Recognising an encounter with Jesus for what it is…

Let’s move on.

We’ve spent quite a bit of time with the shepherds, haven’t we?

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons’.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.’

The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:21-39

This is how the Christmas story continues and concludes in the book of Luke. Yes, I know we haven’t introduced the kings/wise men/magi yet, but the timings are all a bit unclear, so I thought we’d continue with Luke’s narrative and then hop over to Matthew’s (Luke doesn’t mention the kings/wise men/magi at all).

This account grounds Jesus firmly within the Jewish faith and tradition. Joseph and Mary knew exactly what was required of them by law – circumcision for Jesus at eight days old; a special offering at the temple as he is a firstborn child and a sacrifice as a ceremony of purification for Mary after childbirth. Although Jesus was an extra special child, the rules still applied. Joseph and Mary would do all that was required of them by the Law unless/until they were instructed otherwise by God Himself!

The name Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means ‘the Lord saves’.

At the temple, they encounter two older, devout, faithful individuals: Simeon and Anna. Simeon had been waiting all his life for this day. He was not going to die without seeing the Messiah. And when he saw Jesus, he knew exactly what was contained in that tiny, vulnerable bundle. He was filled with the spirit of God, inspired and guided by the spirit of God. He had his eyes opened to the truth by the spirit of God.

When the spirit of God is at work in our lives, we can expect to see Him fully present in and working in the most surprising of places and people.

Simeon’s words are important: they point to the twofold mission of Jesus on earth: he’s come as the fulfilment of the promise to the Jewish people, yes, but also as a revelation to the Gentiles. That’s everyone else who isn’t a Jew. Jesus is coming to make a personal relationship with God possible and available to all people.

No wonder Mary and Joseph marvelled at what he was saying. They knew Jesus was special but they had absolutely no idea what they had let themselves in for really! Just like us when we step out in faith to follow God on our latest adventure into the unknown.

Jesus will not have an easy path to walk in this life. Neither will his mother. Simeon can see that clearly. There will be opposition and rejection and much pain. When we choose to walk in God’s way, we have to accept that we are not necessarily choosing the easiest path. All we can know for sure is that God has promised to be with us every single step of the way.

And then there’s Anna. Anna was an old woman diligent in her faith: she worshipped, fasted and prayed. She spent her time in the presence of God. She too recognised this baby for the miracle that he was. And her response? She praised God and then told everyone she could about this special baby. Just like the shepherds as we saw the other day. This is the most natural response to a genuine encounter with Jesus: gratitude and sharing the good news.

Anna and Simeon were the first Jews to see the baby and believe that he was the Messiah, promised to their ancestors and longed for by the Jewish people for centuries. They recognised Jesus as the fulfilment of their hopes. There would be many Jews who would not. There are still many Jews who are still waiting for their Messiah to come. For them, Jesus was not the real deal.

There are others all over the world every single day who have an encounter with the divine, an encounter with Jesus, a revelation of light and life and love, who do not recognise it for what it is. There will be times in our own lives too where Jesus is right there and yet we rush on by. We don’t lift our heads or take a moment to open our eyes to the significance of what is going on right here, right now. We don’t accept this revelation as the real deal.

If God is in us and before us and behind us and all around us, then our days should all contain revelations of the divine, shouldn’t they? We should have praise God about and plenty to tell others about every single day.

Maybe we’ve got out of the habit of expecting God to meet us in our everyday lives. Maybe it will take some practice to see Him at work in us and around us. Brother Lawrence called this ‘Practising the presence of God’.

Let’s not miss any encounter with Jesus this Christmas time.

Come and join the celebration. It’s a very special day. Come and share our jubilation. There’s a new king born today!