Consolation for Israel, Light for the Nations

0 · The pastor orients the congregation to the day's passage, situating it within Luke's two-volume work and the ongoing sermon series, and invites everyone to follow along in their Bibles or on the screen

You can turn with me once again to the book of Luke. We are continuing in Luke's Gospel. Remember that Luke really wrote a two-volume work, Luke-Acts, and so we are in the Gospel of Luke in our series, Kingdom Come, and we're going to finish up chapter 2 this morning. So if you can turn with me to the Gospel of Luke in your own Bibles. If you don't have a Bible with you, it should be up on the screen as well as we read along. We're going to start in verse 22.

1 · The pastor reads Luke 2:22-38 in full, presenting the text as God's authoritative Word and closing with a liturgical petition that the truth would be written on the congregation's hearts

Hear God's holy and authoritative Word. "When the time had come for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they, Mary and Joseph, brought Him, Jesus, 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. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And when he came in the Spirit into the temple, And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and he blessed God and said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed. And a sword will pierce through your own soul, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband 7 years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was 84. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. The word of the Lord. May he write its truth upon our hearts.

2 · The pastor prays that the Holy Spirit would meet the congregation through the preaching of the Word, just as He met Simeon and Anna, and that the people would leave sanctified and longing to know Christ more deeply

Father, as people of the new covenant grace that your Son Jesus inaugurated, we too, like Simeon, are filled with the Spirit. Lord, we, like Simeon, have come to your house to encounter the Christ, the Messiah, Jesus. So Lord, I pray that you would stir us, that you would meet us through the means, the gracious means of your word being preached, that your truth would reign supreme in this room, that your truth would reign supreme in our hearts. That the claim of this text would be laid upon Your people and that we would walk out of here different, sanctified, longing for greater holiness, longing to know Jesus and to love Him more deeply. So now, like You did for Simeon and for Anna, through the power of Your Spirit, do it again for Your people. For Your glory and our joy. In Jesus' name, amen.