Luke 2:22-40

1. Expectations are important in life. They motivate us to work, live, and achieve goals. Without expectations, we lose hope and interest in the future. It's true that as 2024 ends and 2025 begins, people often reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the new year. These resolutions are based on their hopes and expectations for the future. My goals for 2025 are to grow in my faith, live honestly, and complete my PhD dissertation. How about your resolution for 2025? I encourage you to check your expectation and hope for 2025 through today’s sermon.

2. We will see two people who have a certain expectation of the Messiah through today’s sermon. Just like the two people who waited their whole lives to meet the Messiah, I want to have that same kind of expectant faith.  Today, we'll learn how to have that kind of  faith in God.

Luke 2:29–32 (NASB 2020)

“Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples: A light for revelation for the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

Luke 2:33–35 NASB 2020

And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

3. To begin today's sermon, let's first discuss common human expectations. My perspective is shaped by my experiences growing up in Korea. I moved to Canada when I was 32, so my understanding might differ from that of Canadians. I remember hearing similar sermons when I was about 13 years old. The pastors talked about glorifying God through academic achievement and how high grades could make it easier to share our faith. They encouraged us to dream big, like becoming the president or the CEO of a major company.

4. Back then, their idea seemed reasonable. I thought getting good grades would make sharing my faith easier. But in Bible college, I discovered their message contradicted the Bible. It came from their own desires, not God's. To truly grasp the Bible's message, we must recognize its core principle: God's ways are different from ours. He doesn't conform to our expectations or desires. He acts according to His own will.

1 Corinthians 1:18 MSG

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hell-bent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out.

1 Corinthians 1:25 AMP

[This is] because the foolish thing [that has its source in] God is wiser than men, and the weak thing [that springs] from God is stronger than men.

5. Keeping this in mind,  1 Corinthians 1:18 and 25.  God didn't choose royalty or the elite for Jesus' parents.  People might have expected the Messiah to come from a powerful family to bring freedom, but God chose differently.

Luke 2:22–24 ESV

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him 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.”

6. Following Leviticus 12, Jesus' parents circumcised him and performed a purification ceremony for Mary. This ceremony usually required a lamb, which was costly.  Being a poor family, Jesus' parents offered two doves instead.

Leviticus 5:7 NLT

“But if you cannot afford to bring a sheep, you may bring to the Lord two turtledoves or two young pigeons as the penalty for your sin. One of the birds will be for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.

7. This shows us that God didn't choose a powerful or royal family for the Messiah. Jesus was born into an ordinary, perhaps even poor, family to fulfill God's promise. It's fascinating how God's ways differ from our expectations.  It seems risky for God to start His work with a baby born into a poor family. They might not have been able to protect Him until adulthood. If I were God, I would choose the Messiah as an adult, or at least ensure He was born into a royal family for safety.

Matthew 2:13–15 (NIV)

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

8. So, we can't understand Jesus' ways if we cling to our own viewpoints.  Now, God chose two elderly people who had longed for the Messiah. We might think the Jewish people were insincere and opposed Jesus, but Luke offers a different perspective.

Luke 2:25 NKJV

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

9. When we think of someone sincere, just, and devoted to God, we often picture someone focused on God and His work. Luke describes Simeon as just and devout because he eagerly anticipated the Consolation of God. He was also filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke uses the word "Consolation," which in Greek is "Paraclesis." This word shares the same root as "Paracletos," the word for "Helper" used in John 14.

John 14:16–17 NASB 2020

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.

10. Luke and John suggest the Holy Spirit's role is to guide and encourage us towards God, not necessarily to grant us miraculous powers. This might differ from our initial understanding of the Holy Spirit, which often focuses on divine healing or speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit helps us do God's work, just like Jesus did. It gives us the strength to live like Jesus and helps us when we obey God. Simeon longed to see God's freedom and comfort for Israel. He didn't expect God to create a mighty nation to overthrow Rome. He waited for God's mercy and grace, guided by the Holy Spirit. Simeon's hopes aligned with Jesus' vision.  Simeon saw Jesus through God's eyes, guided by the Holy Spirit, not with human expectations.

Luke 4:18–19 (NASB 2020)

“the spirit of the lord is upon me, because he anointed me to bring good news to the poor. he has sent me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

11. As Jesus announced His mission using Isaiah 61:1-2, Simeon eagerly awaited the year of Jubilee. Luke highlights the importance of having the right perspective to understand God's kingdom. Our own expectations can blind us to Jesus' true vision.  Like Judas Iscariot, we might misunderstand Jesus' purpose. We should let go of the idea that God's kingdom is about earthly power. When Jesus returns, He may not establish a mighty kingdom. Instead, He will create a new heaven and earth filled with God's freedom. This will be our true comfort and the ultimate Jubilee, bringing complete freedom and restoration in God. We will be fully healed and renewed through His work.

Revelation 21:1–4 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

12. Next, Luke tells us about Anna, a prophetess. She was very old and had been a widow for most of her life.  She was 84 years old, and since people usually married around age 17 in those days, she had lived alone for at least 60 years.  She represented the struggles of Israel. I've mentioned a few times now that people were expecting the Messiah, and Israel had been waiting for a political savior for over 400 years, since the time of Malachi.

Malachi 4:1–3 NASB 2020

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and frolic like calves from the stall. And you will crush the wicked underfoot, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I am preparing,” says the Lord of armies.

Malachi 4:4–6 (NASB 2020)

“Remember the Law of Moses My servant, the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction.”

13. Malachi 4 led them to believe God's restoration meant political freedom, not a return to the Jubilee.  This blinded them to Jesus as the Messiah. Their desires clouded their understanding of His work. I disagree with the prosperity gospel because it distorts how we see God's work. It focuses only on results. If someone is wealthy and successful, it's seen as God's blessing. But if someone struggles, it's seen as God's curse. This seems logical at first, but it's not accurate.  Sickness, for example, isn't always caused by sin or God's curse.  We don't always have easy lives. I prefer using the word stories instead of testimonies. Testimonies usually focus only on the good things. Stories include all of life's experiences—joy, blessings, and struggles. If our blessings come from God, our struggles can also strengthen our faith.

14. Anna's life may have seemed difficult, but God may have seen it differently. Because she understood God's ways, she could hope for redemption through the Messiah.  She didn't focus on her hardships. Instead, she focused on God and His plan. Simeon and Anna show us how to prepare for God's work in our lives. We need to let go of our own desires and embrace God's plan. We can make resolutions for 2025, but if they're based on our own wishes, we'll end up following our own path, not God's.  It's crucial to fill our minds with God's Word. For it, our church will start a Gospel Reading Project every Sunday.  Over 52 weeks, everyone who signs up can come to church by 9:30 am on a Sunday, and can read a portion of the Gospels. This will help us immerse ourselves in God's Word.

15. Before we make plans, let's fill our hearts with God's Word. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to guide us, just like Simeon and Anna. We are the church, not just a religious group. We're not here for rituals, but because of God's work and Jesus. Let's focus on God and what He will do. Let's ask for His comfort and guidance for our church. God will use us, just like He did in 2024. He will fill us with His Spirit.