Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 111            Isaiah 45:22-25            Colossians 3:12-17            Luke 2:25-40

 

            Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.                   Amen.   [adapted:  Psalm 19:14]

 

 

            “Are we there yet?” is a pretty familiar question for anyone who has traveled with a youngster.  We measure the trip by different signs.  How many miles?  How many hours?  What are the different landmarks that show how far we have traveled and how far yet to go?  How many television shows will it take to get there? 

 

            What the question really tells us is the anticipation of getting there.  We need to know where we are going.  And we need to know the signs along the way that both point the way and remind us that we are well on our way. 

 

            In our lives in this world we are on a journey.  There are certain milestones and landmarks along the way.  We count birthdays, completion of different “rites of passage” in graduations, weddings, and the like.  What are the signs and directions?  How do we know when we have arrived?

 

 

            Today’s Gospel answers that pressing question, “Are we there yet?”  God had promised a Savior for his people.  God promised this Savior to the Gentiles as well as to his chosen Israel.  We read of that promise in today’s Psalm and prophecy from Isaiah.  Both of those passages speak of God’s faithfulness, his power in his works, and his providing redemption for his people.  There is no other way of salvation except by God’s almighty works.

 

            Joseph and Mary were both told by angels that the child Mary would bear would be the Savior of God’s people.  That is why he was given the name Jesus, because he would save his people from their sins.  [Matthew 1:21]  Angels proclaimed this great news to the Shepherds that a Savior had been born.  How would they know?  Because the babe in the manger would be “a sign.”  They would know they were there when they saw this.

 

            Over the next forty days, Mary and Joseph followed God’s commands regarding circumcision and now the purification and taking Jesus to the Temple.  Interesting signs are in numbers of days along this journey.  Circumcision is on the eighth day which is the first day of the first week after creation.  It is on the eighth day, (first day of the second week) after Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem that the resurrection occurs.  The purification is on the 40^th day of life.  There were 40 days of rains to purify the earth of all of its sinfulness in the flood.  Moses spent forty days on the mountaintop receiving God’s covenant.  Jesus later spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting and overcoming temptation following his baptism.  A resurrected Savior spent 40 days appearing to many on this earth before returning to his heavenly throne at the ascension. 

 

            Today there are two witnesses who proclaim Jesus as the Savior, Simeon and Anna.  This fulfills the Levitical law that there are two witnesses to establish fact.  Jesus, who is God, reveals himself in the Temple.  God revealed himiself to his people in the fire and cloud during the Exodus.  He then “tented” or lived with them in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple.  Ezekiel saw God’s glory depart from the temple shortly before its destruction during the Babylonian captivity.  [Ezekiel 10]  Later, when the temple was rebuilt, God promised to fill the temple with an even greater glory.  [Haggai 2 and Zecharaiah 8-9].  Today, God fulfills that promise as he is enters the temple the first time as an infant, and is acknowledged as the Savior by two witnesses.

 

            Are we there yet?  Both Simeon and Anna were awaiting the consolation Jesus would bring, the redemption of God’s people.  Later we find Joseph of Arimathea who too was waiting for the kingdom of God.  [Luke 23:51]  Crowds of faithful Israelites followed Jesus as he preached that the kingdom was near.  What sign do we have that tells us that the kingdom has come?

 

Are we there yet?  Simeon’s words are, “Now let your servant depart in peace.”  That simple word, “Now,” answers our question.  The Savior is here.  Redemption from sin is here.  Eternal life with our heavenly father is here.  Simeon’s words are a beautiful verse of great comfort.  God has revealed his salvation to his people.  We are there, or he is here! 

 

God promised to Simeon he would not leave earthly life until he had seen the Savior.  God makes that same promise to all people.

 

God revealed himself in the flesh.  As God does all things through his word, Jesus too did all things by the power of his word.  He healed by his word.  He proclaimed the kingdom by his word.  He forgave sins by his word.  He declared the victory over sin by his words on the cross, “My God why have you forsaken me?” and, “It is finished.” 

 

God opened the eyes of Simeon and Anna to see this salvation.  Jesus opened the eyes of blind people so they and others would see him through his miracles.  He opened Mary’s eyes in the Garden to see him after the resurrection.  He opened the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus to see him.  He proclaimed to the people in the synagogue that they were seeing scripture revealed in front of them that day as he read Isaiah’s prophecy.  He opens the eyes of Israel and Gentiles to see the light revealed.  If we do not see the light, we cannot see out of the darkness of our lost sinful condition.

 

God opened your eyes to see him when you heard his word.  God opened your eyes to see him in baptism.  Today you see him again as he comes to you in the bread and wine, presenting himself to you in yet another miraculous way.  Following this sacrament we rejoice singing the words Simeon sang that day because we too get to see God’s plan of salvation. 

 

This verse is a great verse of comfort we recall at the bedside of one whose earthly life is near its end.  You know salvation is here because God has revealed it to you.  He promised a savior.  He described how and where he would send this savior.  He came as our savior and completed what he promised he would do.  He will come again to complete the final promise, that of resurrecting all of the dead and taking those who believe in him to be with him.  That is why you and all believers can so confidently and joyously sing this verse any time and any day, knowing we can depart in peace, having no fear, because our Savior has come.   Amen.

 

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”   [Philippians 4:4-7]               Amen.