Big Idea: Jesus did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them. We find in out text this morning that he literally embodies all that the Law signified and is directly identified by a prophet and prophetess of God. Further establishing we have every reason to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Luke 24:44 (ESV) — 44 Then he (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
The ______________ ________________to Jesus as the Christ
Luke 2:22 (ESV) — 22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
Everything that the Lord instituted in the Old Testament was intended to point us to Jesus. Jesus embodied all that the Law promised, literally.
Luke 24:27 (ESV) — 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
The ________________ ________________ to Jesus as the Christ
Luke 2:25 (ESV) — 25 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.
Luke 2:36 (ESV) — 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
Two similarities between Simeon and Anna:
Advanced in Age
Whether “eighty-four” is meant to signify Anna’s age or the years of her widowhood is uncertain. Judith was devout (Jdt 8:4–8) and lived to be 105 years old (Jdt 16:23).
Luke 2:29 (NIV) — 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
“Abraham, “the father of us all” (Romans 4:16), was a waiting man; his faith, a waiting faith. As his seventies turned to eighties turned to nineties, he waited. As he moved through Haran to Canaan to Egypt and back, he waited. As his body weakened and his wife grew gray, he waited.
God could have brought Isaac sooner, or he could have given the promise later. Instead, he sent Abraham into the wilderness of waiting for twenty-five years. Waiting was part of God’s good plan for Abraham. And so it is with us.” –Scott Hubbard DesiringGod.com
God knows best, and God fulfills his promises in the best timing.
Devoted to God
Simeon and Anna were devoted to God’s ways, in the waiting.
What we learn is that both prophet and prophetess had all of their hopes and expectations fulfilled in Jesus. And how much more impactful was it for these servants of the Lord to wait on the Lord and receive the blessing of answered prayer, than to just give up. Also, how much more of an impact did their faithful waiting have on those they encountered. Don’t get impatient, beloved, trust in the Lord.
Questions to Consider:
It what ways does the Law point us to Christ? In what ways do the Prophets point us to Christ?
What are some things that the Lord is calling you to wait on? How is he calling you to be faithful, while you wait?
