Luke 2:33-35

Luke chapter 2, we’re going to read verses 25 to 33. Our focus, though, was on verses 33 to 35. Let me say I’m going to read verses 25 to 35, and our focus is on verses 33 to 35. 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. It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ, and he came by the Spirit into the temple, when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now letest 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. Said unto Mary’s 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. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own heart also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. May God bless to us, His sacred and holy word this morning. Years ago, there was a Spaniard who was living in South America, who happened to suffer from a severe case of the gout. He had gone to many doctors, but none of them had been able to cure him. He had heard that there was an Indian doctor in this South American country, in this South American country. country who could cure gout. He had been famous in the area, and therefore he could have gone to him for help. But the Spaniard considered him as an Indian to be of lower class, and it was beneath him as an oberman to go to the Indian to get the cure. So he refused to see the Indian doctor. was beneath his dignity, and as a result, he continued to suffer from gout. In a similar manner, the great physician, Jesus Christ, is spurned by people, because he’s despised. He is the only one who can heal people of their spiritual disease, and yet they will not come him that they might have life. They have a prejudice against him. Our text provides an indication here of the effect of the Christ upon the people of his own nation. Simeon has been granted great spiritual insight concerning the Son of Mary and reveals here how he’s going to be received. Now, what is taught here is still true. It’s still today and therefore nothing has changed. We want to talk on the topic this morning of the effect of Christ upon people. Let me begin by saying this. As a believer, you may marvel at the revelation concerning Christ. Verse 33, we read, and Joseph and his mother marveled of those things which were spoken of him. From the first visit of the angel to the words of Simeon, much has been revealed about the Savior. Wonderful things have been said in relation to their son, Jesus Christ. For God was making much known to them. At these wonderful things, Joseph and Mary marveled. Now this is not the amazing. amazement of unbelief, but amazement at the truth that is revealed to them. They believe the scriptures concerning Jesus Christ as far as they understood them. But the eyes of their understanding are now much more opened and much more concerning Christ is now known by them than they had known in the past. It’s not that the Old Testament scriptures did not contain all these kinds of things about Christ, for we saw that Simeon often was quoting Old Testament passages of scripture in his statements about Christ. It’s just that people did not perceive all that was in the scripture. And now we have more of a fuller revelation of it to Joseph and Mary. It’s made plain to them. And they’re astonished at what they now understand about Christ. Now as we look at this text of Scripture, if I can draw an observation or a lesson from it, is this, that whenever we read the scriptures, we need to pray with the psalmist, open mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. For there are many things in Scripture, a multitude of them. that are written about Jesus Christ, which are not always readily perceived. They’re somewhat concealed, and it takes the Holy Spirit’s illumination to perceive or to see it. And this is something we should always keep in mind. Now, it is true that we know the ABCs about Christ, but there is much more, if I can say this, hidden away in the great depth of Scripture. You remember the Queen of Sheba who heard of the wisdom and fame of Solomon, so she thought she would go see Solomon and test him with some hard questions. See if this was really true about this king. Well, she saw all the glorious things of Solomon’s kingdom, and none of her hard questions were too hard for him to answer, and she is amazed by it all. She’s taken back. It blew her mind. And she said, it was a true report that I heard in my own land of all thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believe not the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half has not been told me. Thy wisdom and prosperity exceeded the fame which I heard. First Kings chapter 10. Now the same is true. of the one greater than Solomon. Behold, half the truth concerning Christ has not been told you by ministers and teachers. The scriptures are like a gold mine, out of which valuable truths about Christ can be unearthed. Yet the mine is never exhausted. There are always gold nuggets concerning the Savior. It’s a much. richer vein than you might suppose. We have to do as Christ said. Search the scriptures, for they testify of me. There are many times we will go through the scriptures and we don’t always see Christ in a particular scripture. And yet he’s there. And we find out through studying the Word of God and by the illumination of the Spirit. I like what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8.2. If any man thinketh he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it. You know, we might think we know so much about Christ, but the truth of the matter is there’s more to learn about Jesus Christ. I have to admit, all the years that I’ve read the scriptures, and I’ve studied, I am still learning things about Jesus Christ from the scriptures. Christ is revealed in the scriptures. There are types and symbols of Christ everywhere. And you might marvel. at these things when you discover them. Remember how Paul told us in the book of Hebrews about Malkisadec, the one, the priest that Abraham brought the tithes to in the book of Genesis. And he was the one, the priest’s king who blessed Abraham. And yet Paul says to them, of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing that you’re a dull of hearing. You know, I’m ready to receive all that I have to say about Melchizedek being a type of Christ. So I can’t tell you everything yet. Read the Song of Solomon prayerfully, and you’ll find much about the Savior, but it’s cloaked, an allegorical language, and it all appears somewhat mysterious to us. There are many blessed and wonderful things about Jesus Christ in the Song of Solomon, but they’re not always easily mined. We have to study and think about how the scripture uses this language elsewhere. Read the Psalms, remembering that David spoke of the Christ, as Peter tells us in Acts Chapter 2. We talk about messianic Psalms, and those are the ones that clearly speak about Christ. They’re the ones that are obvious to us. But the truth is, all the Psalms are messianic and not just some of them. It’s just that we don’t always see it on the surface. So when you sing the Psalms, we have to keep in mind there is something about Christ in these Psalms. When you read the prophets, you’ll find constant references to Jesus Christ. Who is that king that’s high and lifted up that Isaiah sees? in chapter 6 but the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is the angel of the Lord who intercedes for Jerusalem and for Joshua the high priest in the book of Zechariah chapter 1 in verse 3? It’s Jesus Christ. Who is the one who walks around in the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar with Shadrach, Meshec, and Abedigo? It was said to be like the Son of God. It’s Jesus Christ. How does Jonah’s life testify, Jesus Christ? Well, we’ve just studied it. And Jesus tells us in the New Testament, he was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, so he was the son of man. As he was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Who is the branch of Isaiah chapter 11? Who is the breaker of Micah 113? Who is the one head of Hosea 111? Who is the stone in chapter 2 of the book of Daniel, verses 34 and 35? Who is the messenger of the covenant in Melachiah 3-1? It’s Jesus Christ. Who is the son of righteousness in the book of Melchia chapter 4? It’s Jesus Christ. Now as you grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, You may marvel at all there is to learn about Jesus Christ. And there are times we are surprised about what we learned. And God reveals to us more and more about the Savior. So as a believer, you may marvel at the revelation concerning Christ. Secondly, Christ will prove the means of either your rise or your fall. You’ll notice in verses 3, verse 34. It says here, and Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary’s 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. You find here that Christ is divinely appointed for either your rise or your fall. that word set here that has to do with being appointed according to God’s decree God has purpose Christ for this purpose to bring about this purpose so in God’s purpose Christ came for this very end to separate people into two companies or two camps if you would Isaiah 8 verses 14 and 15 says he shall be for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both houses of Israel, and many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken. For some he is a sanctuary, and for others, he’s a stumbling stone. Christ is like the ancient farmer who, during harvest time, winnows his wheat, where the chaff and the wheat are all on the threshing floor, and he has to take this fan because this mixed heap is there and he gets the fan going and the light shaft gets blown off the wheat. And before you know, you have just the golden grain laying there on the threshing floor. The heavier wheat remains, the lighter chaff gets blown away. This is what Christ came to do. In fact, in chapter 3, verses 16 and 17, we find John the Baptist actually preaching this truth about Christ. He comes with a fan in his hand. And we’ll look at that Lord willing in a later time. But he’s separating those who are going to perish from those whom he is going to say. It is not possible for Jesus Christ to be preached without him separating the precious from the vial. It always occurs. it always occurs. So you find Christ is divinely appointed to either accomplish your rise or your fall. Now, you can be one who falls by Jesus Christ. Do you put religious tradition above the scriptures? Then you will stumble and fall over Christ. The Jews exalted the opinion of Rabbi Ben This and Rabbi Bend That that over the Scriptures. The theories of men, and they were rebuked by Christ for it, because he said, ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men in Matthew 15, verse 6 and 9. And they hated Christ for this. They despise Christ for pointing this out. How often when you read in the sermon of the Mount, you find those words, It is said by them of old, but I say unto you, here’s what the rabbi say. That’s not what the scripture says. That’s not what the scripture teaches. They were taking away the very meaning of God’s law and substituting for it the teachings of men. They taught God’s commandments, such as thou shalt not kill and thou shalt not commit adultery, did not apply to the heart condition. It was, perfectly fine to harbor hatred in your heart as long as you didn’t physically harm the other person. You can revile him with words. Just don’t bloody him. Jesus says that violates the spirit, the commandment. Thou shalt not kill. You can lust, they said, after a woman, and imagine all sorts of evil regarding her sexually as long as you don’t physically engage her. Touch her. You see how much today’s religion, rest, on human teaching, whether it be the pope, or whether it be some popular religious teacher of the day, and all the human ideas. You know, if so-and-so, who’s highly respected, accepts the findings of so-called science, and cast aside a literal seven-day creation, well, we can do the same. If social justice theories are taught, by the professors of a Christian college, it must be true, despite the covetous nature of that teaching and how it violates the commandment of God, thou shalt not covet. That’s what we’re told. If the key religious leaders of our day proclaim the need to accept homosexuals and lesbians into the church, people go along with it. There never seems to be a concern. about the glaring contradiction there is with the scriptures over this. When the scriptures talk about them being given over to a reprobate mind, my friends, if you fall along this path, you are going to stumble and fall over Christ because you’re placing your confidence, not in him, but in human ideas and traditions. If you depend upon external religious ceremonies, salvation, you’re going to stumble and you’re going to fall over Christ. Look at how Christ had to rebuke the Jews for focusing on such things as the washing of their hands before they ate bread in order to keep themselves from being defile. Evidently, they were concerned about clean hands, but not a clean heart. They were trusting in circumcision of a guarantee of acceptance with God, as if cutting off the foreskin, took priority over the removal of the body of sin in their life. They meticulously kept the ceremonial law, even though their hearts were far from God, as if eating the Passover lamb was enough without seeing the picture of Christ that was in the Passover land. Their careful attention to tithing down to every seed, they counted all the seeds, the little tiny seeds, and made sure they gave their time. 10th. But they omitted, Jesus said, the weightier matters of the law, such as mercy and justice and faith. Oh, they gave arms to the poor. But they omitted the idea of being lifted up with pride, so they blew the trumpet. Forgetting that what they were doing was actually a sinful act, pride and self-promotion. What are you trusting in? because if you’re trusting in your church attendance or your baptism or or partaking of Lord’s supper or your charitable gifts, you’re going to stumble and fall over Christ and he will be your downfall. The Jews were very self-righteous. They expected to be declared righteous before God, justified by all their good deeds. They thought they were better than others. They trusted in their good lives to earn a place in heaven. My friends, they stumbled and they fall. They fell over Christ. They missed. Are you like them? Are you focused on earning enough righteousness for God’s acceptance? Then you will perish. You’ll perish if you’re trusting in human tradition. If you’re trusting in religious ceremonies. If you’re trusting in your own good work. All these things, you’re going to stumble, fall, and perish. You can be one who falls, Christ. You can be one who rises by Christ. Now, if we understand this, that the whole human race has fallen into the dust because of Adam’s sin. We’ve fallen from holiness. We’ve fallen from a state of right standing with God. So that now we’re separated from God. We’re falling into sin and misery and condemnation and helplessness. But Christ came to raise sinners up again from this fallen condition. He came to seek and to save those who were lost. He came to resurrect those who were dead in trespasses and sins. In John 5, there is two resurrections that are mentioned. One is a physical resurrection from the dead, but one is a spiritual resurrection from a state of spiritual deadness. Here’s what Jesus said in John 526. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is. It’s a present reality. When the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God and they that hear shall live. He rises them up. He resurrects spiritually dead. Later, he’ll resurrect physically dead, but right now he resurrect while he’s on earth, he’s resurrecting the spiritually dead. And that’s what Jesus still does today. And in this way, many of the Jews did rise from this fallen state through Christ. Now, you have to admit, I’m fallen and I can’t get up. In order for you to turn to Christ and be raised from the debt. Do you lament your deadness in trespasses and sins? That Christ does not lift up anyone who doesn’t see themselves has fallen. Come to Christ as the Savior. Have all your sins washed away. Find acceptance with God through him because he grants eternal life. You can be one who rises. by Christ. Now, you will find the ruin of unbelievers is related to their hostility against Christ as the last part of verse 34 indicates and a sign, and for a sign, which shall be spoken against. This word sign as carries sort of the idea of a target that people would shoot arrows at. And we have this idea of Christ’s being a target of men’s hostility. Sort of like what Job said. God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. He has set me up for his mark. His archers come past me about. He cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare. The life, the character, and the doctrines and miracles of Jesus Christ made him very conspicuous. He attracted the attention of many people of the nation. They were aware of him. Even you remember King Herod was aware. Yet, his own received him not. Because they were trusted in human tradition and their own works and the ceremonies of the law and so forth, they weren’t looking to Christ. as the Savior. And therefore they opposed him and despised him and spoke against him. Well, there was some short-lived admiration when he came on so-called Palm Sunday and went to Jerusalem. But it wasn’t long before the religious leader and the crowds were crying out for his crucifixion. The scribes and the Pharisees took the lead in the attack. They misrepresented him. They spoke against him. They said, Behold, a man, gluttness, a wine bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. They said he cast out demons, but he did it by the power of Satan himself. That he was a devil. That he was mad. The scribes and the Pharisees and the high priest and the lawyers and government officials all shot their arrows at Christ as if he was a target. look at how they taunted him and ridiculed him when he hung upon the cross. Scripture says in Hebrews 12.3, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. However, the ruin of unbelievers comes about as a result of them striking a gout against Jesus Christ. So many people would not display such harmony in opposing Jesus Christ Christ if they didn’t have a natural enmity against the Son of God. That’s what bonded them together. They made me natural enemies with one another, but all they joined together like the scribes and the Pharisees, they joined together when it came to putting Christ to one. Or Pilate and Herod Herod when they came to Jesus Christ, who were enemies, but they made friends over Christ and opposing him. It’s plain evidence of man’s depravity. Yet, the vicious attack against Christ becomes their undoing. I kind of like with the reformers talked about being an anvil that people beat on them and wore out their hammers. Well, Christ is like that. They beat on him. They attacked their hammer. They’re the ones that get worn out. Not the Look with me at Matthew, chapter 21, verses 42 to 45. That’s what Jesus says here about himself. Matthew 21, 42 to 45. Jesus saith unto them, did you never read the scriptures? The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore, I say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken. But on whomesoever it shall fall, it will grind him to power. Some accidentally stumble over Christ the stone. Many unbelievers do this. Some oppose Christ. out of malice and spite and set themselves up as adversaries of Jesus Christ. The first sort shall be broken, either brought to repentance or perdition, but the second who are adversaries out of malice will be crushed. They will be ground to powder. Absolutely destroyed by Christ blows. By the way, there may be a reference here to Daniel chapter 2 in the stone that’s mentioned there for your further study. Observation I can make is this. Learn not to speak against Christ, but for him. It must needs be the offenses come, but woe unto that man by whom they come. Those who attack Christ will have their mischief, returned upon their heads. Friends, speak for Christ, assert his honor, espouse his cause, recommend him to others. Because those who oppose Christ, you can count on it. They will be brought under the rod of Christ and judged harshly. Christ will prove the means of either your rise or your fault. Thirdly, Christ is the occasion of the hidden state of your heart being revealed. Verse 36, here of the book of Luke, chapter 2. I’m sorry, verse 35. yea, a sword shall pierce through thy soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. The sufferings, an indignant. indicted by Christ are a matter of grief to you as a believer. You’ll notice that what is said here of Mary, she was grieved by the malice and hatred that would be shown toward Christ. She would be grieved. It would pierce her soul like a sword. It would hurt her. Now, you as a believer are not an exact same situation as Mary. There’s a sense in which, you know, we haven’t, you know, Christ was her child in the sense that being of her body he was brought forth. But here you can judge the state of your heart. Do you react to the sufferings and indignities that Christ had to endure? And the same way as Mary? Are you grieved by it? Does it pierce your soul to your heart? Are you concerned about the way Christ is treated? Are you grieved when Christ’s name is taken in vain? When it’s used as a curse? Are you troubled when Christ’s person and work is maligned? People ridicule things like the blood atonement and so forth? Does it bother you when Christ’s deity is denied? Or his resurrection is considered a myth? Or when Christ’s church is maligned or harmed in any way? Are you grieved? Judge your own heart in this. Can you say that the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me? So the sufferings and indignities endured by Christ are a matter of grief to you as a believer? And then we see that Christ then reveals the state of your heart. The thoughts of many hearts being revealed. When confronted by Christ, the character of your heart comes to light. The enmity of some is stirred up to the uttermost. They hate the light. It will not come to the light. All the bitterness and the malice hatred they have for Christ comes to the surface. You can’t help yourself. Away with him. We will not have this man rule over us. That’s the spirit of many. But others touched by God’s grace are drawn to Christ as the Savior souls. They find in Christ rest for their weary, sin-laden-laden souls and they find joy and peace through the Savior. What do you think of Christ? What is revealed about your heart when Christ is preached? Let me close by saying this. The Spaniard living in South America didn’t want to see the Indian doctor because it was beneath his dignity. And yet he was the only one that seemed that he had some way of helping him with his gout. in a similar manner. The great physician, Jesus Christ, is spurned by many, despised. But Jesus Christ is the only Savior. He will prove to be the means of either your rise or your fall. Let us close with a word of prayer.