Pembury Baptist Church

It’s December 27th. What sort of Christmas have you had? Now, I bet for some of you it’s been like this. Note the parallels to Luke 2!

“And there were in the country children keeping watch over their stockings by the fireplace. And lo! Santa Claus came to them; and they were so afraid. And Santa said unto them; “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people who can afford them. For unto you will be given great feasts of turkey, stuffing and puddings; and this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the presents, wrapped in bright paper, lying beneath a tree adorned with tinsel, coloured balls and lights. And suddenly there will be with you a multitude of relatives and friends, praising you and saying “thank you so much, it is just what I wanted”. And it shall come to pass as the friends and relatives have gone away to their homes, the parents shall say to one another, “What a mess to clear up, lets go to bed and pick it up tomorrow. Thank goodness Christmas comes only once a year.”

Joy, presents and overeating are great fun! We wouldn’t want Christmas without them. But sometimes they can become the whole show….and that’s a pity. The way I see it is this. We can experience Christmas on the surface, or we can also experience the depth of its meaning. Those of you who’ve swum in a tropical sea will know that on the surface, there are waves, lights and reflections. In warm water, it’s a very pleasant place to be. But put on a mask and there are untold wonders to be seen beneath the surface, especially on a coral reef like this! Similarly. with Christmas. We can just experience the rush and bustle of the surface, the lights, the energy, the shopping with sales starting on Boxing Day…..or we can also see the depths that are hidden from those who fail to look. And I believe we can only truly experience the depths with God’s help, in the power of the Holy Spirit. So let’s take a deep breath and submerge.

The reading is Luke 2, verses 21 to 35. It immediately follows the story of Jesus’s birth in the stable and the visit of the shepherds: “On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” ),  and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

I think there are three things we can note here among the deep things of Christmas. One is the need to listen to the Holy Spirit, like Simeon did. The second is remembering Easter in Christmas that his words evoke. And third is appreciating the poverty of Jesus’ family and what it tells us about the poor today. The time from Christmas to New Year, when there is less work pressure, maybe some time off, could be a great time to experience them.

The call of the Holy Spirit : The text is saying that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, which is the Jewish custom. And then after 40 days the baby was taken to the temple. The “time of their purification” refers to the time during which the wife was ceremonially unclean from childbirth. It’s also I think a celebration of the fact mother and child survived, which was by no means certain in those days. When Mary and Joseph entered the temple, they met Simeon, a saintly man of prayer. Christmas time is often such a rush that we have little time for prayer. But Simeon teaches us there is a different way. He heard from God directly about the coming of Jesus the Messiah – because he was listening. He was waiting passionately for Israel’s Messiah to come, the consolation of Israel. And when God called, he acted – he went to the temple and saw his hearts desire.

Why was Simeon waiting? The answer is in the Old Testament. He knew that ever since Eden, God had allowed mankind to follow their own hearts, and they chose to sin. The world became pervaded by darkness and the shadow of death. The Old Testament tells the tragic story murder, theft, adultery, perversion, exploitation, and idolatry culminating in exile for God’s people. And though by Jesus’ time they were back in Israel, they still felt lost in darkness and separation from God. And yet Simeon knew too that right through the Old Testament there were promises of better things. Promises of God returning to save his people from darkness and death. Starting with God’s promise to Abraham, that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Listen to this wonderful passage from Malachi 4:2 ““But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” Simeon knew God was promising the Messiah for those who have faith, and he will heal them of their sickness – physical, mental and spiritual.  And yet there had been no prophecies for 400 years. Israel wondered if they had been forgotten. The promise of God’s return hung in the air.

And now the child was there, in front of Simeon, and he could sing (let’s read together what’s known in the Anglican church as the Nunc Dimittis) “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

We too can hear from God in the way Simeon did. God is longing for us to have the gift of prophecy, of speaking his truth to the world. And I think one clue to receiving that gift is that Simeon was waiting in prayer. Often we can find no time for prayer. Or when we do, too often we bombard God with requests, concerns, problems. He wants to hear them. But equally, when we just spend time, listen, and wait patiently he can speak to us. The second clue is that Simeon knew the scriptures through and through. He knew what the scriptures had announced and foretold – and in the same way, scripture can speak into our lives. Let’s wait on God and study his word this post Christmas season. Let deep call to deep, as the Holy Spirit shows us the way in our lives, as he showed Simeon the salvation of Israel, and fulfilled his promises to him. As Paul puts it “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” God will speak to us, as he did to Simeon. How great it would be for PBC to be a church of prophets!

Easter in Christmas : In the presentation of Jesus we have a foreshadowing of Easter. Let’s consider the story of Mary. Remember she was a simple young girl, who had suddenly been visited by the Angel Gabriel, who had proclaimed to her that she would bear the “Son of the most high”, “his kingdom will never end.” Mary is a wonderful example of faith to us. Being told of the fact she would have a child in unusual and dangerous circumstances – at a risk of being stoned indeed – she said “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” But yet, she must have been thinking all the time of her pregnancy. Can this really be true what is happening to me? What does it mean that I shall bear the “Son of the Most High”? How could his kingdom have no end? And the angel did not return to her to answer her questions. And then, the hard road to Bethlehem, the birth in the stable and the visit of the shepherds with incoherent stories of throngs of angels, the Saviour, Christ the Lord, peace to men…… What must she have thought? Yes, I’m sure she shared their joy. And yet to her perhaps an edge of foreboding. As it is written just before our passage today:” Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

And now Simeon tells her “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” People in other words would be defined by their position in respect of this child. Some would rise, the disciples, his followers, and others would fall, the Pharisees, the priestly hierarchy. Jesus would face strong opposition, leading to pain and suffering for Mary, despite his ultimate triumph. Simeon knew that Isaiah 53, written over 500 years earlier, indeed said that the Christ would face opposition “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” And that he would suffer “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Will you have a season of reflection on Easter in Christmas? Even although Christmas Day has gone, it’s all too easy to be driven off our feet. Getting distracted by that phone call you need to make. The sales. All the shopping that needs to be done for New Year celebrations. But we can find time! Time to reflect, even as Mary did amidst the excitement, to ponder things in our heart. And the Scripture tells us – the meaning of Christmas is Easter. The meaning of Christmas is Easter. For his triumph: that Jesus came to earth to fulfil that mighty prophecy of Isaiah, to die and rise again for us all. “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life  and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” Grounds for reflection this Christmas season, don’t you agree? This is how Jesus’ light of Simeon's prophecy would be “ a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” ”. By dying and rising again. This is how the saviour, Christ the Lord would bring salvation that Simeon joyfully witnessed to.

The poverty of the Holy Family : Jesus was the great servant but we are called as his followers to serve too, out of our gratitude to him. And a reminder of this is to consider the poor at Christmas. The key point that reminds us is that Luke says that Mary and Joseph did “offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons””. What we know is that only the poorest of the poor would bring only birds. Any normal couple would have brought a lamb and a bird (Leviticus 12:8 if you want to check). So Mary and Joseph were poor, even by the standard of the times. Here’s some other evidence to think about, there may have been no room at the inn, but I think with a little more money, Mary and Joseph could have found better surroundings for childbirth, in a whole village…..And of course later on Jesus becomes voluntarily poor as a wandering rabbi. As he says in Luke 9:58 , “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

The post Christmas time is a good time to reflect on the poverty that surrounds us. We’d be in good company. At Christmas, the Polish king Wenceslas remembered the poor, as the carol we still sing reminds us. “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen. When the snow lay round about deep and crisp and even” – so far the Christmas card cliché. But then it changes “When a poor man came in sight gath'ring winter fuel…..” And what was the king’s response? "Bring me flesh and bring me wine Bring me pine logs hither Thou and I will see him dine When we bear them thither." So yes the king and his page struggled through the snow to give the poor man a wonderful Christmas.

Here’s a couple of modern Wenceslas stories! Rhiane as you know works for Christians Against Poverty, whose aim is to help people find their own way out of debt. 15,600 people have been helped out of debt this year. Each client has an account with CAP into which they put most of their income and pay off their debts in a controlled and agreed way. But they also get a chance to save some extra, from which they can withdraw if their financial situation is improving well. This Christmas, CAP clients were able to withdraw £500,000 from their savings – perhaps the first time ever that they were able to avoid getting deeper into debt and despair at Christmas! And here’s another from our friend Celia’s Facebook “Just had a great Christmas party down at the car park - 15 of our homeless friends, hot turkey dinner, Christmas cake, crackers, live music, it was sooooo nice to see those guys enjoying themselves, it's what Christmas is all about :)”. Aren’t those great stories of Christians stepping out for the poor?

The last line of Wenceslas’ carol is ”Therefore, Christian men, be sure wealth or rank possessing ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.” I’m sure we don’t all feel to be people of wealth or rank, but most of us are relatively well off in the world. So we could consider, even as we contemplate that post Christmas credit card bill, an extra gift to the poor. For example, we can donate to CAP or give clothes to the Tunbridge Wells Street Teams! Or give to the PBC Fellowship Fund. We can also give time to those we know who are needy. We could consider those we know who have been passing a sorrowful time at Christmas, being alone, bereaved, sick or in financial or relational difficulty. Let’s pray for God to lay such people on our hearts, maybe we could invite them over to share our joy during the coming week!

And here’s an interesting fact, that research has shown that people who celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas, including helping those less fortunate than ourselves are happier than those who mark the “happy holidays” just with consumer gifts. Dr Stephen Joseph of the University of Warwick said “research on happiness shows that religious people have a greater purpose in life, which is why they are happier. Research shows too that much too materialism in our lives can be terrible for happiness. He added “what seems to be crucial is living your life in a way that emphasises the importance of being involved in your community and caring for people, and Christmas is a reminder to us all of this message.” As Jesus reminded us, the poor are always with us, but most of us do have resources of money and time to help them out – and we’ll be blessed if we do. This is a deep matter of Christmas, to reflect on over the holidays.

Let’s wind up. We are all tired, I’ll bet, after the Christmas season. But let’s not miss the depth of what Christmas is all about. The call to hear from God, the call to reflect on Easter in Christmas call to help the poor, will lead us closer to God, his blessing and the riches of his grace than a million Christmas meals and mince pies. So let’s dive and find below the surface of Christmas “the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”