At Advent we celebrate the arrival of the Son of God in human flesh. And each year, the remembrance of Christ’s coming seems to connect with some of the best instincts of human nature – things like grace, hope, and mercy. The coming of Jesus was heralded by babies jumping for joy in utero (Luke 1:41), spontaneous songs of worship (Luke 1:46-55), praise-filled angels (Luke 2:13-14), and the bright glory of the Lord shining all around (Luke 2:9). Rightly do we celebrate the Advent season with songs of joy, happiness, and light, for it is a reminder that God has moved toward the world in kindness and love. But there is an incident in Luke’s infancy narrative that serves as something of a minor chord rumbling in the background of our Christmas carols. We read there about an encounter that took place when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. There they met a righteous and devout man named Simeon, and Luke tells us:
As you read through Luke’s gospel, it feels like the record skips at this little interaction. Up until this point, the tone of the narrative has been positive and hopeful, focused on salvation and a reversal of fortunes for God’s people. And while that is the main thrust of Simeon’s interaction with Mary and Joseph (see Luke 2:29-32), we see that even at this early moment the shadow of the cross falls across this young family.
The first indication that something is amiss is seen in Simeon’s statement that this child, who is himself God’s salvation (Luke 2:30) and light for the Gentiles and glory for Israel (Luke 2:32), is “appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel” (Luke 2:34). That seems to refer to the idea that the coming of the Messiah will elevate the fortunes of the poor and oppressed (the “rising” in Simeon’s words) but will bring judgment on those who are haughty and proud (the “fall”). And while that sounds noble and good to us, it also meant that this child would have powerful enemies.
Simeon’s prophecy proved true repeatedly, as Jesus’s ministry drew the ire of wealthy and influential members of society. Instead of welcoming the arrival of God’s Son, people like Herod (Matthew 2:16), the scribes and chief priests (Luke 20:19), and the Pharisees (Matthew 12:14) resented the threat to their stranglehold on power and sought his death. In the end, many people brought destruction on themselves by treating the Son of God as a sign to be opposed (to borrow Simeon’s words). As John the evangelist put it, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11) Jesus’ ministry forced a decision on the people of Israel, revealing the thoughts of their hearts (again, in Simeon’s words) and bringing about the spiritual destruction of many (Luke 20:18).
But Advent didn’t mean trouble only for the rich and powerful. According to Simeon, the coming of this child would be the cause of great suffering for Mary as well, a source of pain so deep and intense that he compared it to a sword piercing her soul. That pain built up over the course of Jesus’ ministry as Jesus’ family failed to understand his teaching and mission (Mark 3:21), but it came to a head when Mary stood at the foot of the cross, watching on helplessly as her son died in physical and spiritual anguish (John 19:25).
As the infant of the Advent grew up and began his public ministry, it became clear that he understood the purpose of his coming in the same terms Simeon foretold decades earlier. Jesus gave many reasons for his coming: to call sinners (Matthew 9:13), to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17), to testify to the truth (John 18:37), to preach the gospel (Mark 1:38), to give abundant life (John 10:10) – to name just a few. But all those purposes only make sense if we consider them in the light of his death on the cross. The apostles later reflected on what the coming of God’s Son accomplished. The apostle Paul tells us “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Timothy 1:15) and John tells us that “the Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8). None of those Advent purposes could be accomplished apart from Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Jesus himself explained the purpose of his coming in terms of the cross:
Advent is a wonderful time to reflect on the kindness and love of the Lord. It is a beautiful reminder that God loved us enough to stoop to us, to become one of us, to take on our poverty and weakness in order to save us. It is a yearly opportunity to stop and reflect on the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God – that somehow the infinite took on limitations, somehow Jesus was fully God and fully man. But that story is only good news if we understand it in light of the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The message of Advent is that the baby born in a manger was coming to die for God’s people.
The post Advent: Coming to Suffer appeared first on Focus on the Family.
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As you read through Luke’s gospel, it feels like the record skips at this little interaction. Up until this point, the tone of the narrative has been positive and hopeful, focused on salvation and a reversal of fortunes for God’s people. And while that is the main thrust of Simeon’s interaction with Mary and Joseph (see Luke 2:29-32), we see that even at this early moment the shadow of the cross falls across this young family.
The first indication that something is amiss is seen in Simeon’s statement that this child, who is himself God’s salvation (Luke 2:30) and light for the Gentiles and glory for Israel (Luke 2:32), is “appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel” (Luke 2:34). That seems to refer to the idea that the coming of the Messiah will elevate the fortunes of the poor and oppressed (the “rising” in Simeon’s words) but will bring judgment on those who are haughty and proud (the “fall”). And while that sounds noble and good to us, it also meant that this child would have powerful enemies.
Simeon’s prophecy proved true repeatedly, as Jesus’s ministry drew the ire of wealthy and influential members of society. Instead of welcoming the arrival of God’s Son, people like Herod (Matthew 2:16), the scribes and chief priests (Luke 20:19), and the Pharisees (Matthew 12:14) resented the threat to their stranglehold on power and sought his death. In the end, many people brought destruction on themselves by treating the Son of God as a sign to be opposed (to borrow Simeon’s words). As John the evangelist put it, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11) Jesus’ ministry forced a decision on the people of Israel, revealing the thoughts of their hearts (again, in Simeon’s words) and bringing about the spiritual destruction of many (Luke 20:18).
But Advent didn’t mean trouble only for the rich and powerful. According to Simeon, the coming of this child would be the cause of great suffering for Mary as well, a source of pain so deep and intense that he compared it to a sword piercing her soul. That pain built up over the course of Jesus’ ministry as Jesus’ family failed to understand his teaching and mission (Mark 3:21), but it came to a head when Mary stood at the foot of the cross, watching on helplessly as her son died in physical and spiritual anguish (John 19:25).
As the infant of the Advent grew up and began his public ministry, it became clear that he understood the purpose of his coming in the same terms Simeon foretold decades earlier. Jesus gave many reasons for his coming: to call sinners (Matthew 9:13), to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17), to testify to the truth (John 18:37), to preach the gospel (Mark 1:38), to give abundant life (John 10:10) – to name just a few. But all those purposes only make sense if we consider them in the light of his death on the cross. The apostles later reflected on what the coming of God’s Son accomplished. The apostle Paul tells us “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Timothy 1:15) and John tells us that “the Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8). None of those Advent purposes could be accomplished apart from Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Jesus himself explained the purpose of his coming in terms of the cross:
Advent is a wonderful time to reflect on the kindness and love of the Lord. It is a beautiful reminder that God loved us enough to stoop to us, to become one of us, to take on our poverty and weakness in order to save us. It is a yearly opportunity to stop and reflect on the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God – that somehow the infinite took on limitations, somehow Jesus was fully God and fully man. But that story is only good news if we understand it in light of the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The message of Advent is that the baby born in a manger was coming to die for God’s people.
The post Advent: Coming to Suffer appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...