Christmas in the Words of Simeon

Driving home: It speaks worlds concerning the Christian's attitude to death.

Simeon's use of 'despot' for Lord is likened to a slave master formally releasing his slaves to freedom, illustrating Simeon's joyful release from earthly service to a higher sphere of worship.

He says a few things about himself and then he says some blessed things about the Savior. What does he say about himself? Verse 29, Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, according to thy word in peace. A better rendering would be, Now art thou releasing thy slave, supreme master, according to thy word in peace.

14:16 - 14:49 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon explores Simeon's use of the word 'prepared,' illustrating it with parables of feasts. This highlights that Christ's coming was not an afterthought but the result of…

The parable of a king preparing a marriage feast is used to explain that 'prepared' implies careful forethought, planning, and readiness, not a last-minute arrangement, emphasizing God's eternal plan for salvation.

Turn to the Gospel of Matthew for two instances where this same word is used. Matthew chapter 22 and verse 14. This has special meaning at holiday seasons when there are special meals and special preparations for those meals. Matthew 22 and verse 4.

23:42 - 24:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: My friend it is not some perverse theological hobby horse that we ride when we emphasize that you dare not look upon Jesus in Nazareth and divorce him and his mission from God's purposes rooted in eternity. For Simeon in…

A hypothetical scenario of arriving at a feast to find raw ingredients and unorganized dishes is used to contrast with a 'prepared' feast, highlighting the meticulous forethought in God's salvation plan.

They have gone to the trouble of cooking the meat and preparing the salads and setting the table. So the moment you come through the door your instinct is to say everything is prepared. It speaks of forethought foreplanning foreconcern. You simply don't come through and find a chicken running around and a cow running around and a stack of dishes in the corner and rolled up in another corner some napkins and thrown over in another corner some silverware and the fellow says go to it it's all there.

25:12 - 25:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: They have about as much to do with one another as bananas with Boeing 707s If you give gifts, do it as part of our cultural heritage. The message of the wise men is not some kind of a backhanded rationale for the exchang…

The coming of the Magi is presented as the first fulfillment of Simeon's prophecy regarding the Gentiles, explicitly stating it is not a rationale for exchanging Christmas presents, which he calls a 'feeble excuse'.

this is where we fit the record of Matthew chapter 2. There were wise men coming from, from the East. That is, from the farthest reaches of the then known world, clustered around the infancy of Jesus, is this coming of the Magi. What are they?

35:00 - 35:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: They have about as much to do with one another as bananas with Boeing 707s If you give gifts, do it as part of our cultural heritage. The message of the wise men is not some kind of a backhanded rationale for the exchang…

Martin debunks the common tradition of 'three wise men,' noting the Bible only says 'wise men' (plural), not specifying a number, to emphasize focusing on biblical truth over tradition.

The intended benefactors of the coming of the Son of God, the nations, the Gentiles, and God brings those magi. And there weren't three of them, all the postcards notwithstanding.

36:48 - 37:02 Read in full sermon

The point: God owns your secretarial gifts and may transport you to another place to exercise those gifts to be a light to the Gentiles.

He uses the example of a secretary's gifts to illustrate that God owns all talents and may transport anyone, regardless of their profession, to spread the gospel light to the Gentiles.

Oh, but I'm just a secretary. God, God owns your secretarial gifts. He may want to transport you to another place to exercise those gifts to be a light to the Gentiles. Well, I'm just a con.

51:20 - 51:32 Read in full sermon

The point: God can use factory workers in other lands where there is no gospel light.

The example of a factory worker is used to show that God can use anyone in any vocation, even transporting them to other lands where there is no gospel light.

I work in a factory. Well, there are factories in other lands where there is no gospel light.

51:32 - 51:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Little boys can pray and develop a heart for unreached peoples, recognizing that Jesus was given for them.

A little boy is used as an example to show that even children can participate in missions through prayer and by developing a heart for unreached peoples when seeing images of them.

But I'm just a little boy. Ah, but you can pray.

51:37 - 51:40 Read in full sermon