Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I'd like to turn tonight to the second chapter of Luke's Gospel.
Like to read part of this chapter in Luke's Gospel, chapter 2. And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea under the city of.
Which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David.
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered, and she brought forth her first born son.
And wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a Manger because there was number room for them in the end.
And there were, in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And all the Angel of the Lord came upon them. The glory of the Lord shine round about them. And they were afraid. And the Angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. He shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling.
Lying in a Manger, and suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven. The shepherd said, one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known.
US And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and a babe lying in a Manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things.
They had heard and seen as it was told unto them. And when 8 days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child.
His name was called Jesus, which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.
And to offer a sacrifice, according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. The same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the.
Christ and he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him, after the custom of the law, then to key him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said.
Lord, now let us, thou thy servant, depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him, and Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother.
Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.
And for a sign which shall be spoken against a sword shall Pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna Prophetess, the daughter of Fanuel of the tribe of Asser. She was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about four scored in four years, which departed not from the temple, but.
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God with fastings and prayers, night and day, and she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord.
And spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Well, I'm sure that this is a chapter that is well known to many of us, but I just like to look at it tonight in connection with many lessons that we can apply to our own lives that perhaps will be a blessing and an encouragement to us as we see this wonderful event when the Lord Jesus, the Lord of glory was born here into this world. Surely when we think of all this world's history, we can speak of that event as one of the most important events.
I say one of because I believe his death upon the cross was the center of two eternities. But the coming of the blessed Son of God into this world, how important it actually changed our calendar. We're living in the year AD 1979. The very coming into this world of the precious Savior change the calendar. And So what an important event it is and what lessons we can learn by what the Spirit of God has been.
Pleased to record here in the Gospel of Luke we see first of all that.
The decree went forth by Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed or enrolled. And I think there's something that we can learn from this. We see God moving behind the scenes. That's very blessed for us to see because.
The whole world is set in motion because the Scripture must be fulfilled. Sometimes when we see something take place, we look out. Men of the world make Satan certain statements, do certain things, and we look on and perhaps comment about these things and whether they're wise or unwise. But it's very blessed for us as Christians, brethren, to see the hand of God moving behind the scenes, just like in that first chapter of Ezekiel.
There were a lot of movements taking place, wheels within wheels, but the man of faith, Ezekiel, looked above.
And he saw the semblance of a throne and of a man upon the throne. And what to me is more wonderful, and all this is to know that that man who is on the throne is now revealed to us, as we have in Hebrews 2. We see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. And still more it says.
That he's head over all things to the church.
Which is his body. He's not only there as head of all things, he's not only in control of all things, but he's working things out for the good and blessing of his church. He's accomplishing his own purposes. As another has said, we need to think less of man's busy movements. They will but accomplish gods. And so here this.
Wise Caesar Augustus thought now it would be a good thing to have the world enrolled and taxed.
And so he passes a decree. He sets a certain time when this is to come into effect. It was to take place when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. He passed the degree, he said a certain time. And then the man of faith says, oh, why did it take place just then? Why was the taxation delayed until Cyrenius was governor of Syria?
And all because the Old Testament scriptures had said.
And thou bestly him in the land of Judah, though thou be little among the Princess of Judah, yet out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people, Israel. And things weren't in order among God's people. And so the one who was really in the royal line was not in Bethlehem, the city of David, but was down in Galilee, down in Nazareth. And so God, I say.
Whole world in motion to accomplish his own purposes and more than this he had it timed. If there's some taxation come about, we're perhaps likely to find fault and say why did this happen? But isn't it good for us to see as a scripture like this brings before us that God's hand is in all these things? And so it says all went to be taxed or the margin says enrolled everyone.
Own city and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea under the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. And so we see that this took place just at the right time so that Joseph and Mary would make this journey up to up to.
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Bethlehem of Judea for this enrollment or taxation.
How lovely it is to see God's hand in timing things.
You know when you read the 1St chapter of Daniel, what strikes me is that it says the Lord had given Israel into the hands of the king of Babylon. And then when the three Hebrew children went to college, why the Lord gave them favor in the eyes of the Prince of the eunuchs, and then when their lessons had to be reviewed, the Lord gave them.
And wisdom and understanding, oh, how lovely it is to see God's people in captivity. Had the Lord forsaken them? Oh no, here things were in disorder in Israel. But we see the hand of God moving behind the scenes and bringing this about just at this time that they had to make this rather difficult journey. And especially so because it says she was great with child to make this difficult journey at times.
Traveling was not easy to come up to Bethlehem. And then I suppose perhaps thinking about Joseph and Mary, that maybe as they thought about this matter, they thought, well, if the Lord has planned that we should come up to Bethlehem at this time, He'll certainly make it easy for us, He.
Won't he want to make us make this journey and then no place for us to stay when we get there?
Did you ever make a journey and perhaps you found the last, last motel room and oh, you were just so thankful found the last motel room, you came and you thanked the Lord. But this wasn't the way it worked out here. When they came up to Bethlehem of Judea, there was no room for him in the end. And it's often been said there was only one person who was ever born into this world that chose where he should be born.
And that was the Lord Jesus. He's the one who upholds all things by the word of His power. Where did he choose to be born? Oh, not in a grand place, but in a Manger. If you and I had the choice of it, we would choose to be born in some very grand place and have the grandest of clothing and everything waiting for us but here.
We see, and I believe this is brought before us because it tells us.
That the Lord Jesus passed through these things, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. Have you had a disappointment in your life and you thought, oh, the Lord wouldn't let something like this happen? And yet it did happen. And here we see that this was all in God's ordering to bring the Lord Jesus, the time the Lord Jesus would be born.
There according to the word of God.
In Bethlehem. And also that he would be born in poverty, because it tells us He was despised and rejected of men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And so here we see they got there, and there was no room for them in the end, and so they had to go and find a place in the Manger. But it was all perfectly timed.
This was the very time that the precious Savior was to be born to this world.
Well, I say this, brethren, because sometimes it's hard for us to bow to God's hand in circumstances, to see that it's Him that overrules everything, even the unpleasant things. And here.
It tells us she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a Manger. And I believe the reason it mentions too about the swaddling clothes.
No, we had three children born into our home and there were nice clothes waiting for them.
It wasn't very long that we were very, very glad to put on those best of clothes that we could have to put on our dear children whom we loved so well. But who is this? This was the Lord of glory, and there was nothing but swaddling clothes. I believe it means that there were just simply sheets that were wrapped around him because he was a heavenly stranger.
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Yes, he was the one who had come down into this world a stranger.
Here among men.
Well, now we come to the eighth verse, and it tells us, And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Now to whom were all these wonderful things revealed?
Were they revealed to the great and mighty of earth? There were a lot of great and mighty people at this time. Why, if you were to read about it in the in the next chapter, the third chapter in the first verse, we have.
It says now in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being teach Rock of Galilee, and his brother Philip teachark of Idoria, and of the region of Trachinitis, and Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilene, Anis and Caiaphas being high priests, the word of the Lord came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. Why do you think the Lord tells us about all these?
Very, very important people, what the world would call top brass. Well, it's just a shell that his word didn't come to them. It came to one who was in the wilderness. And so, you know, we may be quite important in this world, but you know, if we are in the position to have ears to listen by, God delights to make these things known to us.
It says when the Lord Jesus was here upon earth. I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent.
And hast revealed among the babes, and so in our chapter, who were the ones that found out about the birth of this blessed person into this world, there were shepherds who were abiding in their in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
I've often thought about these shepherds because that was their occupation, you know, and in this day of Russian bustle, isn't it very true that we can allow our occupation to take up so much of our time that we don't have that time to listen to the message that God has to say to us?
Tells us in 12Th chapter of Hebrews See that she refused, not him that speaketh. That is, He speaks to us now from heaven. That voice from heaven reveals so much to us. Are we so busy that we don't have time to listen? It isn't a good thing for us, brethren, to allow our occupation to come between us and the Lord.
So that it hinders us from hearing his voice when he wants to speak to us.
And so these shepherds, they had an occupation that didn't keep them so involved that they couldn't listen to the message that God wanted to say to them. It tells us. And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them in the glory of the Lord, shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. Here was a message brought to them. An Angel of the Lord brought it to them on this occasion.
And it tells us.
They were so afraid. Oh, why were they afraid? Well, with any person, when they are first brought into the presence of a holy God by we do feel afraid, it says in Romans 3 and 23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And any one of us, if we got into the presence of the glory of God, unless we knew that our sins were forgiven, it would make us.
We find all through the Scripture, take the case of Isaiah, he had been pronouncing wool upon all the nations around, but when he got into the presence of the Lord, he said, woe is me, for I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips, for I of mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. We find too with Peter, when he got into the presence of the Lord, he said, depart from me, for I am a sinful man.
Oh, Lord. And so to get into the presence of the glory of God is indeed a solemn thing. But isn't it wonderful now that it tells us in Romans 5? Romans 3 says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 5 says that we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Why the change? Well, he's told us in the intervening passages.
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How? What Christ has done of that wonderful work of redemption.
So that we can be in the presence of his glory and know that we're fit to be there, not afraid. Because as it says in first John one and seven, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. That verse is really telling us that we have been brought into the very presence of God into the light.
And the eye of God sees us as perfectly fit for it.
Because the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. So they were afraid, and the message that was given to them was fear not. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
What was it dispelled fear from their minds? Any feeling that they were better than others? Oh no.
What dispelled fear was the glad, the marvelous announcement. Unto you is born a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And what is it that has removed fear from our hearts? Little Him, says the trembling Sinner, feareth that God can never forget, but one full payment cleareth his memory of all debt. And so we know that the whole matter has been settled. Isn't it blessed brethren, to know that is not?
According to your knowledge or mine of sin? Because if it was according to our ideas, why very many of us would have to acknowledge that it might be quite a bit lower than God's holy standard. Sometimes we think things aren't too bad in God's sight. They may be exceedingly sinful. That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
But I'm so glad that the question of my sins does not settle according to my knowledge of sin and guilt.
But it's settled according to God's knowledge, because it was the Lord that laid on him the iniquity of us all. And to know that God who knows everything about me, who has searched me and known me and can say everything about me, He's the one that took my sins and put them upon Jesus. So surely this removes fear.
Good tidings of great joy, and not only to Israel.
Because Israel with especially favored nation, but to all people a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And so this was the most wonderful announcement made in this world, that through the Old Testament over and over again, there had been promises of a coming Redeemer. But now he's come. He's come, He's been born in Bethlehem.
And it says, And this shall be a sign unto you. He shall find Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a Manger.
Does it tell us this shall be a sign unto you? Why was a sign like this given?
Well, let me put it this way. If the Queen of England was going to visit Vancouver and I said, well, you'll find her tonight sleeping in a Manger in rags, you'd say, don't believe it. That wouldn't be the Queen of England. No, no, she'd be in the best place in Vancouver. And So what a surprise for these shepherds to be told at the Lord of glory, the Savior of the world, was to be found.
Lying in a Manger in swaddling clothes and dear friends, I say again, he's still the rejected savior he's still rejected here. Many people would like to have a popular Christ, but the Christ of the Bible is not a popular person he is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and so tells us even as to our.
Gathered to his precious name. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp following a popular Christ, no bearing his reproach. We have to expect people say, Oh well, I think if you had the truth that it would be a very grand hall and it would be lots of people, because I think there are a lot of people seeking truth. Oh no, we know that the one who came into this world, the Lord of glory.
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Everything in his life was to the praise and honor of God his Father, but he was despised and rejected. There were only eight people in the whole world at the time of the flood. We must not expect, I mean eight people of faith in the world at the time of the flood. We must not expect to be identified with one who's popular, but one who is rejected. And so they were told this would be a sign they must not expect him to be one.
Who would be widely accepted but rather despised and rejected so?
But if man didn't recognize his creator when he came into this world.
The angels did, and suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. I say again, if man didn't recognize his Creator, for John one says he was in the world and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not, God would see to it that that one was praised.
And so here a multitude of the heavenly hosts.
As Mr. Darby put it in his little poem, more just those acclamations than when that glorious band chanted earth's deep foundations just laid by God's right hand. It tells us that when the foundations of the earth were laid, the sons of God shouted for joy.
But here is something more wonderful still. This is not creation, this is one come down as our Redeemer and a multitude of the heavenly hosts to claim Him. When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world. He sat and let all the angels of God worship him. If blind man didn't recognize him, God would see to it that He was praised. And when he was going up to Jerusalem.
And there were those who found fault because he was being honored.
The Lord said if these hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Oh God is going to see to it that His beloved Son is honored. It's your privilege in mind to honor Him now.
Well, notice their message. Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men like you to turn over to the 19th of Luke. And there's a little different expression here that I think we should notice. 19th chapter of Luke.
The 37th verse. And when he was come nigh, even now, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice.
For all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. You notice here when he was born, the message by the angels was.
On earth, peace, goodwill toward men. But in the 19th chapter it says peace in heaven and glory in the highest. Now why has this changed? At this season of year we're going to hear many, many people singing peace on earth and Mercy Mile. God and sinners reconciled. But you know that didn't take place by his birth. When he came into this world, he was despised and rejected and the world has cast out the.
Of peace. There is no peace on earth. Look any place where you like in this poor world.
It's not peace today. The Prince of Peace has been cast out, but just before he went to Jerusalem, why the multitude of the disciples were shouting peace in heaven. And that's what we know to night as it tells us in Ephesians chapter two. He is our peace who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Where is our peace on earth?
No, He's crowned with glory and honor at the right hand of God, and there will never be peace for this world until He comes back. To talk about peace on earth while Christ is rejected is only to be deceived. It can't be. All the peace treaties and all the plans of the best politicians and diplomats will never bring about peace on earth.
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There can't be peace until the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Has his rightful place, but you and I know him now at the right hand of God. And we can say peace in heaven. We can also have it in our hearts, because before the Lord went away, he said peace I leave with you my peace. I give unto you not as the world give us, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
If you're saved, you have peace with God and if you're walking in the enjoyment.
Of your portion in Christ. By then the peace of God rules in your heart.
So pieces in heaven tonight.
Well, now we find in the 15th verse the effect that this had upon these shepherds, says, And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven. The shepherd said, one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. Well, to me this is very heart searching.
Every one of us have learned a certain measure of truth, some perhaps more and some perhaps less.
But I wonder if we could ask our own hearts, how has that truth that we have known affected us? How did it affect these shepherds? They didn't know very much. They had heard the announcement that Christ the Lord had been born. And first of all, they start to talk about it. And the second thing is they say we want to go and see Him.
I think this is beautiful and you know my God makes known peace to us.
Grant that we may desire to walk in the truth that we know. I heard it said that the truth was in a happiest state when it knew the least.
And that's going back to the day of coming off. They didn't know very much of the truth of God and the day of Pentecost, but they were very, very happy. And I suggested the reason that they were so happy was because they were walking in the streets, that they knew it, was fairly enjoying it in their souls. But the trouble is that as God reveals more fear, sometimes we don't walk in it, sometimes we don't talk about it. We have it in our head.
Down into our hearts and into our feet from An Israelite brought an offspring of birds to the offer. There's a bird offering. The priest was told to take the crop on the feathers and put it down in the place of the ashes and off of the rest of the sacrifice. Why did you do that? Well, I guess most of us know what the crop is in the bird. The crop is the undigested food. The bird goes around and picks up things in the yard and.
Haven't yet got into his stomach. They're not digested by the serve out of his belly. So slow rivers of living water, but.
When that bird was back to the police, he took the Cliff and threw it down in the place of the ashes.
We can get a lot of food into our crop too. We can get a lot of knowledge that hasn't really done us any good because we haven't digested it. We haven't made it our own. And then what are the feathers? Well, a bird without feathers is rather rather an unsightly thing. The feathers are all the oceans gel. And so, you know, there's a lot of this about it too. We, we put on quite a fun sometimes. We have a lot of studies and I I like.
Bird, they really make it beautiful, but it had no pot in the sanctify. The police had to take them, throw those shutters down in the place of the answer. And so all those kind of things that we know that haven't affected our lives, it seems to me they're like the trap and the feathers. But here we find that these shepherds, when they heard these things, they wanted immediately to go to Bethlehem and see the things.
Lord have made known to them. It had been made known. Now they wanted to go and see, and they came with taste beautiful 2 words with haste. Sometimes we hold back when it rolling at once to laugh in truth when God makes it known to us. When God told Abraham to go and OfferUp his son.
Did he delay a week? Well, I'm sure he did have delayed a week. He would have saw up many excuses why he shouldn't do that.
But when the Lord told him to do it, it says he rose early in the morning, sidled his *** to kill his young man, and started out the same with Gideon. When the Lord said Gideon, throw down that altar, your father has to bail and build him out into the Lord. He did it the same night.
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And so whom the Lord makes something known to us? Don't we all know that there's a danger?
In delaying obedience to his word, 50 says the sluggard have more wisdom and his own eyes and 10 minutes And when the reason when we don't want to do something, why we we have all kinds of excuses for it, but it's because there's really a bit of sluggishness in our hearts. Early shepherds, they heard these things, they started to talk about them. They plan to.
Do what the Lord had made known to them.
And they came with faith. And they weren't disappointed. They signed the bed.
Lying a Manger, how beautiful it was. And you know when we take steps in obedience, we're not disappointed. No Christian at the end of his life would ever say, oh, I wish I hadn't walked in obedience to the Lord. We all see the blessedness of the truth of God when we walk in it. So when they came.
They're all abandoned and all how their hearts were stared. They saw the Lord of glory. And I've often said the first meeting around the Lord Jesus here upon earth was just a very few humble people in a mansion. It shows us that the place where we meet isn't the building. I mean is not the important thing. It's not the people that are the important thing, but it's the Lord in the mid.
For two or three are gathered together in my name. They're in the midst of them.
Mango was none other than the Lord of Glory, the one who had come down and heavenly stranger into this world.
Then he appointed his voice, and only had seen it in a known abroad. The saying which was told on concerning this child, and all they had heard it wonder that those things which were told them by the shepherd. Now first of all they talked about it among themselves, but now after they had seen it and they found in the verse, they started to make known abroad.
And he first of all talked about these things. They put the truth they knew into action. And now they can go out and play a plane up to others. And if anybody said, have you seen him?
They can stay warm.
And Paul said, I believe, and therefore have I spoken, remember hearing about.
A man who was teaching and he wasn't even said he delivered a sermon on being born again. And he delivered it with such eloquence that a man in the congregation was feared. And he went over to his home afterwards and said he was very much concerned about it because he didn't feel that he had been born again. And he asked the preacher just what it meant. And the preacher was a little bit uneasy.
Tried to explain it and so I say high terms and so on. And at last the man, feeling that he wasn't really helping him, said, well, have you been born again? All that truck right home to him. He hadn't been. And as the story went on to tell, the pulpit in this man's place was empty for a few weeks. But thank God, the arrow went right to his heart. He got saved. He returned as one.
Who had tasted and seen for himself all taste and see that the Lord is dim. So these shepherds went back, not just talking about something that was just a a matter of history. But that's all the birth of Christ is to some people, just a matter of history.
It was everything to them, and I believe that's why it tells us that the ones that heard it wondered, why did they wonder? Well, I believe they saw that it's so effective, these shepherds, that it was a real thing to them.
I often thought about that simple woman in the 4th chapter of John when she went back to the man and said come see a man that told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? What made them want to come? Oh I believe as they saw a glow in her face they said something happened to her. Let's go and see what it is. How is the reality to knowing the Lord Jesus?
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There's a reality to being in his presence.
And I thought that we'll have the joy in our own souls of not only being able to say, but I know him as my failure, but all the bless of my of gathering around him burden as we sit in his presence and think of what he's done for us. The one who the holy and the cruel, the one who's heart is full of love and grace without to spare our hearts more and more.
When we find 2 in the 20th, where is something more and the shepherd's returned glorifying praise?
For all the things that they had heard and seen, it led to pray. Now there was praise from their hearts too. They returned glorifying and praising God. And so you and I need to cultivate that too in our lives. More pray, more Thanksgiving. Little hymn says this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
I like the color of a more strong for praising spirit. I think very often we get so occupied with the troubles of this world that we forget to praise them.
Going on in the end of this chapter here tells us about how the Lord Jesus was brought up and passing on to the 24th verse to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle dogs or two young pigeons.
I believe there's a purpose why the Spirit of God calls attention to this. If you were to go back to the Old Testament, you would find that when a child was born, that is a man child was born, why there was a brain, a prescribed sacrifice.
There might be one out of their plot, or there might be one from the turtle of the young kids. And if the man was a little more prosperous, he brought a larger sacrifice. If not, he was permitted to bring a smaller sacrifice. What is the Spirit of God? Call attention to this here or this again, to remind us of the poverty into which the Lord Jesus.
Came in this world. Oh, how marvelous when we think the Lord of glory come down to this world.
I noticed the only people that knew what was happening that night were the Shepherd, not all those people that we read of at the beginning of the of the third chapter. And indeed it wasn't until two years later when those wise men came from the east of that Herod was even concerned about what had happened. 2 years had elapsed and Herod who was one of the top ones there.
He wasn't even concerned until he saw that perhaps somebody was going to have a place of honor beyond themselves.
And then he was concerned. But it only shows us that this truth is made home because those who were, as far as we might think so, not on the top of this world list, but are those who were among us. The Lord Jesus said he made these these things known to the poor when Paul wrote to the.
Assembly of Corinth that says, Do you see your calling, brethren?
Many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty not many know that doesn't say not any, but not many, because God has chosen the poor of this world of Houston. And so here we find that the offering that was brought turtledoves the young children. But now we find something that I think is very precious and interesting. Two people are brought before us.
I believe the reason that there's only two.
And a man and a woman, I might say, is because of the very, very exceeding weakness of things in Israel. There was certainly nothing that we could glory unless to the state of the nation. It was down at a very, very low end. We just mentioned how the only ones had heard about it, this time with a shepherd, and the only ones between the valley of the temple where the Lord had placed His name.
No sister whose name was Anna, but you know, they were rewarded for their faithfulness. And may the Lord give us grace to go on for him. And even in these last and closing days of the churches history, the Lord is coming soon. And what really counts and what the only thing that does really count is to have the Lord's approval. That's all that's going to count in that bill.
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It tells us in First Corinthians chapter 3.
If any man's work abide which you have built there upon, he shall receive reward. If any man do it be burned, he shall suffer less, but he himself shall be saved that fell by fire. We're only saved through the work of Christ, but the work that abides is that which has the Lords approval, which is according to his word.
They can put a great deal of effort in the wrong direction, you know.
I I would say that the appearance of a lot of wood hay and subtle why you could fill this room with wood horn shovel and it'd be worth a very, very small amount. But you could have a piece of gold in the corner. This room so small that nobody would even notice it would be worth all more than all the wood. Hence trouble in the whole room. And so let's remember this present. It isn't how much we do.
It tells us if a man flies to the mastery yet is he not crowned except to strive lawfully. We want to have the Lords approval. We want to do it according to his word. Back in the city of Ottawa a few years ago, I knew a brother who was a plumber and he was telling me about a large building that was being arrested and they hired some plumbers from Montreal to do the work and.
These this plumbing company didn't look into the city bylaws.
And they went ahead and did a great deal of work on this building that was being constructed. And then after it was almost finished, that is their plumbing work, the inspector came in and he said that this doesn't pass the city code. It's going to all have to be taken out. Now, newly flexing on how well those men work, I would say they perhaps were very good workmen, but they should have appointed.
For the city bylaws before they could all that work in and it had to be torn out. Isn't it better rather than that we should acclaim to ourselves or the will of God is revealed in his word and we're going to serve him. He has not said a password and we are responsible to be obedient to Him and we can leave the rest to him.
As far there is another man had done half as much.
And.
Perhaps the other name might tell him that he was slow or something like that, but half as much that would abide would be far, far better than a great deal of work that didn't abide. And so the scripture shows us that what God values his obedience, sees us that if he loves me, keep my commandments. So here we find these two people who.
Valued God's presence.
And it tells us about Simeon that he was just and developed. Now, there was a lot of things going on that were not according to God. But here was one that sought to walk before God, just like it tells us about Enoch that would mention the other night Enoch walked with God. What about the standards in the world that didn't matter to him. He walked before God. He walked with God. And so here we find that Simeon could have said, well, things are going down.
I'll just go along with what's going on in Israel. But no.
It says he was just and developed. That means he was walking before God. He was seeking the Lord's approval.
And what was he waiting for while he was waiting for the consolation of Israel?
And what are we waiting for? Well, perhaps I could say we're waiting for the consolation of the Church.
The consolation of Israel was Christ to come as their Messiah to bring blessing to the nation. And what are we waiting for? Always, Miss Lovely, We're waiting for the consolation of the of the church.
And when he comes, it tells us in First Thessalonians 4 or 4 comfort one another with these words.
For a moment it'll be if tonight the shout was heard, all his people would be gathered around him. Well, that's what he was waiting for. And more than this it was revealed to him that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ when? Now there may be some of us here. If the Lord doesn't come soon, they have to pass through death. But there are those who will be alive when the Lord comes. And that was the hope of this man.
He wasn't looking for death, he was looking for the Lord's Christ. And every one of us are entitled, young, old to be looking for that. We're not looking for death. That's the force of that expression in 2nd Corinthians 5.
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Not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
As believers, it is our proper hope to be waiting for that blessed moment of the Lord's return.
And this was so Athenian.
And it says he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, how did he know just what time to come? Was there some kind of an announcement made that he could say, well, I know what time they're going to bring the Lord Jesus into the temple and I'm going to want to be there at the time. No, he didn't hear any kind of announcement like that, but.
That says, the steps of a Goodman are ordered of the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Read in the 24th chapter of Genesis, and you find that servant who went down to get a bride for Isaac, and he didn't just know exactly what well side to go to, and he didn't know the brethren of Abraham, but it says I being in the way.
The Lord led me and burden is something comforting for us in this. There are things that are clearly outlined in the word of God.
And that we ought to walk in simple obedience to. But there's such a thing as being so close to the Lord that He didn't direct our step. And that's really blessed. And I'm not saying that it's always so with me, nor should any of us do any boasting. But I do say this, that they're oftentimes that if we just look up to the Lord, we'll see how He does graciously come in and direct it. Simeon just came in at the right time and when he.
Lord Jesus there it tells us that he took the babe up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us sell thy serve and depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. I often say salvation is not a feeling, it's a person. If you have Christ, you have salvation. If you don't have Christ, you don't have salvation.
Your feelings don't enter into it at all. It's a question of a person having him.
He is God's salvation. And so as Simeon looked at that Dave in his arms, he said, Mine eyes have seen my salvation. And no too he's taught of God. He said, Lord, now let us sell thy servant, depart in peace according to thy word.
Her mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles on the glory of Thy people Israel. Now I would say that if he were following his own thought, he would have mentioned Israel 1St, and then the Gentile. Why did he mention the Gentile first? Well, he was taught of God.
He taught, he was taught of God, and so he speaks of the light to lighten the Gentiles. Gentiles, we're living in the time of the fullness of the Gentiles.
The blessing of Israel is going to follow. I say, how did he know those things? Well, He was taught of God. And how do we know these things well? If we're just humble and seek to learn, God will teach us through His word. We won't learn a lot of these things through the daily newspaper or through man's wisdom, but he sought to go by the word of God. He was taught.
And so it tells us in the 34th verse. And Simeon blessed Salman said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall, and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against, that is, he foretold how the Lord Jesus would be the despised and rejected one, the stone that was set at not by the builders, and he filled his fires.
He was really telling his parents. Now you can't expect that this child, even though he is the Messiah, is going to be popular. A sword is going to Pierce through your own soul. That is, he's talking about Mary's soul here. When Mary saw the precious Savior there upon the cross, how there must have been a sword go through her own soul, and the thoughts of many hearts are revealed.
When you talk to people and you mention the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you immediately find out where they stand. It doesn't take very long as soon as you mention the name of the Lord Jesus.
You find out because every person in the world is on one side or the other of the Cross.
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Either on the side of the unrepentant thief or on the side of the repentance thief. Both sinners. But one was repentant and on his way to glory. The other was unrepentant and on his way to a lost eternity. That cross divides the whole world, so the thoughts of many hearts are revealed. And notice that a few comments about Anna here says she was a prophetess.
I believe that shows that she was in communion with the mind of the Lord.
He had had a very sad and lonely life. Tells us that she was of a great age, 84 years old, and she had only been married for seven years when she became a widow.
But I've enjoyed thinking about this, that the trial of her life didn't make her better. Sometimes, you know, the trials in our lives can make us murmurs and bitter, but it didn't have that effect with.
With Anna, instead of this, we find that it caused her to turn turn to the Lord and it says that.
He departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And we can ask our own hearts. Have the trials of our lives made us better? Or have they drawn us nearer to the Lord? Have they caused us to get discouraged and throw up our hands and say it's no use, I have more than my share of trouble? Or have those trials done for us what they did for Anna?
It tells us that she turned to the Lord.
Over and over again you would find her in the temple, and her steps too were directed of the Lord, for she came in that instant, it says, the very time when this was taking place. And she heard.
A simian blessing God, and it says she coming that instant, gave thanks likewise unto the Lord. How nice this is to say. We see that the more public part was taken by Simeon. It's rather interesting to see he was the one that took the babe in his arms and spoke all these things.
Awkwardly and Anna, although she was a prophetess here.
In the temple see we find her making quiet spirit. She just gave thanks to the Lord. She said I'm thankful that I'm here. I've seen him too. I've heard this testimony through Simeon of this wonderful babe. How in the picture everything is in such perfect order, but he wasn't quiet when she got her sign ** *** wasn't a gossip either tells us he spake of him to them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem, I don't think.
He could have had a lot to say about the sad, sad condition that Israel was in for it. Why? It wasn't a very sad condition, but it was very beautiful to see that she speak of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. It shows that there were people that she knew in Jerusalem, although they didn't have a spiritual energy that Simeon and Anna had.
That is, they apparently didn't come to the temple with the same devotion that these two did.
But he knew them, He talked to them. There may be Christians that you know, perhaps they're not following the Lord as devotedly and obediently as they should. But it's nice when we meet them to be able to talk about Christ, to say a little word for him because he's everything and God delights to honor him. And often said, brethren, that I believe we can say this, that.
Persecution or rejection?
Is proportionate to the measure in which we give Christ his rightful place.
If if you confess the Lord Jesus as your Savior, why you'll bear a certain amount of reproach.
If in your life you want to honor the Lord Jesus and give him his place, he will suffer more reproach. And if you tell your friends were gathered only to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you'll get still a little bit more reproached because you know Satan is the God and Prince of this world. He doesn't want to see the Lord Jesus have his rightful place.
But how blessed it is for us that we have the privilege of giving him the place that he's worthy of the highest place. No place too high for him is found, no place too high in heaven.
So I believe, I trust everyone here has confessed him as Savior. Are we willing to give him the place in our lives of Lord, asking Him His direction in everything in our lives? And do we value the blessed privilege of acknowledging no other name as our gathering center and as the person around whom we gather, but the Lord Jesus himself?
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Well, I believe we could say in this precious chapter we see how.
God was revealing these things to certain ones there in Israel, but everything centers around the One whom He delighted to honor His own beloved Son.