Of course, the theater employee was being somewhat sarcastic, but his comment is indeed true—even spiritually. As we prepare to enter into the New Year of 2004, the Lord intends each of us to see that He does, indeed, have a New Day awaiting us. And it does involve sound—the sound of His voice echoing throughout His eternal Word. And…if we will turn towards Him to hear what He has to say, and then receive it, we will be filled with His joy. If you saw our message last month, you will remember the theme—God put His Gift on the tree, not under it. Praise God—He doesn't just stick His mercy and grace under the tree, where they can get all mixed up with all of the other stuff of Christmas. And you will remember—we focused on the role the Cross, the proverbial "tree", played in the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, our Lord's forerunner. Now that Christmas has come and gone, let's take a look at the other end of the Christmas story—the story of the elderly Simeon and Anna, and see the place the Cross played in their "New Day."
And what a new day it would be! Eight days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph brought Him to the temple to be circumcised and dedicated to the Lord—the story is found in Luke 2: 21-40. At this time, He was officially named Jesus—just as the angel had prophesied. His name came from the Hebrew word, "Yeshua,"—also rendered as Joshua, but meaning, "the Lord is Salvation." Joseph had been told earlier, that Jesus would "save His people from their sins." (Mt. 1:21b) As a sign of the purity and holiness, He was circumcised—a picture of the flesh, and all that is of the flesh, being cut away.
Why? Well, the Scripture tells us, "And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." (vss. 22-24) Everything that Mary and Joseph were about was according to what God had said. Notice that each of these three verses directs our attention to "the law." Jesus Himself would later say, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." (Mt. 5: 17) So many today have this backwards—they think He came to abolish the law so that they don't have to be surrendered and obedient to Him and His word. The truth is, that because He came to fulfill the Word of God, if we will allow Him total control of our hearts and lives, we too, will be fulfilling His will—even in this life. Imagine—what a New Day that will be!!!
As Mary and Joseph sought to do everything God's way, they came into contact with another with the same attitude—Simeon. He was "just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was upon him." (2:25) And, boy, does his name say it all—his Hebrew name is "Shammai," referring to a "true hearing." He was indeed one who, wanted, above all things, to hear whatever sound God would make. Devout?—Yes, he had decided from early on to take a proper and righteous attitude toward the Word of God—he took it very seriously. God was about to sound forth a word of admonition and encouragement—not just a pat on the back, but a call to see and experience the "New Day" that was about to dawn. You see, "It was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ." (vs. 26) But what would he do with this Word from the Lord—plop down expecting to see a show, or truly enter in?
Praise God!!!—When Mary and Joseph brought the baby into the room, "He took Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." (vss. 28-32) This, of course, was God's intention all along—He always did plan for a New Day to break forth upon all people, and now it had happened. Simeon knew that God knew that Israel, and certainly the entire world, were in drastic need of this "consolation"—the sound of God's voice calling one and all into the center of His heart and will. Now, he, was willing to die. He had proclaimed it; he had seen it; and now, as far as he was concerned, he no longer needed to live. If the Lord did not take him right away, it would no longer be his own life he was living, but the Lord's. Paul said a very similar thing: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) And isn't that really what this whole thing is about?—a recognition that without Him, we are nothing…but with Him, through the Cross and the Holy Spirit, He is all things to us.
Oh, what a New Day! But it would not come without a price. Simeon told Mary, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (vss. 34,35) Oh, the cost would indeed be great—in fact, every heart will be revealed, and the false-faces will be removed, that is, people will be seen for who they really are. Yes, even Mary! At the beginning, when the angel first announced the birth of this baby, Mary even admitted, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." (Luke 1: 47) And all through her song, she makes clear that she knew she was a sinner. Everybody who was ever born on the face of this planet, with the exception Jesus, of course, was a sinner in need of salvation. The Bible is clear—"…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 6:23) Praise God—this is why there is such a need for a New Day.
You see, this sword that is said to pierce Mary's soul was not just her untold grief at the foot of the Cross. Not at all—it is the death to self that she would need to come to. Remember—it was her soul "also," implying that others, and in fact, everyone, would need to experience the same piercing with a sword, which is the Word of God. In the Greek, this "piercing" means to traverse, as though on a journey—piercing through from beginning to end. This concept of dying in order to live—this "piercing"—is all through the Scriptures. We see it in Numbers 24:8, Judges 5:26, 2 Kings 18:21, Job 30:17, Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10, John 19:34, 1 Timothy 6:10, and last, but not least, Revelation 1:7. Check them out—they will help to clarify how death to self and sin results in a new day, a new life. Do you see the mercy of God putting the greatest gift ever given on a tree, and not under it? Now that Christmas has come and gone, do you see the Cross through it all?
Well, Simeon wasn't the only one in the temple to see it that day. Anna, an elderly prophetess, "…was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayer night and day." (vs. 37) Talk about devoted! In the Greek, her 84+ years of persistency in seeking the Lord refers to an absolute refusal to desist and desert. You have to remember—it had been a long time since the Lord had spoken, and many had just plain given up looking for the promised Messiah. But not these two—Anna's heart was so set on God, she heard the sound of His voice and came into the room at that very instant, praising God, giving thanks, and proclaiming His redemption. In these last of days, don't give up. Just because so many have turned their backs on the Lord and His Cross, you don't have to be one of them. This New Year of 2004, can, and will, be a New Day for you, if you will hear the sound of His voice, turn to Him, and allow Him to take you, with joy, the whole way through, traversing with Him and in Him, until the very end. He came once, and He is coming again—will you desire Him to pierce through into the fullness of your heart, being in total control? Oh, what a New Day—in it, He will put a burden within your heart for all things to be according to His Word.
