In His Temple Now Behold Him

Jesu Juva
St. Luke 2:22-40
February 2, 2020
The Presentation of Our Lord

Dear Saints of Our Savior~

It’s rather interesting winter’s day today. For starters, today’s date forms a palindromic number. It’s 02022020. It works the same forwards and backwards—sleek and symmetrical. But even setting that fact aside, there’s also a very nice trifecta going on today: It is Groundhog Day (when a rodent in Pennsylvania predicts the weather). It is Super bowl Sunday (when clever commercials are aired). And, it is the Presentation of Our Lord (when Mary and Joseph carried their baby boy into His holy temple for the first time).

My guess is that two-thirds of that trifecta have been on your mind already this morning, while one-third (the part about the presentation of Jesus) hasn’t quite registered yet. But that’s also how it went down on that fateful day when the 40-day-old Jesus was

carried into the temple. Nobody cared. Nobody noticed. Nobody made a fuss. Only two senior citizens happened to be hanging out at the temple that day. Luther wrote: Is it not shocking that from more than twenty thousand men only Simeon should be present? The priests pocketed their [coins] and paid no more attention to the Child. Is it not shameful? Ought not half the town at least have come out to see the Lord of all the world? But only Simeon and Anna were there (ML Christmas Book, p.71).

It’s not much different today. The world will totally tune in for the prognostication of Punxatawney Phil. The world will totally tune in for football later today. But the world will little note nor long remember that today the Lord Jesus comes to love and serve His people in this holy temple and in others like it. The Lord of heaven and earth comes among us in His means of grace to bring faith and life and forgiveness—and only a few saints have eyes to see and ears to hear this wonderful reality.

Today is the Presentation of Our Lord. Why today? Because today we’re exactly forty days post-Christmas. On this day—the fortieth day—the Holy Family went up to the temple in Jerusalem to do what every pious Jewish couple did with every firstborn son: They presented Him to the Lord. And they offered a sacrifice, because every firstborn male was holy to the Lord—going all the way back to the Passover in Egypt. They had to be redeemed—had to be bought back, if you will—with the blood of sacrifice. By bringing their infant boy to the temple, Mary and Joseph were faithfully confessing that this little one belonged to God—even as they believed at some level that this little infant was God in human flesh.

But as the poor family from Bethlehem made their way through the temple courts, someone was watching and rejoicing. Simeon’s heart must have skipped a beat as the Holy Spirit revealed to him that this baby was the Messiah, the Christ. For Simeon had been told that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

How surprised Mary must have been when Simeon took the child in his arms and began praying: Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation! Simeon’s eyes had now seen the Savior. His hands had held the Savior. Now he was ready to depart in peace—not ready to depart the temple and go home to watch the Super bowl, mind you—but ready to depart this life in peace.

You don’t often hear people saying things like that—that, in Christ, they are ready to depart this life in peace. Of course, I hear all of you singing those words quite regularly—right after receiving the Lord’s body and blood. I hear you singing Simeon’s song all the time—singing with faith that you have seen the Lord’s salvation—that you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good—that you are ready to depart in peace.

But Simeon does much more than prepare us for departure; he also preaches the cross. It’s the very first time the cross is alluded to in Luke’s gospel. Simeon says: Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. Jesus’ death and resurrection would mean the fall and rising of many in Israel—and in the whole world. You can’t be neutral toward this Child, even in the hidden humility of His infancy. He will either be your Savior and your life, or you will stumble over Him in unbelief and fall. Either He will bear your sins away, or your sins will remain on you—and define you and condemn you forever.

Simeon said that part of Jesus’ saving work would be “that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Decades later, when Jesus would again visit His holy temple, the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees would be revealed. In response to Jesus, they showed who they were (and whose they were). The thoughts of their hearts were revealed. And in their hearts they rejected Jesus. They had no use for a lowly, weak, beggarly Messiah.

It’s also true that when God deals with each of us in Jesus, the thoughts of our hearts are revealed. And that should make you deeply uncomfortable. The power and the pleasure we crave, our lust, our jealousies, our addictions and our idols, our refusals to forgive, the gossip and hate that we use like a sword to cut down and hurt those who stand in our way and try our patience. That and so much more of our sin is no secret. It is not hidden. It is all revealed. It is all known by God. If we cling to that sin and refuse to give it up, then there will only be falling for us—falling and judgment. But—if we are shown for what we are—if the thoughts of our hearts are revealed, and we come clean in repentance—then we receive the gifts of salvation, and we are raised up. Then we are raised by forgiveness—raised to new life in Christ.

When it comes to Jesus, there is either faith or unbelief. There is no middle ground—no neutral position when it comes to Him. You can’t refashion Him or reinvent Him or revise His message. You can’t claim Him as Savior while ignoring His words and staying complacent and comfortable in your sinning. You must receive Him as He is—the Savior of sinners—or you must reject Him in unbelief.

Jesus had His own falling and rising which He underwent for you—whatever the thoughts of your heart might be. He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. That death on the cross was a sign—a sign of God’s love for you—a sign that your sins have been dealt with and paid for—a sign that God is for you and not against you—that nothing can separate you from His love. This Jesus is now risen from the dead. He lives and reigns to work all things for your eternal good. Jesus has been raised; and in Him you also will be raised.

If you believe that—if you desire that—then receive the Savior as dear Simeon once did. Simeon embraced the Savior who was a sign of his death and his salvation. And you can embrace the Savior as you receive Him in the Lord’s Supper. The very body and blood Simeon once held are here given to you under bread and wine. And in this meal is your rising—as you are joined even more closely to Jesus—to share in His life which lasts forever. And all this we confess every time we join to sing the song of Simeon: Lord, now you let your servant go in peace. In peace and joy I now depart.

Yes, it is a rather interesting winter’s day today. On this day Mary and Joseph held their Son and carried Him into His holy temple. On this day Simeon and Anna held and carried Jesus in their arms and proclaimed His redemption to Israel. And today, the Savior who was once held in humility—well, He’s now holding on to you. Jesus—your Brother and your Redeemer—He’s holding you in His arms before His Father. He’s presenting you to the Father, redeemed by His blood, and ready—ready to depart in peace.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.