12/25/12 - Christmas Day - Luke 2:29-32

R.I.P.

Simeon Had No Regrets

            In the middle of all of the people coming in and out of the temple that day, masked by the smoke from the burnt offerings, surrounded by the smells of incense and the sounds of Old Testament worship life echoing off the walls, there was Jesus.  Finally, at long last, there was Jesus: an infant held in his mother’s arms as his father, Joseph, gave two pigeons to the priest for the appropriate sacrifice.  There he was: the Savior of the world in the Lord’s own temple while people passed him by that day without a second thought.  But not Simeon.  Not this old man who had been waiting for this moment.  Not this seasoned Christian who had been told that he would see the Savior with his own eyes before he was taken from this earth.  And there the Savior finally was, in the flesh, in a real human body.  And so Simeon ran up to Mary and Joseph, took the baby from her arms, are praised his God: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

            That was it.  That was all Simeon had ever wanted: to see his Savior.  And now that he had seen his salvation in human form, he was ready to go.  “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace.”  Simeon didn’t want to do anything else in this life.  Simeon didn’t want to experience anything else in this life.  He was completely content.  He had no regrets.  And all he wanted to do now was rest in peace.

What’s Keeps You Up at Night?

            “Rest in peace” -  R.I.P. - placed on old tombstones or written on drawings of tombstones nowadays.  And although every body does “rest in peace” in a way when a person dies, I can’t think of anyone who personifies the mindset of “resting in peace” better than Simeon.  He truly rested in peace!  Because he had left nothing undone.  There were no loose ends he wanted to try and tie up.  By the end of his life, Simeon rested in peace because he had no regrets. 

            If your life ended today, would you have that same attitude?  I ask that only because I look back at my life and I have plenty of regrets!  There are a whole bunch of things that I would like to take back!  I’ve done plenty of things that were absolutely unbecoming of a Christian.  I’ve said hundreds of things to people that should have never come out of my mouth.  I’ve thought thousands of thoughts that I would be absolutely embarrassed about if anyone else found out about them.   Forget about resting in peace at the end of my life!  There are things that keep me up on plenty of night while I’m still here!  Aren’t there things that keep you up at night?

            You lie down in your bed and you look back on the day that has now gone by and you think to yourself: “I shouldn’t have done that.  What was I thinking?...  Why did I have to say that in that way to that person?  I really messed up!...  My mind has been in the gutter all day long.  What is my problem?”  As sinful people with a sinful nature living in a sinful world, our lives are full of regrets, aren’t they?  One after another!  A whole bunch on top of a whole bunch more!  And so if your life really ended today, could you really look your God in the face and say, “You know what, Lord?  I’m OK with it.  I’m satisfied with the way I’ve lived my life.  I don’t take any of it back.  My conscience is completely clear.  I wouldn’t do anything different.  I don’t’ have any regrets at all.  Now dismiss your servant in peace.”  That would be a pretty bold statement, wouldn’t it?  That kind of attitude could really only come from someone without any regrets at all.

Jesus Wipes Away All Regrets

            So why did Simeon say it?  As a regular human being Simeon undoubtedly had plenty of words and actions and thoughts that he would have liked to take back too - just like we do.  He was a sinful, imperfect human being.  He wasn’t any different than we are today.  And so why does it seem in this story as if Simeon wasn’t bothered by those things?  Why wasn’t he troubled by what he had done?  Why didn’t he have any regrets?  Simeon didn’t have any regrets because of the baby that he was holding that day.  Simeon was cradling his salvation in his arms.  At that moment Simeon was actually holding in his hand the child that would one day have his hands pierced through.  At that moment Simeon was holding this child in the temple in which this child would one day be condemned to die.  At that moment Simeon was holding this child in the city outside of which this child would one day be murdered.  At that moment Simeon was holding this child standing right next to the altar of sacrifice that had always pointed to this child who would one day make the ultimate sacrifice for all people.  At that moment Simeon was holding this child and looking God in the face.  He was touching the body that would bleed for his forgiveness.  He was holding the hero of heaven in his human hands.  No, Simeon didn’t have any regrets because he knew that this little child was about to take them all away.

            And that’s exactly what happened.  Jesus soon took Simeon’s regrets away; he covered over all of his faults; he forgave Simeon every one of his sins.  And Simeon knew that was going to happen.  And so when Simeon’s time did come to be taken away from this earth, you can be sure: Simeon truly rested in peace.

We Can Rest In Peace

            There is no reason why we can’t have that same attitude.  Because here we sit in God’s house just like Simeon once did, here we are celebrating our Savior’s birth just like Simeon once did, and here Christ’s cross is our backdrop just like it always has been.  That baby, that Savior, has taken your regrets away, he has wiped out your faults, he has forgiven your sins.  You never have to look back on your life again and feel guilty.  Jesus was the guilty one.  You are innocent.  Jesus went through with the death sentence.  You are free.  Your conscience can be clean from here on out and you can truly rest in peace when your time comes.

            In fact, you can rest in peace tonight.  Tonight as you lie down on your beds after a hectic Christmas season, sleep well.  Don’t worry about what has happened in the past.  Don’t bother yourself with the difficulties that still may be ongoing in your life.  Don’t dwell on all of the possible problems that you will have to deal with in the days and the weeks and the months to come.  Because along with Simeon your eyes have just seen God’s salvation which has been prepared in the sight of all people.  A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of God’s people Israel.  What more could you want to do in this life than to praise your Lord for your salvation?  What more could you want to experience in this life than the forgiveness you’ve just received?  What more could you possibly say in this life than what Simeon said at the end of his?  “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace.”  That’s exactly what he did for Simeon.  And that’s exactly what he will do for you.

            Amen.

12/24/12 - Christmas Eve - Luke 2:13-14

ON WHOM DOES GOD'S FAVOR REST?

The Armies of Angels

            There the shepherds were, in the middle of the night, out in the fields near Bethlehem.  They were minding their own business, looking after the flocks of sheep sleeping under their care, when the stillness and the quietness of the evening was suddenly broken by an angel from heaven.  “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  And if that wasn’t enough: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:10-14).  Can you imagine how startled those shepherds must have been?  Not only did they actually see an angel with their own eyes, but an entire army of angels appeared in the sky.  That’s what a “heavenly host” is: it’s simply another way of referring to an army from heaven.  An entire army of angels praising God in thunderous unison!  What an impressive sight that must have been!  What an impressive sound that army of angels must have made!

            But what those angels looked like and what they sounded like wasn’t the most impressive thing about that scene above the hills around Bethlehem that night.  It was what those angels sang about that made the biggest impression on the hearts of those shepherds.  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?  “Peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  Not a worldly kind of peace, of course.  But a peace of mind.  A peace from spiritual enemies.  A peace lasting for eternity.  A peace of the heart that would only come through the One that had just been born.  But of course that begs the question: If this was a peace for those on whom his favor rests, on whom does God’s favor rest?

What Prompts God’s Favor?

            Does God look with favor on you?  I’m sure that you would hope so, but can you be sure?  Is there any reason God would look with favor on you?  Because normally in this world if you look with favor on another person - if you like a person or accept a person or are comfortable with a person - it is because the person has proved themselves to be likeable or acceptable or comfortable to be around.  So is there any reason why God would look with favor on you?  Have you done anything to earn his favor?  Maybe he looks with favor on you because you try hard and do your best.  Unfortunately, that’s not going to cut it because God makes it clear in the Bible that you aren’t good enough and you don’t try hard enough.  Maybe God looks with favor on you because you are here in church this evening and a lot of other people aren’t.  But that doesn’t matter either; God doesn’t hand out brownie points for church attendance.  Maybe God looks with favor on you because you are a relatively nice person and you try to be kind and you try to be caring.  But trying to be kind and trying to be caring don’t earn God’s favor either because he doesn’t give out an “A” for effort.  Unless, of course, you are perfectly kind and perfectly nice and perfectly caring in every single way every single day to every single person you meet.  Do you fit into that category?  I know I don’t.

            Well maybe the Lord looks with favor on you because of what you have given him.  Maybe because of your generosity and your sacrifice he is pleased with you.  But that won’t do it either.  God doesn’t need anything from you that he doesn’t already have.  What about who you are at your very core: maybe if you are a person of integrity and honesty and truthfulness, then maybe that’s a reason for God to look with favor on you.  If he knows who you really are deep down inside that has to make a difference, right?  But that’s not who you really are deep down inside.  And that’s not who I am either.  According to God himself in his Word, this is who we are deep down inside: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:9-12).  That’s who we are at our very core: imperfect, impure, spiritually worthless people by nature.  And so let me ask this again: why would God ever look with favor on people like us?  Why would God like us, accept us, or be comfortable with us if we aren’t the kind of people he has commanded us to be?

Jesus Won God's Favor

            The answer to that question lies in a manger.  The truth is, God wouldn’t have ever looked with favor on us if it weren’t for the event we are celebrating tonight!  Because of Jesus’ birth, and his subsequent life, death, and resurrection, God now does look with favor on us!  And this is why: the one lying in a manger took our place.  Jesus was the person we were all supposed to be!  He was perfect when we were not.  He was loyal and faithful and dedicated to his Father when we refused to be.  He took the pain that we could not.  He took the torture that we could not.  He took the punishment that we could not.  And he had to do that for us because there are consequences for sin.  Consequences of death - physical and eternal.  And those consequences were exactly what we had to look forward to.  But then the Son of God was born into this world as a real human being.  Which meant that Jesus basically stood up and said, “I’ll take it, Father.  I’ll bear the consequences of death and hell.  Put them on me.  I’ll be their substitute.  I’ll be their sacrifice.  My life will be the ransom for theirs.”  And so that’s exactly what happened.  This child whose birth was announced to shepherds outside of Bethlehem one evening would one day be crucified by soldiers outside of Jerusalem one afternoon.  This baby lying in a manger would one day end up lying in a tomb.  This infant wrapped in strips of cloth in a countryside barnyard would one day remove his own burial cloths when he broke free from the grave.  And this all happened because God’s anger had been redirected: from us to the Son.  Jesus was treated like the sinner.  Jesus was punished like a criminal.  Jesus was sentenced as if he were the guilty one.  And on the other hand the perfection and the purity and the innocence that Jesus himself had achieved, he gave to you.  Everything that Jesus earned, he gave to you.  Now you are the one who is credited with perfection and purity and innocence.  You are the one whose record is clean.  You are the one without anything held against you.

We Are Favored by God

            You are the one that God looks with favor on.  Not because you’ve been so good or have tried so hard.  Not because you came to church tonight or because you try to be such a nice person.  Not because you give back to him or because you think that you really are decent at the core.  Your God looks with favor on you because of Jesus: what he did, what he took, what he gave.  God looks with favor on you only because of the cradle and the cross.  Only because he was a true human being in the womb and true God out of the tomb.  Only because of Jesus’ life and his death… and his life again.  You are one on whom God’s favor rests.  But only because of Jesus.  Only because of Jesus.

             That first Christmas evening must have been an incredible experience for the shepherds: an announcement from an actual angel, a choir of heavenly beings, Jesus himself lying in a manger, and the chance to tell other people about it.  I wish I had been there!  Don’t you?  But even though we missed out on that first heavenly choir made up of angel armies, we won’t miss the second.  Although we weren’t there to physically see Jesus lying in a manger, we will see him sitting on his throne.  Although we didn’t hear the majestic “Glory to God in the highest!” we will sing those words right along with those same angels one day soon.  Because God’s favor rests on us.  God’s favor rests on you.  Through faith in Jesus as your Savior, God’s favor rests on you.  And because his favor rests on you, he gives you peace.  Peace of mind, peace from every spiritual enemy.  Peace that lasts forever.  What a comforting thought to take home with you tonight.  What a joy to wake up with tomorrow on Christmas morning.  What a promise to carry with you for the rest of your life.  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

Amen.