hear these examples in a sermon and think
that you are exempt from such natural inclinations of your old sinful heart and
from such unchristian thoughts in your head.
Why are you here? And what do you
seek? Take a look at the others who have
come to this holy place throughout the years.
Do you see them? Husbands and
wives... families... singles... old men... widows... a baby... newlyweds... new
parents. Why have they come here and
what do they seek?
Consider that widow here. Her name is Anna. A faithful, 84-year-old woman who hangs
around the temple day and night. She's
quite remarkable in that she's one among only a few. She's one of the few of the ten lost tribes
of Israel...the tribe of Asher. Why is
she here in the temple? What is she seeking
here? St. Luke reports that she is one
of the remnant in Israel looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Anna's hope is in the LORD God and she awaits
him in the place where he has promised to be found in his grace and mercy, for
he has said through the mouth of his prophet Malachi, "Behold, the LORD
whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple."[1] Anna worships "with fasting and
prayer night and day." Anna
abides in the temple awaiting the Advent of the world's Redeemer, just as one
of the faithful today might enter a place like this awaiting the real presence
of the LORD in Word and Sacrament.
Do
you see them? Husbands and wives... families... singles... old men... widows...
a baby... newlyweds... new parents. Why
have they come here and what do they seek?
Consider
that man over there. His name is
Simeon. Whether he is clergy or laity,
we don't know. We assume he is old, but
actually Luke doesn't tell us his age.
He only tells us that it had been revealed to Simeon that he would not
die until he had seen the Messiah with his own eyes. What we do know about him is that he is devout
and righteous. God the Holy Spirit has
worked faith in his heart. Why is Simeon here in the temple? And what does he seek? Simeon is looking for the consolation of
Israel ... for the hope and comfort of the Church. So this day, inspired by the Spirit, Simeon
"came into the temple.”
Perhaps Simeon had those very words from Malachi on his mind, "Behold,
the LORD Whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple."
Look
at the others here. Husbands and
wives... families... singles... old men... widows... a baby... newlyweds... new
parents. Why have they come here and
what do they seek?
Mary
is here. She is a wife, married a year
or so. She is a mom, having given birth
to her firstborn, a son born forty days ago in the little town of Bethlehem. Why is she here and what does she seek? Mary is here for her purification according
to the Law. Mary needs a sin offering to be made for her so that she might be
clean. Leviticus 12:8 says, "This is the law for her who bears a child,
either male or female. And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two
turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a
sin offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be
clean.” Mary gladly and willingly
receives this Word of the LORD and her spirit rejoices in God her Savior.
Joseph
is here. He is a husband. He is a dad, having been entrusted with a
son...not his own biologically...but the Son of God incarnate of the Holy
Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
Joseph is the baby's legal father.
On the eighth day when the Infant was circumcised according to the Law,
Joseph named him Jesus. Now Joseph has
brought his family from Bethlehem to the temple in Jerusalem. Why is he here and what does he seek? As the pious head of the holy family, he
sought to do what was good and right and according to the Law for his wife and
her firstborn Son. Joseph and
Mary "brought him up to
Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord,
‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord') and to
offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of
turtledoves, or two young pigeons.'”
This
is actually quite remarkable when you realize what this means! Because of the Passover when the firstborn
sons were spared by the blood of the lamb, all such sons belong to the
Lord. A firstborn son could be bought
back by bringing an offering of a lamb, or a pair of turtledoves, or two young
pigeons. Joseph and Mary bring an
offering to redeem the Redeemer! How
ironic, since Jesus is already redeeming them by beginning his total and
perfect faithfulness to the Law of God in their place...and in ours. Joseph and Mary bring, not a lamb, but
rather, the offering of the poor... two turtledoves... on behalf of him who
would become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And the Word of the Lord has come to pass
that is written, "The Lord Whom you seek will suddenly come to His
temple; the messenger of the covenant in Whom you delight, behold, He is
coming, says the LORD of hosts."[2]
Who
else is here? The Baby Jesus is
here. He is the firstborn Son of Mary
and the Son of the Most High. The Savior
is here and he is holy to the LORD. At
eight days Jesus shed his first blood for the world when he was circumcised
according to God's command. At forty
days Jesus is still an infant. Why has
he come? He has not come for Himself,
but rather, he has come for us. For
himself he needs no purification ... no redemption. The Incarnation of the Son of God is for the
sin of the world. His way of the cross
which will lead to his sin-atoning death is for the life of the world. For, as St. Paul wrote, "when the
time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law,
to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as
sons." [3]
Jesus has come to His temple on our behalf and to be Emmanuel, which means
"God with us."
What
does He seek? The little Lord Jesus
seeks to be present with his Church in the temple, and he was and is and ever
shall be. The Christ seeks to be in the
midst of his people who "come into His Presence with singing"
... who "enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise"[4], and he was and is and
ever shall be. Here the LORD God
Almighty has his little congregation... his family, a widow, a man, young and
old, husband and wife, mother and father, carpenter and housewife. Here, forty days after the Birth of the
Christ what began as an assembly of the Old Testament Christian Church became
the first congregating of the New Testament Church. "Behold, the LORD
Whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple," and He was and is and
ever shall be.
What
happens as a result? A widow can remain
in the holy place and tell the Good News of Jesus to all who were looking for
the Redeemer. A man can commend himself
into the hands of God, saying, "Lord, now you are letting your servant
depart in peace, according to your Word." A father and mother can marvel at this Word
that tells them of the Savior of the world and of their Savior. Husband and
wife may now go home, living their lives and carrying out their
responsibilities to each other, submitting to one another, living in the
Presence of Jesus.
Indeed,
the LORD God is present with his people in THIS holy place and sanctifies them
with his Word of forgiveness of sins, of peace among us, of hope that doesn't
disappoint and of life in His Name. His
cleansing Word is "by the washing of regeneration and a renewal of the
Holy Spirit.” This Manna from above
feeds His Church with his very own body and blood. Through faith in Jesus ... the Incarnate Son
of God ... the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world ... you may
depart in peace according to God's Word...for you are forgiven of all your sins
in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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