church

INI
The Sunday after Christmas
December 30, 2012
Ascension Lutheran Church, Tacoma WA
Paul Naumann, Pastor

WITH CHRIST, A PEACEFUL DEPARTURE
Luke 2:25-32

Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen. The portion of God’s Word
that we will consider on this Sunday after Christmas comes from the second
chapter of the Gospel of Luke, beginning with the 25th verse, as follows:

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this
man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy
Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that
he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 So he came by
the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to
do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms
and blessed God and said: 29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in
peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring
revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel." So far our text.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, who said, "Because I live, you shall live also,"
Dear Fellow Redeemed,

Sometimes it seems – doesn’t it? – like the Christmas season is all about
arrivals and departures. Often we are welcoming beloved relatives and guests
into our homes at this time of year. Inevitably, the hellos give way to goodbyes
as we bid farewell to those who live at a distance. This year SeaTac airport, in
the five days between December 18 and 23rd, recorded over half a million
arrivals and departures, a new record!

For Christians especially, the Christmas season is about arrivals and departures.
Of course, at this time of year we welcome in spirit the arrival of the Christ
child, who became an incarnate human being in order to redeem us from our
sins. But it is also a time of departures, and it is departures that we especially
want to center our thoughts on this morning. In our text for today we will meet
an elderly believer who was on the very brink of departing this earthly life.
Would his departure be anxious, full of uncertainty and misgivings, or would it
be peaceful? The question might be asked of every one of us, and the answer is
in our text for this morning. Our theme today:

WITH CHRIST...A PEACEFUL DEPARTURE

It was soon after the birth of Christ that Mary and Joseph brought the baby
Jesus to the temple; and that's where they met this devout old believer named
Simeon.

Now God had made a special promise to Simeon. Verse 26 tells us that "...it
had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before
he had seen the Lord's Christ." And on that day, God made good on His
promise to Simeon. The Holy Spirit led him to the Temple. He met Joseph and
Mary. He took the baby Jesus gently in his arms. Then with trembling joy he
lifted up his eyes to heaven, and this is what he said: "Lord, now You are letting
Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen
Your salvation!"

We don't know how long Simeon lived after that day; I've got an idea it might
not have been very long. But one thing we do know - Simeon was one man who
departed this world in peace! The one thing he most wanted to see in all the
world, the thing the nation of Israel had been waiting for for centuries, God
granted to Simeon. There in his arms, he saw the Lord's promised Christ, the
Son of God, the Redeemer of the world! But most importantly, Simeon saw in
that little Child his own Savior, the Person who would one day shed His blood
for him in the cross of Calvary in order to secure for him, Simeon, a place in
paradise. And having seen Jesus, and loved Him, and believed in Him, Simeon
said that was enough. He was ready to depart this world in peace!

Fill in the blank: “I think I could die in peace, if only I had the chance to do
(blank) first.” What would you put in the blank? A lot of people live their lives
with a constant view toward the kinds of extraordinary things they’d like to do
or experience before they die. There was even a movie, called “The Bucket
List,” about that very phenomenon. Well, what would be on your list?
Skydiving? Hang-gliding? Climbing Mount Everest? As your pastor, I’d like to
encourage you to narrow that list down. In fact, when all is said and done you
can really focus on only one thing – to know Jesus Christ and trust in Him for
salvation. To stay connected to Him through constant study and meditation on
His Word. To let your faith in Him be the “hub of the wheel,” that part of your
life that dictates and controls every other part! Simeon’s “bucket list” had one
thing on it – to hold the world’s Messiah in his arms. The Apostle Paul said
essentially the same thing: But what things were gain to me, these I have
counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the
excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be
found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that
which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; --
Philippians 3:7-9.

There aren’t many Scripture texts that are used on more than one Sunday of the
church year. Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem is one – it’s used, of
course, on Palm Sunday, but it’s also used on the first Sunday in Advent. This
account, of the aged Simeon bearing the child Jesus in his arms, is another. It is
used today, on the Sunday after Christmas. Can you guess what the other
occasion is on which this text is frequently used? It's often used for funerals!
You can see why when you think about it, can't you? A funeral is obviously a
time of departure, and yet, for Christians, it is also a time of joy. We've had a
number funerals here at Ascension, and on the occasion of a funeral we
commemorate the passing of a fellow believer. In each case it’s the
commemoration, not of a perfect person, but rather of a sinful human being.
Just like me, and just like you. Just like old Simeon, for that matter. Like
Simeon, each Christian we’ve buried so far from this church has had a long life,
and saw a lot of things. But also like Simeon, the Lord showed each of them the
most important thing in life. God allowed them to see Jesus - with the eyes of
faith - as their personal Savior from sin. With that knowledge, these believers
were ready when the Lord called for them. With Christ...a peaceful departure.

What a rare thing peacefulness is nowadays! We've got so much stuff packed
into our lives - so many activities, so much hustle and bustle, I'm afraid a lot of
people can no longer tell the difference between what's really important in life
and what's not. How about you? Have you got your priorities straight? You
remember the two sisters, Mary and Martha. Mary sat at Jesus' feet to listen to
His Word, while Martha bustled about the kitchen getting supper ready. Finally,
Martha started complaining to the Lord Jesus because Mary wasn't helping. But
do you remember what Jesus said? "Martha, Martha, you are worried and
troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that
good part, which will not be taken away from her." --Luke 10:41-42.

To see Jesus Christ in the Word of God, and to believe in Him as your Savior –
that is the single most important thing in life. And that's the only thing you need
to prepare for the day when you will leave this life. Without faith in Christ, you
will never be prepared even if you live to be a hundred. With faith in Christ, you
will never be unprepared -- even if your final day comes tomorrow!

That's why, for believers, even a funeral is really more a day of celebration than
a day of mourning. Our God has told us in His Word that a believer has nothing
to fear in death. The Apostle Paul asks a question that needs no answer: "O
Death, where is your sting? O Grave, where is your victory? ...Thanks be to
God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." -- 1 Cor
15:42,44. Jesus has defeated all our enemies, with death being the last one. For
a Christian who has been washed in the blood of Jesus, death is nothing more
than the gateway to a life that never ends. In this life, the weaknesses and
diseases of our frail human bodies afflict and distress us. Especially as we get
on in years, it seems that our bodies increasingly betray us and become a
burden. But in Christ we can look forward to our heavenly home, where those
problems will vanish as if they had never existed! In heaven there are no tears.
There are no diseases, no frailties of old age, no pain. When a person meets his
Savior in heaven, there is perfect peace, and a happiness that is greater than you
or I even have the power to imagine! Jesus told His disciples, "Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. In My Father's house are many
mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you." - Jn 14:1-2.

You know, Jesus has prepared a place for you, too, in the mansions of heaven.
Shall He save that place for you, or not? When your last day comes, would you
like to be able to say with Simeon, "Lord, now You are letting Your servant
depart...in peace?" then come to your Savior Jesus Christ! Now is the day of
salvation! There's nothing in your life that's more important than this! Today,
December 30, 2012, bring all your sins in repentance to the Lord Jesus. No
matter what you've been or what you've done, there's a full pardon waiting for
you under His cross. With the blood He shed on that cross, Jesus paid the price
for every one of your sins. And with His resurrection on Easter morning, Jesus
gained - for you! - the final victory over death.

With Christ...a peaceful departure. That's the promise God made to Simeon,
and that's the promise He kept. It’s the promise He has made to countless
believers over the centuries, and the promise He kept. My friends, God has
made that promise to you, as well. Take him up on the offer of His grace. If you
want to make a New Year’s resolution, let it be this – that in the coming new
year you will live in Christ, and for Christ. Place Him – and keep Him! – at the
very top of your life's priorities. Then you'll have the peace of knowing that you
too possess the one thing needful for a blessed life, and for a peaceful death.
Then you'll learn the truth of those comforting words of Jesus: "Because I live,
you will live also." We have only a limited time to spend as visitors here on this
earth...let's make sure we're ready to leave whenever the Lord decides that our
time has come. Let's make sure we have the key to a truly peaceful departure:
faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! AMEN.