Who Do You See?

"And at the end of the eight days, when [the Baby] was to be circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the time for their purification [the mother's purification and the Baby's dedication] came according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord."
                                                           Luke 2:21-22




One Law and two witnesses were who Jesus met when He arrived as a babe in the temple in Jerusalem. Each of these meetings were very significant and also important to us today as followers of Christ. They lay a foundation for us in how we respond to the Living Christ and the beliefs in our hearts that correspond, as well. As we delve a little deeper, we must ask ourselves the question that when we gaze upon the Living Christ, who is it that we really see?

Mary and Joseph obeyed the Law of Moses when they had their baby circumcised. He was eight days old and His parents honored the sign and seal of the covenant that God had made with Abraham. They were proud to be among God's chosen people and they were glad to obey the laws that God had set before them. There is always a caveat when it comes to obeying the law, however, and that is that we can get so caught up in obeying the external, visible aspects of it that we sometimes forget that inwardly our hearts must be circumcised as well.

When Jesus was forty days old, again Mary and Joseph obeyed the Law by bringing Jesus to the temple for purification rites. Since He was their firstborn, they had to "redeem" Jesus (Exodus 13:1-12) by paying five shekels. This would suggest that they were too poor to bring a lamb as a sacrifice, but, then again, they carried the Lamb in their very arms. To redeem The Redeemer is very ironic since later He would redeem us with His very precious blood.

Jesus' relationship to the Law is of utmost importance to us because we are told that He was made under the Law (Galatians 4:4), He obeyed the Law perfectly (John 8:46), He bore the curse of the Law for us (Galatians 3:13), and He set us free from bondage (Galatians 5:1). However, Jesus also rejected the religious traditions of man and died for us because not one of us would ever be able to keep the Law perfectly. He removed this burden from man permanently and declares that "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed" (John 8:36).

Simeon is the next person who encounters Jesus. He was blessed to see the salvation of the Lord because he was led by the Spirit of God, taught by the Word of God, and obedient to the will of God. He had been waiting for the Messiah because God had told him that he would not die until he had seen Jesus (Luke 2:26). Simeon was faithful and eagerly awaiting the Messiah to come to earth.

When Simeon saw Jesus, immediately he joyfully began to praise God. He said, "Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared for all people. He is a Light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the glory of your people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).

He then began to prophesy to Mary and Joseph and he said, "This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul" (Luke 2:34-35).

Simeon appears to be speaking about how Israel will respond to Jesus. He sees that Jesus has come for the Gentiles, but he is prophesying about the Jews. He talks about how Jesus is a miracle sent to earth and will reveal Divine Truth to those who encounter Him. Jesus brings salvation and judgment, as he touches hearts and impacts mankind. To Mary, Simeon tells her that she will suffer and have sorrow as they walk in obedience to what God has called them to do.

Anna is the next person that met Jesus in the temple that day. Her name means "grace" and she has been waiting in the temple nonstop by fasting and prayers until she could see the Messiah. She walked up just as Simeon was praising God and she quickly joined in the song and celebration. How heaven must have celebrated as it received the praises of these two godly ones who had earnestly and passionately been waiting for Jesus.

Anna has the distinction of being a "prophetess", which meant that she had a special gift of interpreting and declaring the message of God. She knew that this was the long-awaited Messiah and she could not wait to tell others about the Good News! Immediately, she evangelized to others in the remnant, which began a wildfire of sharing the joy of Jesus' birth!

If we look at the three encounters that Jesus had in the temple that day, we see that the Law represents the past. Simeon represents the present because once he has received the good news he is ready to die. Anna represents the future. Her whole goal is to share the Good News and to make sure that others receive salvation.

Likewise, our journey of faith can primarily focus on either the past, the present, or the future. We can really know where we stand by listening to our own words. Do we talk about only the things God has done in the past, or when we accepted Christ as a child? Or, do we only talk about what God is doing today and how that affects us individually? Or, do we see the vision of God to evangelize and share the Good News with others, knowing that the Lord has promised that He will soon return? Depending on where you stand on this issue will determine who you see when you look at Jesus.

Our worldview can be one that focuses on the past, filled with religious traditions and focusing on the sin in the world. Or, our worldview can see that Jesus is alive and we rejoice and that is good enough for our lives. Or, we can see a hurting world that desperately needs Jesus and share the Gospel with those we encounter because we know that Jesus is returning soon. There is a world that existed before Jesus, a world that existed while Jesus was a baby and a Suffering Servant, and a world that eagerly awaits a Conquering King to return.

In the book of John, Jesus gave us seven "I Am" statements, which tells us how He describes Himself. He said,

"I Am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger." (John 6:35)

"I Am the light of the world." (John 8:12)

"I Am the door." (John 10:9)

"I Am the true vine." (John 15:1)

"I Am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." (John 10:11)

"I Am the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25)

"I Am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

Whatever need we may have in our lives today, Jesus is willing and ready to meet that need. If we need salvation, He is here. If we have a deep longing, He can fill it.  If we need a door to open, Jesus is the answer. If we need joy, or peace, or patience, or gentleness, or goodness, or faithfulness, or self-control, He's got that covered. If we feel lost or insecure, Jesus is right here to provide protection and security. If we feel dead inside or have something in our lives that looks dead, Jesus can resurrect it and bring it back to life. If we need direction, or truth or new life, Jesus brings all those things to us, as well. There is nothing on this earth that we lack that Jesus cannot bring to us and that is what He longs to do!

So, today, when you remember the birth and life of Christ and all that He has done for each of us, think about where you really are in this journey of life. Are you close to Jesus? Is He your Lord, and friend, and confidant? Do you rely on Him and trust Him and yearn for intimacy with the Lord? Is your life surrendered to His Lordship? When you look into His eyes, who is it that you really see?


                                           Have a Very, Merry Christmas!!!!!     


1. Wiersbe, Warren, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, NT, pub. by David C. Cook, 2007.