Luke 2:35

0:00 To be clear, that's a 35-letter A and not a Canadian A, but I appreciate the emphasis on A, Brandon. Two months ago, Christians in eastern India reported and raised an alarm about a man in their church. His name was Madhab Gaurai, and he had died in West Bengal. His Hindu family had threatened to burn him to death because they were fearful that his faith in Christ would impede and jeopardize his daughter's impending Hindu wedding.

0:38 So in August, his wife and his adult son disrupted the start of a church service, and according to witnesses, his wife carried a bottle of gasoline and his son a wooden baton, and in a confrontation just outside the church building, they threatened his wife and his son to burn him alive. Garai's wife and son had pressured him to perform a Hindu marriage ritual in which he would be required to worship sacred fire.

1:10 And as a Christian, that just wouldn't do. He refused to involve himself in Hindu worship practices that contradicted his Christian faith and his family had argued that his refusal to take part in these rituals would raise doubts about the family and that could lead to a breaking off of their marriage a church member called the pastor later the same day of that church incident and they informed him the pastor of madhab's death all over the world we hear about intense opposition that followers of jesus face because of their faith in him and that could be intense persecution in places like India or it could be opposition around the Thanksgiving table here in Louisville our text tonight is Luke chapter 20 sorry Luke chapter 2 verse 35 and the letter a it says and a sword will pierce through your own soul also so in under in order to understand the context of this section of

2:15 scripture that's in parentheses, I'm going to read Luke chapter 2 verse 22 to 35 to set the scene. Luke chapter 2 verse 22, starting there, it says, and when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him, Jesus, 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 sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him and had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed

3:15 God and said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed. And then we've got our text for tonight, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also. And then he goes back to his main prophecy, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. I think the main point of our passage today is that those who are close to Jesus will face opposition because the world is opposed to Jesus. But take heart because we have a people to whom we belong. Let me say that again. The main point of this text is that those who are close to

4:21 Jesus will face opposition because the world is opposed to Jesus. But take heart because we have a people to whom we belong. Again, our passage today is an additional comment. Simeon is prophesying to Mary and to Joseph, and he says something specifically to Mary about Jesus, and then he makes this side comment. He says, Mary, a sword will pierce through your own heart also. He's saying Jesus is going to be appointed for the fallen rising of many in Israel.

4:58 He'll be opposed. The hearts of many, really all hearts are going to be exposed. But Mary, specifically you, your heart will be pierced through by a sword. So there's two points to my sermon tonight. First is this. Number one, the enormous cost of following an opposed Jesus. Number one, the enormous cost of following an opposed Jesus. The second point will be this, the immense benefits of following a victorious Jesus.

5:35 The immense benefits of following a victorious Jesus. So here are Mary and Joseph going to the temple, doing what literally thousands upon thousands and hundreds of thousands of Jews had done before. and they're bringing their firstborn son to be redeemed if you take note of some earlier points in the text it says 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 so the firstborn had to be redeemed in a ceremony that was laid out in the law and joseph would have went and purchased a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons so turtle doves aren't just in the 12 days of Christmas, they're also in scripture and so Joseph would have come with these purchased birds to make a sacrifice in which he would redeem his firstborn son Mary would also have gone through a purifying ritual

6:35 after childbirth, it would have been about 40 days after Jesus' birth so it's in this setting both parents being obedient to God's law to the old covenant in which this man Simeon draws attention to the fact that there will be a new covenant the old covenant for the people of Israel this new covenant it would be a revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel many would rise in Israel and many would fall in Israel and Jesus would be opposed for his work in bringing about this new covenant.

7:14 Friends, the message of Jesus is opposed. That opposition ultimately led to his crucifixion that we heard about this morning on the cross. As Jesus was opposed to the point of death on a cross, Mary's soul was pierced through with a sword. Imagine the agony. Jesus was perfect. He never sinned. Imagine parents having a child that never sinned, who grew up and was completely perfect every single hour of every single day.

7:51 And here he is, crucified on trumped-up charges, opposed by Jewish leaders even though he perfectly kept the law and murdered by people made in his image. And then imagine the pain of a mother watching this all unfold. I don't know how you experience sorrow, but I tend to feel sorrow as deeply towards something as I can feel the height of joy towards that thing. So for example, if I don't really enjoy a job, if I lose that job, I didn't really have any joy in it in the first place.

8:28 I might shrug. But a job that I loved, if I was to lose that job, that would hurt me. Sometimes when it comes to family members' deaths, If they were a far-off great-great-aunt or great-great-uncle, maybe we'll feel a little bit of sadness because we really didn't know them, but there's this depth of sadness and grief when there's an enormous amount of closeness and love to that person. Imagine having a perfect child, never seen them do anything wrong ever, and then imagine watching them be crucified.

9:02 Mary, the mother of Jesus, fully God and fully man. She had had a front row seat to his perfection throughout his entire life. Imagine the heights of the joy that she would have felt as Jesus turned water into wine and spared their friends the embarrassing blushes of running out of wine. Imagine her happiness when she heard reports of the hungry fed or the lame walking or the blind seeing or the dead raised to life.

9:34 Imagine the joy and the happiness as she said, that's my boy. Now imagine the piercing feeling in her very own soul as she looked up and saw her son dying on a cross and she looked over and saw men casting lots over his last belongings. Church, it's easy to think of Jesus as a symbol of peace this time of year, isn't it? We sing all of these Christmas carols about peace. we rightly know jesus to be the prince of peace don't get me wrong he is the prince of peace but it struck me that we we don't really depict jesus as the opposing one or the one who causes opposition in our nativity scenes i've never seen a nativity scene where baby jesus has a two-edged sword coming out of his mouth that would be kind of weird wouldn't it but we read about that sword coming out of Jesus' mouth in Revelation 1 verse 16.

10:35 We focus in on Jesus this time of year as a baby. We don't often sing Christmas carols that echo the words of Matthew chapter 10 verse 34 to 37. Here's what Jesus says as an adult. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.

11:09 And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. I don't know if Justin's still in the room, but I would like him to know that I was preparing this text. I actually had Handel's Messiah on getting ready for January's sing-along. And in Handel's Messiah, the words of Isaiah 9-6 are sung. For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

11:46 So hear me, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. But the peace he brings is in himself. It's not out in the world as we see it. Jesus foretold this peace when he washed the disciples' feet. He told them, in me you have peace. In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I've overcome the world. Jesus himself faced the ultimate tribulation when he was nailed to a cross because of the opposition against him. And his mother's own soul was pierced through because of the opposition against him.

12:23 And we are promised as followers of Jesus Christ that we too will face the pain of opposition from friends and family and the world. And we do this and we get this opposition because of his glorious gospel. There's a cost of following Jesus, sure. But take heart, he's overcome the world. Greg reminded us this morning, Jesus laid the groundwork for a new family. For his followers from the cross.

12:55 When he saw his mother and John, the beloved disciple, standing there. And he said to his mother, woman, behold your son. And he said to John, behold your mother. We don't have too many other details about the disciples and what was going on during the crucifixion. But we know that they were a bunch of scaredy cats, as kids would say. They dispersed. They fled. But here's John, the beloved one, standing, faithful, faithful John with Mary. As she's going through her darkest hour. And Jesus, as he's trying to heave himself up on the cross to get a breath, he looks down and he establishes this new family.

13:34 Mary, look at your son. John, look at your mother. You're now a family. Our second point tonight is this. There are immense benefits of following a victorious Jesus. It's a short devotional. I'm running out of time. There's inadequate time to spell out to you every single benefit that we have as children of God, but I want to encourage you tonight. Friends, we are opposed, but we serve a victorious Jesus, and there are benefits that come with that. Let me remind you of a few.

14:06 Number one, our sins are forgiven. 1 John 1.9, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Number two, we are at peace with God. Ephesians 2.13, now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace. Friends, you and I once opposed Jesus. We were far off, but now because of the work of Jesus on the cross, we are brought near. We are at peace with God.

14:42 Number three, we experience God's love. Romans 5.5, God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. What a benefit, the Holy Spirit pouring out God's love into our hearts. Number four, we have freedom from bondage to sin. Romans 6, verses 13 to 14. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life. And your members to God as instruments for righteousness, For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law, but under grace.

15:21 Friends, we are free from the bondage of sin. Benefit 5, eternal life. 1 John 5.13, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. Friends, the crucified Savior hung on a cross, lived a perfect life, died a death that you and I could not die and was raised from the grave three days later. If you believe in that, if you believe in the name of the Son of God, know that you have eternal life.

15:56 Number six, benefit number six, we have a future hope. Revelation 7, verse 13 to 17. As I was reflecting on this, I was just imagining saints of thousands of years who died for their faith. Then one of the elders addressed me saying, Who are these clothed in white robes and from where have they come? And John, John the Beloved, this is his revelation, I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.

16:28 They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. Again, imagine John hearing Jesus say, I thirst. Now the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, he's brought it about that they shall hunger no more, nor thirst no more. The sun shall not strike them.

16:59 The sun that bore down on Jesus as he hung on the cross, it won't strike them anymore. The scorching heat that would have surely boiled his bones as he hung on the cross, it won't scorch them anymore. For the Lamb, Jesus, in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd. And he will guide them to springs of living waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Every tear. Tears like John and Mary would have shed at the cross of Jesus.

17:29 The Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world will wipe away every single one of their tears. Benefit number seven, a present family. Ephesians 2, 18 and 19. For through him, Jesus, we both have access in one spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Just as Mary was initiated into a new family with John, so are we adopted into a new family as brothers and sisters.

18:01 And it's in this local church that we do life together as family. We love one another. We instruct one another. We serve one another. Tonight was a great night of an example of this. We carry each other's burdens. We bear with each other. We encourage each other. We spur each other on towards love and good works. We clothe ourselves with humility toward one another. We confess our sins to one another. We live in harmony with one another.

18:32 We pray for one another. Friends, just a simple application to this. Almost every month, Stephen Shaw sends around a membership directory. It might be sitting unread in your email inbox. Open it. Download it onto your phone. Pray for your church family. Those missionaries that we're talking about in the evening services, their names and their pictures are in the back. So you don't have an excuse to say, I don't know who our missionaries are, because they're in the membership directory, and you should know where that is.

19:04 Friend, tonight, perhaps you're reluctant to follow Jesus because you've counted only the costs and you haven't looked at the benefits, eternal life, peace with God, forgiveness of sins, a new family. Let me encourage you, think about the benefits. I plead with you, think about the benefits. Third avenue, let's be reminded, we will be opposed by the world because of our love for Jesus. But even in our opposition, in the opposition of others towards us, we are given the immense gift of each other.

19:43 Take a moment and look around right now. This is a gift of God to us. Together, we are members of the household of God. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you just for the reminder that even as Mary, her heart was pierced with a sword watching the death of Christ, we too feel the pangs and sadness of opposition, the harshness of words spoken against us, Lord.

20:20 But would we remember, God, in our time of sadness and sorrow, the immense joys and benefits that come with being your children. Lord, thank you for this family that we get to be a part of universally and here locally, God. I pray that we would one another well for your glory and renown. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.