May 23
7
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 40
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’ A voice says, ‘Cry!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:1–8, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 2:22-38
“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 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’ 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. 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. And he came in 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, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’ 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, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:22–40, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
I wonder if you remember the story of the birth and early life of Samuel. He was the prophet who ministered to Isarel under the Old Covenant, who anointed Isarel’s first king, Saul, and then King David after him. Do you remember the story of Samuel’s birth? It is told in 1 Samuel 1. Samuel was born to a woman named Hannah who was previously barren. She prayed to the Lord and asked for a son. And she made a vow that if she had a son, she would give him to Lord by bringing him to the tabernacle (also called “temple”) to serve thereafter he was weaned. And all of this happened. Miraculously, Hannah conceived and gave birth. And after the boy was weaned she brought him to the tabernacle to give him up to the Lord’s service. When Hannah gave him to the Lord, she sang a song. It is recorded for us in 1 Samuel 2. And we have noticed in our study of Luke’s gospel that the song that Mary the mother of Jesus sang, as recorded in Luke 1:46-55, was very similar to the one that Hannah sang, those many hundreds of years earlier.
We have already concluded that Luke wants us to connect the stories of the birth of Jesus to Mary, with the birth of Samuel to Hannah. Samuel was born to a barren woman, which is miraculous. Jesus was born to a virgin, which is, of course, even more of a miracle. Samuel was a prophet who served at the tabernacle in the presence of the priest Eli, and was called by God to anoint the first king of Israel, Saul, and then the greatest king of Israel, David. But Jesus would not merely serve at the temple – he was the fulfillment of the temple. And consider this: Jesus was not merely a prophet, ministering among priests, who anointed earthly kings. No, Jesus is the anointed One of God, the Messiah, in whom Samuel hoped. He is the prophet of God, the great high priest of the New Covenant, and the King – the promised Son of David – whose throne and kingdom will have no end.
Samuel a was very significant figure. He was a great prophet closely associated with the temple, the priesthood, and the Davidic kings. It is no wonder, then, that Luke wants us to make a connection between the birth of Jesus the Messiah, and Samuel the prophet, for Samuel was a type of the Christ to come.
I mention all of this now because the passage that is before us today here in Luke 2:22-40 mirrors the story that is told in 1 Samuel 1:24 -2:26. Consider these three points of contact: One, just as Hannah took the boy Samuel to the temple to present him to the Lord and offer sacrifices “so that [Samuel might] appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever” (1 Samuel 1:22, 24-28), so too Mary and Joseph “brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord…” (Luke 2:22–24, ESV). Two, just as Samuel was received at the temple by a priest named Eli who was advanced in years, so too Jesus was received (recognized and prophesied over) at the temple by two who were righteous, devout, and advanced in years – Simeon and Anna. Three, the two texts make the same remark regarding the ongoing development of Samuel and Jesus. Of Samuel it was said, “And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:21, ESV). And, “Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and also with man” (1 Samuel 2:26, ESV). Of Jesus it was said, “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40, ESV)
I trust that you are able to see the points of contact between the Hannah/Samuel story as recorded in 1 Samuel 1 & 2 and the Mary/Jesus story as recorded in Luke 1 & 2. Both involve miraculous conceptions. Both mothers sing songs of praise, and the songs are very similar. Both mothers bring their boys to the temple in obedience to the law of Moses and, each in their own way, offer their sons up to the service of God. In both instances, the boys are received at the temple, each in their own way, by men (and in Jesus’ case, a man and woman) who were righteous, devout, and advanced in years, who longed to see the promised Messiah. Finally, both children are said to have grown in the presence of God.
That there are strong literary connections between these two passages of Scripture should be obvious to all. The question is, why bother to make note of these connections? Answer: because Luke wants us to notice these connections. If he did not care about these connections, then he would not have written his gospel in the way that he did! And more than this, given our belief in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, we must say that God wants us to make these connections. But again I ask, why?
Let us first say that it is not to fill our minds with meaningless facts. 1 Samuel 1 & 2 mirror Luke 1 & 2. As interesting as that fact is, we are after the meaning or significance of that fact. What does it mean? What did Luke intend to communicate when he crafted his gospel in this way? Well, he wants us to view the life and work of Jesus the Messiah against the backdrop of the life and work the Samuel the prophet.
As has been said, Samuel ministered at the temple as a prophet, with the priests, and as a kind of king – he judged Israel, after all. In this way, Samuel prefigured Jesus the Messiah, who would establish God’s eternal temple as the great Prophet, Priest, and King of the New Covenant people of God. And do not forget that it was Samuel whom the Lord used to reject Saul and to anoint David as king over Isarel. “The LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons” (1 Samuel 16:1, ESV). These words found their immediate fulfillment in the anointing of Jesse’s son, David, as king over Israel. These words found their ultimate fulfillment in the Holy Spirit’s anointing of Jesus Christ – the son of David, the son of Mary, born in Bethlehem, the city of David, and laid in a manger – for he is the promised Messiah in whom all of these prophecies of old find their “yes” and “Amen”.
The point is this: When Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote this portion of his gospel in such a way as to mirror 1 Samuel 1 & 2, he intends for us to consider the entire story of Samuel, culminating in the anointing of David as king over Israel, and to view Jesus of Nazareth against the backdrop of that story, with special attention given to the promises made to David in the covenant that was transacted with him concerning a son who would sit on a throne and establish a kingdom that would have no end.
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Jesus Was Presented At The Temple In Obedience To The Law Of Moses
With those big-picture observations having been made, let us now consider the details of the text, starting with Luke 2:22-24. Here we learn that Jesus was presented at the temple in obedience to the law of Moses.
Verse 22 says, “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…” I take the plural “their” of verse 22 to refer to Joseph and Mary. It was Mary who needed to be purified after giving birth according to the law of Leviticus 12, but Joseph was involved, given that Mary was his wife. And both were involved, not only in the purification of Mary but in the presentation of her firstborn son, Jesus, at the temple. This is what Luke refers to in verse 23 as he quotes Exodus 13, saying, “as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’”. This law was the outworking of the Passover when, in the tenth plague, the Lord killed the firstborns of Egypt, but spared the firstborns in the homes that were covered by the blood of the lamb. From that time onward, the Lord claimed all of the firstborns of Israel, of man and beast, as his own. In Exodus 13:2 the Lord says, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” In Exodus 13:13 the Lord says, “Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.” And what was the price of redemption that was to be paid for firstborn sons? According to Numbers 18:16, it was five shekels of silver. And what was the woman to give for her purification? According to Leviticus 12:6, she was to give a lamb and a pigeon or turtledove. But if she was too poor, she could give “two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest [would] make atonement for her, and she [would] be clean” (Leviticus 12:8, ESV). This is what Mary offered up, indicating that she was poor.
Luke does not seem concerned to present us with all of the details concerning these laws. You will notice that he did not mention the five shekels that were to be paid to redeem the baby Jesus in fulfillment of Numbers 18:16. But notice what Luke does stress: Mary and Joseph, and consequently, the baby Jesus, obeyed the Law of Moses. The phrase “the Law of Moses”, or “the Law of The Lord” is repeated three times in three verses. Christ was born under the law of Moses and he kept it perfectly to redeem us from it. This is what Paul says in Galatians 4:4-5: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4–5, ESV). Jesus kept the law perfectly for us to redeem us. This was even true of his infancy through the faithfulness of his parents.
I have two more brief observations to make concerning verses 22-25. One, it is amazing to consider that all of these laws of Moses that are mentioned here in this text – the rites of purification, burnt offerings, sin offerings, and even the temple itself – had, for hundreds of years, pointed forward to Jesus Christ, and yet at this moment, he himself was the one participating in them. Two, I find it interesting that Luke did not mention the five shekels that were to be paid to redeem the baby Jesus in fulfillment of Numbers 18:16. I do not doubt that the price was paid. After all, Jesus was not left at the temple to serve there all the days of his life as Samuel way. No, Mary and Joseph took him home to Nazareth. The price was likely paid, therefore. But the price of redemption is not directly mentioned by Luke, perhaps to stress that Jesus was set apart as holy to the Lord in a unique way (see Luke 1:35). He would not serve in the temple in Jerusalem as Samuel did, for Jesus did not come as a prophet, priest, or king of the Old Covenant order. But there is a sense in which Jesus was thoroughly devoted to working in his Father’s house all the days of his life. He worked in his Father’s house and served his kingdom like none before or after. And I am saying that perhaps that is why Luke did not stress the price of redemption paid for him. Truly, as God’s Messiah, he was “holy to the Lord”. Luke does not say that a redemption price was paid for him for he was the Lord’s Servant and the one who would pay the eternal redemption price for all of God’s elect. He did not need to be redeemed, therefore.
The main point of verses 22-24 is this: Jesus was presented at the temple in obedience to the law of Moses.
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Jesus Was Received At The Temple By Simeon And Anna
Secondly, notice that Jesus was received at the temple by Simeon and Anna.
Now, by “received” I do not mean that he was received in the way that Samuel was received by Eli. Samuel was raised in the temple after he was weaned and he ministered to the Lord there all the days of his life. Jesus returned home with his parents to be raised in Nazareth. By received I mean, he was recognized as the Messiah.
First, a man named Simeon recognized him as the Messiah.
I love this story. Not only does it add to our certainty that Jesus is the Messiah, it also helps us to see that there were some in Isarel who were eagerly expecting the arrival of the Messiah in those days and recognized Jesus to be the one. You know, we are accustomed to talking about how many within Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Indeed, many did not recognize him. Many rejected him. The leaders of the people had him crucified. But we should not forget that there were some who were waiting for the Messiah. They knew the scriptures. And they knew that Jesus was the one. Simeon was one of these.
In verse 25 we learn that Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, was righteous and devout. This means that he had sincere faith in the promised Messiah, was justified by faith, and was devout in his keeping of the law of Moses. We are also told that he was “waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”
I would like to focus on the phrase, “waiting for the consolation of Israel” for just a moment. To console is to comfort. And you should know that there are some passages in the Old Testament that spoke of a day when Israel would be comforted or consoled by their God. The Isaiah 40 passage that we read at the beginning of this sermon is one such text: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:1–3, ESV), etc. This man Simeon was waiting for this consolation. He was waiting for the fulfillment of this prophecy. He was waiting for the Messiah who would accomplish these things. Isaiah 57:18-19 is another such passage. Concerning the one who is contrite and humble the Lord says, “‘I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,’ says the LORD, ‘and I will heal him’” (Isaiah 57:18–19, ESV). This language of comfort is also found in Isaiah 66. Simeon was eagerly awaiting the accomplishment of these things – he longed for the consolation of Isarel.
In verse 26 we are told 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” (Luke 2:25–26, ESV). In other words, he had received this special revelation from the Lord that he would not die before seeing the promised Messiah.
In verse 27 we are told that “he came in the Spirit into the temple…” This means that the Spirit of God moved him in a special way to come into the temple. Continuing now in verse 27, “And he came in 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, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel’” (Luke 2:27–32, ESV). When Simion saw Jesus the Spirit of God revealed to him that this was the Messiah. He took Jesus in his arms and blessed God. We should pay careful attention to what he said concerning Jesus.
One, when he saw the baby Jesus he blessed God saying, “my eyes have seen your salvation…” What an interesting way to describe the baby Jesus. Simeon did not say that Jesus would accomplish salvation (which he would), but that he is God’s salvation – the salvation that God has provided. And this is indeed true. Our salvation is found in the very person of Christ. Sinners are saved when they trust in him – in his very person and work. This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, ESV). Brothers and sisters, we are saved by trusting in the person of Christ. We are not merely saved by trusting in what he has done. We are saved by trusting in him – his person and his work. When Simeon saw the baby Jesus he knew that he was looking at the salvation of the Lord.”
Two, notice also that Simion referred to this salvation as the salvation that God had “prepared”. When did God prepare this salvation for his people? He prepared it in eternity before the foundation of the world. And in history, he promised it to Adam, Abraham, Israel, and David. And when Simeon saw the baby Jesus, he knew that the time had come for the accomplishment of this salvation, for Jesus is Christ the Messiah, the Redeemer of God’s elect. This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4–5, ESV). The words, “when the fullness of time had come” indicate that the redemption accomplished by Christ in his life, death, burial, and resurrection, was prepared beforehand.
Three, Simeon knew that this Savior, and this salvation, were not for Old Covenant, ethnic Israel only, but for all the peoples of the earth. He “blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles…” Under the Old Covenant, the promise of salvation through faith in the Messiah was largely confined to the nation of Israel. One of the great differences between the Old Covenant and the New is that gospel of the kingdom would go to all nations. Jesus lived, died, and rose again, not as for the Jews only, but for the world, that is to say, for his elect from every tongue, tribe, and nation. He is the only Savior. He is the only mediator between God and mankind. He is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is the meaning of the word “world”, by the way. When the Scriptures say, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV), or “that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14, ESV), they do not teach a universal and unlimited atonement. That would contradict the clear teaching of other scriptures (John 10:11, John 17, Ephesians 5:25, etc.). Rather, the word “world” indicates that God has mercifully provided salvation for all nations. Christ is the Savior of all people. Besides him, there is no other. Indeed, all who believe in him, Jew and Gentile, will not perish but have eternal life. And it is important to know that this was always the plan. A redeemer was promised first to Adam, the one from whom all the people of the earth descended. And when the promise concerning the coming Savior was entrusted to the Hebrew people by way of covenant, Abraham was told, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, ESV). Promises concerning the salvation of all nations through Israel’s Messiah are found throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, and Simeon knew it. When he referred to Christ as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles…” he had Old Testament passages like this in mind. They all speak of the coming Messiah. Isaiah 42:6: “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations…” Isaiah 49:6: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 52:10: “The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Isaiah 60:3: “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Simeon knew that the baby Jesus was the Messiah, the light and salvation of the nations.
Four, Simeon also said that Jesus would be “for glory to [God’s] people Israel” (Luke 2:32, ESV). This is a reference to Isaiah 45:25, which says, “In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.” This must be a reference to the true Israel of God, and not to Israel according to the flesh, for we know that many from amongst ethnic Israel did not believe in the promised Messiah. They were unfaithful. They were, to quote Jesus, not Abraham’s children (truly), but were of their father the devil (John 8:44). There is an Isarel according to the flesh, and there is a spiritual Israel – the true Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). This is what Paul says in Galatians 3:7: “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” And in Romans 9:6 he says, “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” And in verse 30 he asks, “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone…” (Romans 9:30–32, ESV). When Simeon said that Christ would be “for glory to [God’s] people Israel”, he meant the Israel of faith, not Israel according to the flesh. Many within ethnic Israel would never see the glory of God, but those who had faith in the promised Messiah, from amongst the Jews and the Gentiles, would see God’s glory. This is the true Israel of God – all who have the faith of Father Abraham – faith in the promised Messiah.
Five, this interpretation is confirmed by the words that Simeon spoke to Mary. In verse 34 we read, “And Simeon blessed them [Joseph, Mary, and Jesus] and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed’” (Luke 2:34–35, ESV). Jesus divides, brothers and sisters. He divides the world from the church. And within Israel, he divided the true Israel of faith from the false Israel of disbelief. Jesus reveals hearts as sinners respond to him and to his gospel either in faith and obedience, or disbelief and rebellion. Notice also the re-emergence of this theme: We were told earlier in Luke that Jesus would bring down the haughty and raise up those of humble estate (Luke 1:52). Here, Simeon says, “this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed…” Brothers and sisters, Jesus is not only the Savior of the world, he is also the judge of the world. Those who do not bow to him as Savior and Lord, will bow to him as judge – they will be condemned in their sins and cast away to suffer eternal judgment. He exults those who are united to him by faith. He brings down those who are arrogantly opposed to him. Notice Simeon’s words to Mary, “and a sword will pierce through your own soul also…” This is a reference to the suffering that Christ would endure to atone for the sins of others, and to the sorrow that Mary would feel as she witnessed the suffering of her son and Savior.
Verse 33 says, “And [Jesus’] father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.” This is now the fourth time that the word translated as “marveled” or “wondered” has appeared in Luke’s gospel. He is inviting us to join with Mary, Joseph (and others) to marvel (or wonder) over the things that happened in the days when Jesus Christ was brought into this world.
In verses 36 – 38 we are told that there was a woman named Anna who responded to Jesus at the temple in much the same way that Simeon did. Luke does not provide us with the details, but simply says, “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, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:36–38, ESV).
The phrase, “she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” indicated that there were others waiting for the redeemer of God’s people, Anna knew who they were, and she, being moved along by the Holy Spirit, began to tell them that this baby Jesus was the Redeemer, the long-awaited Messiah.
All of this is truly marvelous to consider, isn’t it? When Jesus was a baby, he was presented at the temple in obedience to the law of Moses. And when he was presented, he was recognized and received as the Messiah by this goldy man and woman, Simeon and Anna.
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Jesus Departed The Temple And Grew In Wisdom And Stature And The Favor Of God Was Upon Him
Thirdly, in verses 39 – 40 we are told that Jesus departed the temple and grew in wisdom and stature, and the favor of God was upon him.
Look at verse 39: “And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.” Here we find another reference to the law of Moses. Joseph and Mary, and through them, the baby Jesus, kept the Law of the Lord. And here it is also clarified that Jesus did not remain at the temple to serve there as Samuel did but went home with his parents back to Nazareth. Jesus did not serve at the temple because he did not come to serve the Old Covenant order, but to establish a New Covenant, making the old obsolete (see Hebrews 8:13).
In verse 40 we read, “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” Brothers and sisters, I ask you, is it true that Jesus is God? Yes, it is true. But we must be careful to talk about him with precision. The person of Christ is the person of the eternally begotten Son of God. In Christ, the eternally begotten and uncreated, Word or Son of God took to himself a true and complete human nature. So then, united in the person of Christ is the divine nature and a human nature. There are many passages that clearly teach that Jesus is God. He is the person of the Son or Word incarnate (John 1). He is fully God (John 8:58; Colossians 1:19). But passages like these help us to remember that Jesus was truly human. Jesus grew and became strong physically in the same way that all children grow. And he even increased in wisdom. This helps us to make a distinction in Christ between the human mind and will of Jesus, and the divine mind and will. God cannot increase in wisdom, brothers and sisters, because the divine nature cannot change. Nothing can be added to God, for he is the perfection of all things. His wisdom is perfect and unsearchable. When Luke tells us that the person of Christ increased in wisdom, he means, he increased in wisdom according to his human nature. God has never learned a thing. The eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit know all things and they are the source of all knowledge. But Christ learned things – he learned to count. He learned his ABC’s, if you will. He learned the Scriptures. And I think it is safe to say that he also grew in his understanding of his Messianic mission according to his human nature. It is marvelous to consider, isn’t it? It is mysterious. But must be confessed, because the scriptures teach it. Jesus Christ grew, became strong, and was filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
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Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, Luke’s objective in his gospel is to move us to greater certainty that Jesus is the Messiah, and here we are presented with even more witnesses to testify concerning him. In his infancy and through the faithfulness of his parents, he kept the law of Moses perfectly, which was certainly a requirement of the Messiah. And when he was brought to the temple, Simeon and Anna recognized him to be the Messiah, for this was revealed to them from the Scriptures and by the working of the Holy Spirit. And after this, Jesus was taken back to his home town so that he could grow physically, mentally, and spiritually (according to his human nature), until it was time for him to begin his public ministry about 30 years later.
I must ask you, by way of conclusion, do you believe that Jesus was and is the promised Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world? More than this, I must ask you, do you trust in him? Do you know him? Are you united to him by faith?
I wonder, can you see the difference between these two things? It is one thing to be convinced in the mind that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the promised Messiah – it is another thing to trust him in the heart for the forgiveness of your sins. True saving faith involves the mind and heart, friends. And it also affects the will.
Paul says it beautifully in Romans 10:8-13, and with this reading I will conclude: “‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:8–13, ESV).
Friends, I pray that you are convinced in your mind that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah who was promised long ago. More than this, I pray that you believe in him from the heart to the salvation of your soul. And we know that all who believe in him from the mind and heart, will also call him Lord, and honor him as such. “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13, ESV).
