Revealing the One who Reveals (Part III) – “Are We Listening?”
Sermon Title: Listening to Reveal Jesus
Good News Statement: Jesus needs us to listen tomorrow, today, and always
Preached: Sunday, January 26th, 2025 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSVUE): Luke 2:22-35 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Luke who introduces us to a man named Simeon who not only presents the new born Christ to the Lord, but reveals him to all people. May we find ways in 2025 to reveal who Jesus is in our life. Our scripture reading is Luke Chapter Two, Verses Twenty-Two thru Thirty-Five. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life.
Jesus Is Named
21 When the eighth day came, it was time to circumcise the child, and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
22 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 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word,
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”
This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”
Introduction:
The announcement has been made, Mary has given birth to her firstborn son and has wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger. The heavenly host of angels have sung, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors” (Luke 2:14). The shepherds have received “good news of great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10), they have traveled to Bethlehem to witness what took place, and they shared with Mary, before “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20), news that she treasured and pondered in her heart (Luke 2:19). Now the Magi have arrived and left gifts of gold, frankincense, myrrh, and have travelled home going a different way and avoiding King Herod. Christ has been born, in the city of David, to a people that need to be transformed.
To commemorate that special day, we lit the Christ Candle. That candle is more than just a symbol of hope, peace, joy, and love: it represents a source of light that no amount of darkness can prevail over nor cover. Through this Candle, Christ has entered our life: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us…” (John 1:14). With this candle we have been given a gift, a name above all names. With Christ now fully present in our life, we must not wait to reveal who Christ is to us. We must not wait to reveal who Christ is to our church. We must not wait to reveal what Christ is calling us to do. We must not wait to find ways to keep his light shining as we enter a New Year: a year filled with accomplishments, successes and failures, joy and pain, new beginnings and setbacks, and good news and doubt. We must not wait to pass along the “good news of great joy to all people” through what we do and what we say.
Today, we look forward to the future as individuals and as a church. Today, we find ways to reveal who Jesus is and what Jesus does for us and the church. Today, we think about how we will reveal Jesus Christ in 2025 by spending time with Simeon—actually several weeks—with a priest who waited his entire career for the day when he would bless the one who would in turn bless him. Luke is the only Gospel writer—writing about the year 85 CE, approximately 50 years after the death of Christ—to mention this moment in Jesus’ life. A moment that revealed the one who reveals us. We continue the story by simply asking ourselves, “What has been revealed to us?”
Body:
Have any of you ever received some sort of vision, or a dream, or oracle about your life or the life of someone else? Another way to ask this question is, Have any of you encountered something in your past that has come true in the present? You had a dream that something would happen to you or that something would happen to someone, and it came true maybe the next day, a few weeks later, several months later, or even years later. I recently read an article from Capstone Publishing that stated, “The past always influences the present, and the present always reflects the past.”[1] I’m sure some of you here today are thinking about your past right now and realizing that what you were told or shown back then has happened or is happening in your life today.[2]
Researchers of the mind have identified such events as “premonition.” Premonition is a strong feeling that something is about to happen, typically something unpleasant. It is a feeling of anticipation of or anxiety over a future event. Premonition is of Latin origin often translated from the verb praemonere. It is a combination of two words: pre- meaning before and –monere meaning to warn. So, essentially, premonition is a warning in advance; a forewarning of what is to come.
Here are some examples borrowed from buzzfeed.com: “One night, I had a very vivid dream about my grandmother standing on a hill, surrounded with warm, bright light, while Vince Gill’s song Go Rest High On That Mountain was heard coming from somewhere. When I woke up, time on the clock was 3:12AM. A few hours later, my mom called me and said that Gram has passed away a few hours beforehand…a little after three in the morning.” Here’s another example: “The night before my grandfather died, I had a dream that I was in a funeral home talking to him while he sat in a coffin. We chatted for a while, and then he told me to call my mother. So the next morning, I did…and she told me the news.” Here’s another example: “When I was seven years old, my family and I were vacationing in Hawaii and planning to drive to Hana on a Thursday. However, my parents changed their minds and wanted to go on Wednesday instead. I immediately freaked out, knowing something bad would happen, and demanded that we stick with the Thursday plan. But my parents didn’t listen. We went on Wednesday… and we got into a head-on collision that almost killed the passengers in the other car.”
I mention these examples because in our Scripture text we encounter a man by the name of Simeon who received a revealing from the Holy Spirit about blessing the Lord’s Messiah, Jesus Christ. The revealing was received in the past but came true in the future. Simeon is much like you: you, also, have received some sort of revealing in your past that has gotten you here today. You might not realize it, but God has given you some sort of calling, some sort of vision, that is in the works of coming true in your life. What he has given you might be a warning, a premonition; but it could also be a blessing.
Today, I invite you to think about your past and present at the same time, and really pay attention to those moments when what you were told in the past has come true today. And as you think about those moments, ask yourself, “God, what are you asking of me to do?”
Movement One: Getting To Know Simeon…
Luke 2:25-26 shares, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.”
For starters, there is not a lot of information offered by historians and biblical scholars pertaining to Simeon. Simeon comes from the Hebrew word “shema,” which means to “listen and obey;” or “Yahweh has heard” (Gen 29:33). Luke tells us that Simeon was righteous and devout; Simeon looked forward to Israel’s consolation; and Simeon was filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit. That’s all we get from Luke.[3]
Doing some extra research, the name Simeon does appear in the Old Testament. In Genesis 29 we read that Leah, who became Jacob’s wife because of her father’s deception, is granted fertility, unlike her sister Rachel. Leah becomes pregnant and she gives birth to a son and names him Simeon; and she gave him that name because “the LORD…heard (that I am hated)” (Genesis 29:33).[4] Simeon also plays a small but interesting role in the account of Joseph in Egypt and in his brothers’ encounter with him. After Joseph is sold into Egypt and rises to a position of power in the government, his brothers, unaware of his identity, come to him to request grain. In light of the account of Simeon’s violence in Genesis 34, it is not surprising that he is the brother kept for ransom by Joseph when the remaining brothers go to retrieve Joseph’s full brother Benjamin from Canaan (Genesis 42:24). Furthermore, Simeon, along with Levi, is singled out for chastisement in Jacob’s violence against people and animals; the tribe consequently will be scattered among Israel (Genesis 49:5-7).[5]
Moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Simeon was a man living in Jerusalem who has been recorded as offering a prayer and blessing for the infant Jesus. The way in which Simeon is introduced in the biblical text makes it probable that he was unknown apart from this context and unlikely that he is any of the other Simeons suggested by the later traditions or recent scholars. Nevertheless, the commendable description of Simeon is to be noted. The same word, “righteous” (in Greek dikaios), is used of him as is used of Zechariah and Elizabeth and of Joseph as well as others previously mentioned. This term refers to Simeon’s obedience to God’s law, rather than some standard of personal holiness. He is also commended as “devout” (in Greek eulobes), referring possibly to his carefulness in performing religious duties.[6]
Furthermore, in light of Simeon’s righteousness and devoutness, we also know that Simeon would not see death until he saw the anointed Christ. When he enters into the temple “under the influence of the Spirit”, he sees Jesus there and takes the infant into his arms.[7] Simeon had been waiting his entire career for this moment. Now, seeing the God-infant, Jesus, he knew that his wait was over. He knew that he could die in peace, having seen the Christ and trusting that the promised salvation had arrived. But more than that, “Simeon (could) entrust himself to death, knowing that life and immortality (had) been brought to light through the gospel.”[8]
With the arrival of Jesus, death would not be the end of the story for God’s people, and Simeon knew that. He knew that he was holding someone that would offer salvation; He knew that he was witnessing an answer to so many prayers; and He knew that because he got to see Jesus and bless Jesus that what God revealed to him all those years ago had come true in that moment. Simeon’s life mission was fulfilled.
What the person and character of Simeon teaches us is that no matter when God speaks to us, no matter how God speaks to us, no matter where God speaks to us, and no matter why God speaks to us, what God says God will do. But are we listening? Do we believe in what He is telling us? Are we willing to wait to witness what He tells us to come true? Are we okay with receiving news today and then being blessed a few days from now, a few weeks from now, a few months from now, or even a few years from now? Are we okay with knowing that what God tells us today could change our life tomorrow?
Personally, I’m convicted by Simeon. There are many times when I am impatient and would likely rush God’s timing or worse, attempt to solve circumstances with human solutions. I feel as if I don’t wait for a response to come from God. It’s either now or not at all. I don’t have words of praise or even a hope filled with the light of revelation. In contrast, Simeon was a man of prayer, patience and persistence in following the Holy Spirit’s leadership in his life. One of my prayers is to become more like Simeon in listening for the voice of God—in Scripture and in circumstances—to respond to his response for my life and to wait.
Although Simeon is a less notable figure in Scripture, not even mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John, he is a significant figure in the story of Jesus. He blessed Jesus. He blessed Mary and Joseph. He listened to God. He was righteous and devout. He never lost hope in what God needed him to do.
Movement Two: The Revealing of Jesus…
Not only do we see Simeon revealing his calling and destiny in the Temple, but we also see the revealing of a Messiah that has been talked about for centuries. Let’s revisit our text for the day. Luke 2:25-26 highlights that the child, Jesus, presented to Simeon is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Luke writes, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” The Holy Spirit was revealed to Simeon, and through this revelation Simeon would have more than likely recalled scriptures from past Prophets—Prophets such as Isaiah and Zechariah—that were known for prophesying the coming of a Messiah.
Isaiah wrote, “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us, authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom….” (Isaiah 9:6-7). A few chapters later, Isaiah stated in 11:1, “A shoot shall come from the stump of Jesse.” Again, Isaiah informs us, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted…” (Isaiah 53:5-7).
And Zechariah noted, God Himself, in the person of the Messiah, will come to earth and people “will look on [him], the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son” (Zechariah 12:10, NIV). Simeon does his own prophesying a few verses later. He tells Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.” And let’s not forget about Daniel, Jude, and Revelation, which all proclaim the prophecy about the second coming of Christ, a day that not even Jesus and the angels know about (Matthew 24:36). Simeon witnessed a revealing that had been talked about, is being talked about, and that will be talked about. The child Simeon blesses is a revealing of the promises of God.
Jesus is the one promised from ages past, all throughout the Scriptures with every story whispering His name. He’s the greater Moses to lead God’s people into the eternal Promised Land. He’s the greater king to rule with righteousness and will never leave the throne. He’s the great high priest who offers the perfect and final sacrifice for sin with His own body. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament heroes and prophecies. The birth of Jesus reminds us we can bank on God to keep promises. God is making a promise with you right here, right now. He wants you to know that He is the premonition in your life: guiding you to fulfill His promises. But, are you willing to receive that promise? Are you willing to allow God to reveal the power and presence of Jesus in your life? Are you willing to “trust in the LORD with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5)?
Church, friends, allow God to reveal Jesus to you. Allow God to keep the promises that He has given you. Allow the prophecy of Jesus to be fulfilled through your prayers, through your good deeds, through your words, through your ideas, through your dreams, and through your commitment to the church. Allow the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to motivate you to do impossible things. There is always an opportunity to reveal Jesus in your life. Jesus is always willing to forgive you of your sins, to save you, to heal you, to comfort you, and to look you in the eyes and say “well done good and faithful servant.” There is never not a time when Jesus is not being revealed to you. Reveal Jesus. Reveal what God has promised you.
Simeon, a simple character in the Bible, who has more lines than Joseph but is mentioned less than Joseph—the earthly father of Jesus—is the one who teaches that sometimes in life we have to wait. Sometimes in life what God calls us to do, may not happen overnight. Sometimes in life what we pray today may not happen until tomorrow or even a few years from now—like Zechariah and Elizabeth and like Abraham and Sarah. Sometimes what God tells us to do could actually lead us to experiencing the best moment of our life. Although Simeon knew that once he would bless Jesus his time was soon come to end on this earth, he realized that what God told him all those years ago would come true. He waited, and waited, and waited; but the outcome was the best moment of his life. He found Jesus. Not only did he find Jesus, but he saw Jesus, blessed Jesus, and was in turn blessed by Jesus. Sometimes God needs us to wait because the outcome He needs us to experience is far greater than what we can handle at the current moment. But He is not going to forget what he needs us to do.
For my entire life, I can remember going to church. I was born into a family that made going to church a priority. I was baptized as an infant and from that moment on I fulfilled that divine gift. As I got older, I was involved in the church: band practice on Mondays, choir rehearsal on Wednesdays, church service and Sunday School on Sundays, youth group Sunday evenings, and when I was playing baseball, we practiced at the church. During the summer, the church I was a part of had a softball team that played games on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Church was (and still is) part of my life. But what I didn’t realize back then was that God was keeping me involved in the church because He knew that I would up making church my career, my calling.
It wasn’t until the fall of 2016, while attending the weekly evening service in the Chapel at Augustana College that I realized that what God was doing back then — keeping me involved in the church — was actually preparing me for what I am doing now: leading a church blessed by Him, leading a church filled with people eager to make a difference, leading a church motivated to care for those inside and outside its walls, leading a church encouraged to see a need and fulfill a need, and leading a church guided by the love and spirit of Jesus Christ. What God was doing back then, was preparing me to reveal the person that Jesus Christ is to all of us: a savior, a healer, a comforter, a forgiver, a doer, and a lover.
So, I ask you, what has God told you in the past that has changed your life? What has God revealed to you that hasn’t been fulfilled yet? What are you waiting to do that will impact those around you?
Movement Three: Thinking about the Past to Move Forward…
I want to return to this idea of premonition. Recently, I started reading a book about former President Abraham Lincoln. I have always had a fascination with Lincoln: I’ve been to visit the Lincoln Museum, I’ve travelled to Springfield, IL, to see where he lived with his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, I have even travelled to view a replica of the log cabin built and occupied by Thomas Lincoln, his father, just eight miles south of Charleston, IL, and I have a book dedicated to his speeches—including the Gettysburg Address.[9] The book that I am currently reading is titled And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham. Meacham tells the story of Lincoln’s rise, his self-education, his loves, his bouts of depression, his political failures, his deepening faith, and his persistent conviction that slavery must end, that freedom and equality must be a way of life. Tucked within the pages of this meticulously researched portrait of Lincoln is a story about his end.
President Abraham Lincoln reportedly dreamed of his own death. Lincoln’s friend and law partner, Ward Hill Lamon, later described the dream as Lincoln recounted it to him. Lincoln dreamed of people sobbing, and in his dream, he went to investigate. In the East Room of the White House, he found a corpse dressed for a funeral. Lincoln asked the figures in the dream what happened. One reported to him that the president was assassinated. In reporting this dream to Lamon, Lincoln appeared disturbed and frightened. Later, Lincoln clarified the dream to Lamon. The president assassinated in his dream was not Lincoln himself, but some other president. This was the dream he had just nights before his assassination on April 14, 1865.
Lincoln isn’t the only political figure to witness his own death. Last week the nation, on the day of our current President’s Inauguration Day, celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a fighter and proclaimer for racial equality. Dr. King’s last speech in Memphis, Tennessee, was a speech about him seeing the end of his life. If you have ever seen footage of this speech given in support of the striking sanitation workers at Mason Temple, you will see an individual constantly scanning the room with shifting eyes wondering if this is his last word, his last breath, his last moment on this earth. The speech Dr. King gave was titled I’ve Been to the Mountaintop, and here is a brief segment from that speech:
“Well, I don’t know what will happen now; we’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life—longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. And so I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. saw the end of their life—they knew their end was coming. But they also saw how what they were called to do was going to make a difference tomorrow.
Church, friends, that’s how I want us to think. I want us to think about how God is using us to create a tomorrow today. I want us to reveal Jesus in such way that people can say, “I’ve seen the glory of the Lord through you and through what you have done.” I want us to pursue ideas, dreams, and suggestions as if they are going to get us to the mountaintop, to see the Promised Land. I want us to be like Simeon, and listen to God calling, and to know that what He needs us to do is what needs to be done to be the church He created us to be. I want you to live your life knowing that God is not going to give up on the promises that He has given you because he has not given up on you.
Church, friends, the time has come live the life that he wants us to live. Just because we may be given a vision or dream or insight to what the future might be doesn’t mean we should live in the fear of the unknown but rather live in the moment and do what we can today to live with Jesus in our heart, to live a life that doesn’t give up on hope.
Are you listening to what God is calling you to do? Are you paying attention to what God has laid on your heart? Don’t ignore him. Don’t give up on what He has called you to do. And don’t ever stop revealing Jesus in your life.
Conclusion:
Church, friends, we have just been introduced—or re-introduced—to a simple person in the story of Jesus’ life. A person who never gave up on what the Holy Spirit revealed to him although he knew what the outcome would be once the revelation was complete; a person who is not mentioned again; and a person who thought that he had plenty of time. Simeon, the person, is a powerful reminder that God is always working in our life, seeking to fulfill the promises He has given us, revealing to us today what He needs us to do tomorrow.
In conclusion, you are invited to consider how the premonitions given to you by God have changed your life. You are invited to consider what God has told you in the past. You are invited to consider what God is telling you today. You are invited to ponder the future. As a church and as a person, God is constantly revealing Himself and Jesus to us in such ways that bless the church and our life. But, are we listening.
So, I ask you, what has God told you in the past that has changed your life? What has God revealed to you that haven’t been fulfilled yet? What are you waiting to do that will impact those around you? Have you given up on the promises that God shared with you many years or days ago? Are you willing to hold fast to the life God is revealing to you, no matter what the outcome may be? Are you willing to do all that you can so that you will be ready to reveal Jesus to the world? Let it be so…
Closing Prayer:
Let us pray: Dear God, I ask that you keep filling our life with promises, with opportunities to reveal Jesus as Jesus is revealed to us. Guide us to not lose hope but to keep trusting in you. In your precious name we pray, Amen.
Benediction:
This week, I invite you to listen to what God is calling you to do. Pay attention to the ideas and dreams He places in your life. And find some time to consider how what God did for you in the past has blessed you today. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth seeking ways to reveal Jesus Christ in your life. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.
[1] https://www.capstonepub.com/blog/when-past-meets-present-while-youre-writing
[2] History has a way of repeating itself…
[3] (As a side note, Simeon is not the only one to be called righteous in the Bible: Both God and the Apostle Peter called Noah righteous (2 Peter 2:5); Abraham was called a righteous man by the Apostle Paul (Galatians 3:6); Abel was righteous by the author of Hebrews (11:4); and Daniel, Job, and Joseph are also deemed righteous before God.)
[4] Sharon Pace Jeansonne, “Simeon” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Volume 6: Si – Z. New York, New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc (1992). Pg. 26.
[5] Sharon Pace Jeansonne, “Simeon” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Volume 6: Si – Z. New York, New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc (1992). Pg. 26.
[6] Stanley E. Porter, “Simeon” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Volume 6: Si – Z. New York, New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc (1992). Pg. 26-27.
[7] Stanley E. Porter, “Simeon” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Volume 6: Si – Z. New York, New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc (1992). Pg. 26-27.
[8] https://www.gracefv.com/sermons/sermon/2013-12-29/luke-2:22-35—revealed-to-reveal
[9] The Gettysburg Address: approximately 272 words and 3:00 minutes in length
Recent Sermons
Revealing the One who Reveals (Part V) – Amazing is Something
February 09, 2025
Revealing the One who Reveals (Part IV) – “Blessings Change Lives”
February 02, 2025
Revealing the One who Reveals (Part II) – “What Can I Give Him?”
January 19, 2025