Extraordinary Revelations in the Ordinary: Gospel of Luke #07
This is an exposition of Luke 2:21-38. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, April 3, 2016.
Intro:
A lot had happened in a relatively short period of time. Just nine months before an angel came to Nazareth, to an unassuming teenage girl, with a life-altering, world-changing message. She was highly favored by God. She would be the one to bear the promised Messiah. Further this child would come as a result of the “overshadowing” of God and thus the child would be the Son of the Most High, the Son of God. This message was confirmed by Mary’s cousin Elizabeth who had her own unique gift from God. Though barren, she in her old age, would be give birth the forerunner of the Messiah. Joseph had his own angelic encounter. Out of the blue Caesar decides that the whole world needed to be registered. So Mary and Joseph, though fast approaching their delivery date, are forced to go from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. After arriving in the crowded city and unable to find accommodation they settle into a barn where Mary gives birth and their precious boy is placed in a feeding trough! Just as things settled down a group of shepherds arrived with a fantastic tale of angels, an announcement and a heavenly choir. It’s been a rollercoaster ride but they’ve only made the first curve there is much more to come. Our text this morning is found in Luke Luke 2 beginning with Luke 2:21.
Text: Luke 2:21-38
It is hard sometimes to stay engaged with a familiar story. We all have the tendency to say, “I know where this is going, I know what happens,” and we halfway listen as we move ahead in the story. This tendency is only compounded when we move through the routine acts of the story. Much attention is given to the announcements to Zechariah and Mary. We are fascinated by Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and John’s leaping with joy as Mary approaches carrying our Lord within. We marvel as Zechariah’s tongue is loosed and he sings the praise of God at John’s circumcision. We are captivated by God’s sovereignty as He orchestrates history to fulfill prophecy and we are stunned by the humble circumstances of our Lord’s birth. But then we tend to skip ahead in the story bypassing our Lord’s circumcision and presentation at the temple. We are not so captivated by the routine of the rituals so vital to Israel yet of little interest to us.
This morning I want us to slow down.
Take a look at the routine and the ordinary and find the extraordinary.
For it is here, in these very ordinary events, we are given insight to the glory and wonder of our God. Keep in mind Scripture is the revelation of God. He is both the one revealing and the one who is revealed. We come to Scripture to learn about God. Who is He? What does He require? How is He to be worshiped? What has He done?
As we work our way through this text we discover…
Thesis: The events immediately surrounding the birth of Jesus underscore the glory of His person and purpose and the wonder of His gracious, faithful, and redeeming love.
There are two things I want to point out from our text.
- The circumcision of Jesus underscores the glory of His person and purpose. (2:21)
- Simeon and Anna represent the wonder of God’s gracious, faithful, redeeming love. (2:22-38)
Conclusion:
God in grace and mercy used these events to strength and reinforce the faith of Mary and Joseph. Preparing them for the struggle of faith that lay ahead of them. The glory of our salvation is found in God’s provision not just of salvation but of the on-going reinforcement of our weak, struggling faith as we seek to live and order our lives accordingly.
The events surrounding the birth of Jesus underscore the glory of His person and purpose and the wonder of His gracious, faithful, and redeeming love.