Have you ever experienced so much anxiety that you can barely breathe?
Have you been so overwhelmed by your circumstances that you can't sleep, you just can't turn your mind off?
Or maybe you feel trapped.
There's no way out.
You're stuck.
Stuck in this apartment.
Stuck in this house.
Stuck in this neighborhood.
Stuck in this job.
Stuck in this joblessness.
Stuck in this job.
Stuck in a cycle of addiction.
You're stuck in hopelessness.
You're stuck in helplessness.
Maybe you feel under constant threat.
Threatened by your boss.
Threatened by bill collectors.
Threatened by your neighbors.
Threatened by your kids.
Threatened by a diagnosis.
Cancer, diabetes, mental illness.
Threatened by the diagnosis of a child.
Maybe you feel threatened.
Well, you along with the rest of us have tasted the oppression of living in a sin-strained world.
Everyone experiences life under the oppression of sin.
No one escapes it.
No one.
Sin within.
Sin without.
We all experience it.
What you long for is deliverance.
What you long for is what the Bible calls salvation.
Sin without.
So on this Christmas Eve 2014.
Where are you looking for salvation?
where do you look for deliverance
where do you look for relief
where do you look for escape
and this Christmas Eve
I'm going to point your gaze
to God's provision
for our deliverance
God's salvation
salvation has a name
Jesus
in Luke 2, 22-33
we read about a surprising run-in
at the temple in Jerusalem
in Luke 1 we learn that Jesus
was miraculously conceived
in a virgin
Mary in a town called Nazareth
and then in Luke 2 we learn that
God sovereignly orchestrates
international events
to get Joseph and Mary
down to Bethlehem
so this little baby
would be born in the hometown of David
he's a descendant of David
he'd be a king
it would fulfill Micah 5, 2
the passage Ben read earlier
and then tonight
we're going to look at an event
that took place a month after that
a month after the birth of Jesus
Joseph and Mary bring Jesus
from Bethlehem up north
to Jerusalem
to present him to God
at the temple in Jerusalem
Jerusalem was the capital of Israel
and at the heart of Jerusalem
was the temple
it would have been glorious to see
the temple
represented God's presence
among God's people
Joseph and Mary bring Jesus
to the temple
out of obedience
to the Old Testament commandment
to present the firstborn son
to the Lord
they're obeying God's word
and when they bring this month old Jesus
to the temple in Jerusalem
they have no idea that someone's waiting for them
someone is watching for them
his name was Simeon
Luke 2, 25 and 26
tells us some things about this man Simeon
at this point
he was an old man
he was godly
Luke says he was
righteous and devout
he was quote unquote
waiting for the consolation of Israel
end quote
which means he was looking for the Messiah
the long promised king
who would deliver
his people from oppression
we learn something else
about this Simeon
that the Holy Spirit
was upon him
and the pattern we read
in the Gospel of Luke
and in Acts
Luke wrote Acts as well
is that
when the Holy Spirit
comes upon someone
they speak
they declare
they announce something
about Jesus
there's one more detail
about Simeon
you need to know
and we read about it
in verse 26
it's this
the Holy Spirit
had revealed to Simeon
that he would see
the Messiah
he would see
the Lord's Christ
with his own eyes
before he died
and so as an old man
he's starting to wonder
so
here's the scene
in verse 27
the Holy Spirit
leads Simeon
into the temple complex
and Simeon
takes a spot
overlooking those
coming into the temple
he's looking for someone
he's looking for a child
born to us
to us
a son is given
he's looking for that boy
scanning the crowd
he's looking
he knows
by the Holy Spirit
leading him
that today
he will see
the consolation
of Israel
and the whole
world
he'll see him
with his own eyes
as Joseph and Mary
walk up the stairs
into the temple
they have no idea
there's an old man
filled with the Holy Spirit
looking for their baby boy
they're just seeking
to dedicate their son
as God commanded
in his law
while they walk up
in Simeon season
the Holy Spirit
must have sung
to Simeon's soul
there he is
he's the one
you know
it's moments like these
in the Bible
you're reading along
and you just kind of
want more detail
like
what did
what did Simeon do
did his eyes
well up with tears
did his mouth
drop
did he clasp
his hands
and cry out
he has come
did he rush
did he run
towards Mary
and Joseph
and snatch that baby
out of Mary's hands
or was he a slow
mover
kind of that mix
of
tears
and laughter
at the same time
oh
he's here
when Jenny and I
adopted our daughter
Mary
we were flying back
to the states
from China
and there was a group
of older Chinese women
who were
sitting in a row
next to us
and they kept on
looking down at us
and Mary
who was in our lap
and when we leveled out
one of these women
unbuckled
got up
walked right over
to us
and grabbed Mary
right out of
Jenny's arms
and brought her to
the row of Chinese
and we just watched
as our baby girl
got passed
down the row
we knew these women
were delighting
in our daughter
and we also knew
there was no way
out at 35,000 feet
neither Jenny and I
will forget that moment
and neither would
Mary and Joseph
forget this moment
Simeon
filled with the spirit
holding this
one month old baby
in his arms
and he speaks
a prophetic word
of fulfillment
it's directed at God
as he looks
at this little baby
this is what he said
Lord
now you are letting
your servant
depart in peace
according to your work
for my eyes
have seen
your salvation
for my eyes
these old eyes
have seen
your salvation
what was Simeon
looking at?
was he looking at
the first national
bank of Jerusalem?
no
God's salvation
isn't money
was he looking
at Jerusalem hospital?
no
God's salvation
isn't health
was he looking
at the Jerusalem
board of trade?
no
salvation
wouldn't come
with a robust economy
was he looking
at a military
parade?
no
God's salvation
wouldn't come
through military
might
was Simeon
looking at
the temple?
this towering
religious structure?
no
it wasn't a building
God's salvation
was the baby
God's salvation
was his baby
this old man
was holding
Simeon was looking
into the face
of God
he was looking
into the face
of God's
anointed one
Emmanuel
God with us
the Messiah
the only one
this little
seven pound boy
the only one
who could save
us from
the oppression
of living
in a sin
strained
sin sane
sin soaked
world
this little boy
this one month
old boy
whose birth
we celebrate
tomorrow
he would grow
and he would
live a life
that none of us
ever could
Jesus lived
a life fully
pleasing to God
every second
of every minute
of every hour
of every day
always pleasing
to God
fully pleasing
to God
every moment
it wasn't just
the absence
of sin
it was the
fullness
of pleasing
God
every day
of his life
and then he died
on a cross
as a substitute
he gave his
perfect life
to pay for the
sins
we have committed
against God
and against
others
he lived a
perfect life
and died
and then died
in the place
of sinners
but he didn't
stay dead
God raised him
from the dead
and with
his resurrection
Christ
triumphed
over the
triple threat
those big
three oppressors
sin
death
and the devil
Jesus routed
them
he routed
him
through his
death and
resurrection
and when he
comes back
he's going to
finish what he
started
he's going to
ultimately
and finally
complete what
his death and
resurrection
began
when this baby
comes back
he's going to
complete it
no more sin
no more death
no more devil
far as the curse
is found
for everyone
who trusts in
Christ alone
they are brought
into this triumph
we share in what
Christ has done
for us
victorious
triumphant
our oppressors
are routed
he's the great
deliverer
this baby
in Simeon's
arms
God in the
flesh
Emmanuel
he alone
is God's
salvation
for all
people
so here we
are tonight
Christmas Eve
2014
a long
way away
from when
this baby
was born
but he's
alive
where are you
looking for
deliverance
where are you
looking for
rescue
have you
yet to see
with eyes
of faith
that this
Jesus
in Simeon's
arms
is God's
salvation
that he's
holding out
to you
receive him
bow before
him
he's our
deliverer
king
joy to
the world
the Lord
has come
let earth
receive her
king
let every
heart
your heart
tonight
tomorrow
morning
let every
heart
prepare
him
room
let every
don't
gosh