1. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 “Simeon & Anna’s responses to God’s Gift” Luke 2:22-38 OIF 2013 Advent Sermon Series Sermon #2

2. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 Luke 2:22-38 22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before

3. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 Luke 2:22-38 he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond- servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” 33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His

4. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 Luke 2:22-38 mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna… She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fasting and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

5. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1.Preparing for Christmas 2.Longing for Christmas 3.Submitting to Christmas

6. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas “The consolation of Israel”(v25) and “the redemption of Jerusalem”(v38) are terms that carry rich historical significance in God’s plan of Christmas.

7. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas

8. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas

9. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas

10. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas 1Peter 1:18-20 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.

11. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

12. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas

13. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Galatians 3:8 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”

14. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas

15. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas

16. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas 1 st Corinthians 5:7 For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

17. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, A virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom…

18. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas Isaiah 49:6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

19. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas Isaiah 53:5-6 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

20. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 1. Preparing for Christmas Malachi 3:1 Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” Galatians 4:4-5 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

21. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 2. Longing for Christmas Luke 2:25-28 25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 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. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms…

22. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 2. Longing for Christmas Luke 2:28-29 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

23. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 2. Longing for Christmas Luke 2:36-38 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna… She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fasting and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

24. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 3. Submitting to Christmas Luke 2:34-35 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

25. OIF Advent Sermon Series 2 This Christmas, will we take a much needed pause to re-examine ourselves, and to respond to God’s gift of Jesus like Simeon and Anna? Will we chose to become men and women that will trust and obey God, seek and long for His Kingdom to come, faithfully commit ourselves to worship God in prayer, fasting, and proclamation of His gospel until we see Jesus face to face?