Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20081022.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part VII: Clarifying How Christ's Infant Presentation Showed He Was The World's Savior
(Luke 2:21-38)
  1. Introduction
    1. Not only did Luke relate how events of Christ's birth show Jesus is God's Savior of the world, he added that the presentation of Jesus at the temple when he was a month old gave evidence to that end, for it was obviously absent any alleged false messianic ambition that a month-old Infant Jesus could have authored!
    2. Thus, we view Christ's month-old presentation for objective evidence that He is the Savior of the world:
  2. Clarifying How Christ's Infant Presentation Showed He Was The World's Savior, Luke 2:21-38.
    1. On the eighth day after His birth, in accord with the Law, Jesus was circumcised, Luke 2:21; Lev. 12:1-3.
    2. Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:22, 33) took Jesus to the temple to present Him to God after Mary's days of childbirth purification were complete (Luke 2:22-23), meaning Jesus was 33 days old, cf. Lev. 12:4-6.
    3. [Since Mary offered a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons (Luke 2:24), we know Mary and Joseph were poor (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Luke 2:24), that the magi who would bring them the wealthy gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh had not yet arrived, cf. Matthew 2:11-13!]
    4. As they arrived, a just, devout, elderly man named Simeon to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, was then led by the Holy Spirit into the temple, Lk. 2:25-27.
    5. Being led of God to realize he was seeing the Messiah in fulfillment of this prophecy, Simeon took the Infant Jesus in his arms, and blessed God, Luke 2:28. This blessing foretold Jesus' worldwide ministry:
      1. In line with God's prophecy, Simeon asked God to let him die in peace, for he had lived long enough to see His Messiah, His salvation that God had prepared for all of the people, Luke 2:29-31.
      2. Expanding on this reference to all of the people, Simeon clarified this group included not only the nation Israel, but also the Gentiles, the people groups around the world, Luke 2:32a,b!
    6. This prediction caused both Joseph and Mary to marvel at what was spoken, for they were stunned at the worldwide scope of Jesus' coming influence, having only considered His impact on their nation of Israel, Luke 2:33! ( Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 209)
    7. Then, Simeon predicted in unusual summation the reaction and results of Jesus work in Israel, 2:34-35:
      1. Simeon told how many people in Israel would spiritually fall into condemnation or be raised to God's eternal salvation due to how they responded to Jesus' life and ministry, Luke 2:34a,b.
      2. Also, Simeon told how Jesus would be a sign against which many in Israel would speak, Luke 2:34c.
      3. Indeed, the rejection of Jesus by people would result in Mary's suffering great inner pain as if a sword had pierced her own soul, a necessary experience, for the thoughts of many in Israel had to be exposed, Luke 2:35. This prediction foretold the rejection and suffering Jesus would experience culminating in His crucifixion due to Israel's rejecting Him as her Messiah!
      4. [Once these predictions had come to pass, such detail of the intense future sufferings of Jesus would have served to impress not only Mary about the credibility of Jesus' identity as Messiah and God Incarnate, but they also would impress non-eyewitness Luke and his reader, Theophilus, that Jesus was truly of God, for the Jews were not expecting their Messiah to have to face such awful suffering! (cf. Alfred E. Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1972, vol. I, p. 171-172)]
    8. Coupled with this aged man's witness, in keeping with the Law's requirement that every fact was to be established by two or three witnesses (cf. Deut. 19:15), God sent along a very elderly, godly widow named Anna at that instant as a witness to validate Simeon's words; she gave thanks to God as had Simeon, and spoke of Jesus to all who looked for God's messianic redemption in Jerusalem, Luke 2:36-38.
Lesson: The unrehearsed, simultaneous testimony of two reputable saints that the humanly non influential, one-month-old Jesus was Israel's Messiah and Light of the world, and the clarification that He would face great suffering in being rejected in sharp contrast to what Israel expected of Messiah's fate show us non-eyewitnesses like Theophilus that Jesus is TRULY God's Savior of the World.

Application: May we trust in the Infant in the temple at His presentation to God to have eternal life!