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22 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 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 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. 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 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, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant1 depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 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 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 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, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.2 She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 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.
(ESV)
Redeemer exists to celebrate and declare the gospel of God as we grow in knowing and following Jesus Christ.
Good morning. Today, as we said, marks the 4th Sunday in Advent, and that means that Christmas is only a few days away. And the time of preparation, this Advent preparation, preparing not only our homes but our hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ, it's coming to fruition. And I'm so glad that, before we get to all of the celebration of Christmas this week, that we have this time together once more, amid the busyness of the season, to be together, to be still, to open God's word, and to focus our hearts on Christ. And so let's pray for the Lord's blessing over our time together.
Jeffrey Heine:Oh, Lord, this last Sunday of Advent, would you help us by your Holy Spirit to behold the light and the glory of Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer? Give us the blessing of seeing him rightly that we might surrender all that we have and all that we are to him alone. So would you speak, Lord, for your servants are listening? We pray these things in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Jeffrey Heine:Every year, when the green Rubbermaid boxes start making their way out of storage, and the stockings and the nativity scenes make their way to the mantels, a stack of DVDs is brought up from my basement. And in our home, watching all these beloved Christmas movies is a sacred challenge. It's sacred, because each movie holds a dear place in our hearts, in our memories. And it's a challenge, because who in the world has enough time during the insanity that is December to watch an ever growing stack of movies? And it seems like every year, when we get to the week of Christmas, we realize that with all the parties, and the 9 lessons and carols rehearsals, and 9 lessons and carols weekend, making last minute treats that we should have known about beforehand for class.
Jeffrey Heine:Could have known beforehand. That would have been nice. But we're scrambling to find an egg, and to make something, to deliver. And then studying for finals, which is now happening in my home. We find, after all of that, that we have not finished one Christmas movie.
Jeffrey Heine:This year, the movie that we've made the most ground in is Meet Me in St. Louis, which, in my opinion, is a wonderful film, and technically not a Christmas movie. I'm pretty sure that Halloween gets as much screen time as Christmas does throughout the film, but it was Meet Me in St. Louis was released in 1943, starring Judy Garland, directed by Vincente Manelli. And it's about a family at the turn of the century, in 1903, who live in their beloved city of St.
Jeffrey Heine:Louis, expecting the World's Fair coming, and they are told by their father that they have to move to New York. And so, although this is technically not a Christmas movie, there is one reason why you will find it on the classic movie channels, you will see it, showing at old theaters during the holiday season, it's because of one scene, essentially. The family has just learned this news that they have to move to New York, and Judy Garland sings a song to comfort her youngest sister. And she comforts her sister with this new song, these lyrics. Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Jeffrey Heine:Let your heart be light. Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight. The song emphasizes that things will be better come next year. And all the pain and the sorrow and the darkness that is here today, next year, all our troubles will be miles away. Judy Garland goes on to sing, someday soon we all will be together if the fates allow.
Jeffrey Heine:Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow. And since 1943, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas has gone on to become one of the most recorded and performed songs in all of American history. And nearly every one of those recordings that you will hear each December has different lyrics than those that Judy Garland sang in the original film. And that is because of Frank Sinatra. You see, 12 years later in 1955, Frank Sinatra wanted to record Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas for his new holiday album.
Jeffrey Heine:But the chairman of the board thought that that song was too sad. Christmas is a season for celebration, for good cheer, not sorrow. And the problem for Sinatra was really one line in particular. Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow. And Frank Sinatra, being Frank Sinatra, asked for it to be rewritten.
Jeffrey Heine:And the studio reached out to the original songwriter, a man named Hugh Martin. And at the time, Hugh Martin was visiting his hometown when he got a call to rewrite his most successful song. And so he went for a walk to clear his head and to come up with new lyrics. And so he walked the streets of his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, just a mile from here on Highland Avenue. And he is said to have looked up at the tall trees in Highland Park when he came up with the line, Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
Jeffrey Heine:That line was good enough for Frank Sinatra, and that's how the song has been sung for nearly 70 years. And this is one of my favorite bits of Birmingham Christmas trivia. There's not a lot of that out there, but this is it's not a big competition, but this is my favorite one. But what strikes me about this story, every time I retell it, it's this familiar impulse to resolve the tension between sorrow and the season of Christmas. It's the impulse to write a better line, one that edits out all the sadness and the muddling through.
Jeffrey Heine:Because I know this impulse, I know this desire for everything to be Hallmark picture perfect, and I know the feeling of disappointment and sadness that exists at the same time as holiday cheer. And perhaps you do too. Maybe you've had more Christmases like Judy's than Frank's. Maybe this is one of those years for you. Now, I don't know what kind of Christmas you're heading into this week.
Jeffrey Heine:None of us really know. For some of you, you're excited to be spending time with friends and family reconnecting and rejoicing together. For others, this is your 1st Christmas away from friends and family. For many of you, it might be the 1st Christmas with someone new in your life, a new spouse or baby's first Christmas. While for others it's your 1st Christmas without someone that you love, either through a strained relationship or it's the first Christmas since someone very special to you passed away.
Jeffrey Heine:I don't know what this Christmas holds for you. I don't know whether your Christmas will be more like Judy's or like Frank's, whether it's pained with sorrow or full of good cheer. Let that baby stay in here. It's Christmas. We're gonna we're gonna miss it when the crying stops.
Jeffrey Heine:I will. It's usually not just like Judy's, it's not just like Frank's, it's some mix of the 2, pained with sorrow, full of good cheer, mixed up between. I don't I don't know what this Christmas has for you, but I do know this, What is at the very heart of Christmas is summed up by what you see when you look at that baby in the manger. People see lots of different things when they consider the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths. Many people look at baby Jesus and they see a treasured fable about humility, a sweet story, but merely inspirational.
Jeffrey Heine:Others look at the baby and they see a generic reason for holiday traditions, for time with family and a break from school or work. But I want us to consider today that at the very heart of Christmas, we can find out, we can sum up what that heart is by considering what we see when we look at the Christ child. So that's the question for us today. What do you see when you look at this baby? To help us to explore this question, we're going to continue our Advent study that we've had over the last couple of weeks in Luke's Gospel and examine 2 individuals, 1 man and 1 woman, and what they saw when they looked at Jesus and what we can learn from these two witnesses to salvation.
Jeffrey Heine:So hear these words from the gospel according to Saint Luke beginning in chapter 2 verses 22 through 38. And let us listen carefully, for this is God's word. And when the time came for their purification according to the laws 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 2 young pigeons. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
Jeffrey Heine: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, saying, '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.
Jeffrey Heine: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 7 years from when she was a virgin and then as a widow until she was 84. 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 who all were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. This is the word of the Lord.
Jeffrey Heine:Thanks be to God. 40 days have passed since the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary have traveled to Jerusalem to follow the ceremonies of the Mosaic Law. But 2 ceremonies were the presentation of the child and a purification sacrifice. We read of these ceremonies in the book of Leviticus, in particular, chapter 12.
Jeffrey Heine:The presentation ceremony, it was celebrated, God's gift of the child to the parents, and it served as a dedication for the firstborn to the Lord. The purification sacrifice was in recognition of Mary's delivery of the baby and marking her cleanliness before God and his people. According to the Mosaic ceremonial law, the offering of purification was to be a 1 year old lamb. But we don't read about a 1 year old lamb in Luke chapter 2. Now, Luke records that Mary and Joseph brought 2 common birds, 2 turtledoves or 2 pigeons.
Jeffrey Heine:And that's because in the ceremonial law in Leviticus 12, it states that if she, meaning the mother, cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take 2 turtledoves or 2 pigeons. So Mary and Joseph, they traveled to Jerusalem with 6 week old baby Jesus, the son of the living God, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, the eternal King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and they could not afford the required sacrifice. So they had to use the exception clause and offer the sacrifice of the poor to turtledoves. Now, I know that Mr. Duncan, the toy store owner from Home Alone 2, he tells Kevin that the 2 turtledoves represent friendship, but they were burnt sacrifices just to clear that up.
Jeffrey Heine:Mary and Joseph, they they take the baby into the temple to present the son of God to God in thanksgiving and to offer up this purification sacrifice. And then, I I can only expect much to their surprise, this older man approaches the young family. His name is Simeon. Little is known about Simeon. No backstory is given about his tribe, his family, his profession.
Jeffrey Heine:There are plenty of legends about him that are fun to read. But from the scriptures, we know only a few things about him. Specifically, we are told that he was righteous and devout, meaning that he feared and he worshiped the Lord, and he observed the Mosaic law. And we know that he was filled with the Holy Spirit, which was an incredibly unique and distinct occurrence, especially where we are in the context of salvation history. The Spirit had not been given to the people of God to dwell in them.
Jeffrey Heine:Not yet. Lastly, Luke tells us that Simeon is waiting. He's waiting for the consolation of Israel. The word consolation might be translated comfort in your Bible. The Greek word used here is often translated either comfort or encouragement, depending on the context.
Jeffrey Heine:And in Simeon's context, the this means that he is regularly in the temple, desiring, longing, praying for this long promised, long awaited comfort of Israel. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 40, the Lord gives the prophet a vision into Israel's future. And in Isaiah's time, great disobedience had resulted in great suffering, exile and oppression. And in the midst of words, righteous judgment of the Lord Yahweh against the people, a prophecy comes. God issues a startling and surprising word of hope.
Jeffrey Heine:He says through the prophet, Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Cry to her that her warfare is ended and that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Simeon was waiting, waiting for that long promised comfort. He was an old man and spent his days muddling through, hoping that someday soon, comfort would finally come to the people of God.
Jeffrey Heine:He didn't know when that comfort would come, but he knew how that comfort would come. The promise of comfort was the promise of a Messiah, what we call the Christ, who would come in the line of David and rule justly and defeat the enemies of God's people. And most significantly, he would bring pardon and forgiveness for the people, for by his wounds, the people of God would be comforted. This history of exile, persecution, of suffering, all that happened under these foreign superpowers, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, all after all of this misery, Simeon hoped beyond what he could see. And he waited in faithful prayer before the Lord, believing that the consolation, the divine comfort would come.
Jeffrey Heine:He kept waiting for the Messiah. And Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit, has been told by the Lord that he will not see death until his eyes see the Messiah, and in walk Mary and Joseph. The text doesn't say specifically how Simeon knew to go to Mary and Joseph, how he identified them. It certainly wasn't because they looked impressive. If they couldn't afford the lamb, then they probably didn't get new outfits for the temple ceremonies.
Jeffrey Heine:And certainly there have been other families participating in these same ceremonies with their newborn babies. I mean, it was it was not a quiet place. You had sacrifices being made. You had children being dedicated, a lot of activity and noise in the temple. And amid all these busy daily activities at the temple, this old man approaches the young couple, and he takes the little baby into his arms.
Jeffrey Heine:Picture it. The old man Simeon holding gently in his arms, 6 week old Jesus, the Resurrection and the life, the light of the world, the lion of Judah. He holds Immanuel, God with us, and his soul rejoices. He declares in verse 29, 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.
Jeffrey Heine:Simeon praises God and says, you are letting me die in peace. You are letting me die with my soul comforted just like you said you would because you have done exactly what you said you would do. Simeon can leave this life in peace because his eyes have seen God's salvation. The consolation he has longed for is here in his arms. That is what Simeon saw when he looked at the baby.
Jeffrey Heine:Simeon looked at the baby, and he saw salvation. Simeon didn't see a humble family of obedient followers of Yahweh doing their obligation to observe the Mosaic Law. Simeon saw more. Simeon saw salvation. Mary and Joseph, they marveled.
Jeffrey Heine:They marveled at what Simeon declared to them. Now just to recap what we've already seen in Luke, Mary and Joseph have each been personally visited by angels. Mary became pregnant via the overshadowing by the Holy Spirit. Angels announced the baby's birth and shepherds visited them at night repeating the angelic declarations. You would think that Mary and Joseph are marveled out by now, But they marvel at the words of Simeon.
Jeffrey Heine:So what did Simeon say that caused Mary and Joseph to marvel? Well, Simeon describes salvation in this hymn of praise when he looks at Jesus. So let's briefly consider his words in verses 30 and 31. For my eyes have seen your salvation, that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples. Simeon says that salvation has been prepared.
Jeffrey Heine:The word prepared reminds us that for God to make salvation possible for you and for me, he must prepare it. He readies salvation to happen. But what exactly has been prepared? What did God prepare to make your salvation possible? Well, if we follow the thread of what Simeon is saying, it's this.
Jeffrey Heine:What has been prepared is salvation. And Simeon says that he has seen this salvation with his eyes. And we know that his eyes are seeing Jesus. So for God the Father to prepare salvation, for God to redeem his people from the enemy of sin and death, the Father prepared Jesus. The preparation is the incarnation, Jesus coming in the flesh.
Jeffrey Heine:That is the preparation to make salvation possible. And we find this language of preparation in another helpful place in the New Testament, the letter to the Hebrews, where in chapter 10 verses 45 we read these words. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me. Salvation has been prepared through the body of Jesus, in his very blood and bones.
Jeffrey Heine:What Simeon is holding in his arms, this 6 week old baby, is that very body by which salvation will they see Will they see salvation? More importantly, will you, the late theologian and pastor Frederick Buechner, who wrote one of my favorite quotes on the wildness of the incarnation in his book, Secrets in the Dark. Buechner said this, quote, We preach Christ crucified, the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles. Well, he could as well have written, we preach Christ born, or we preach Christmas, because the birth presents no fewer problems than the death does, both to the religious and to everybody else. Christmas is not just Mr.
Jeffrey Heine:Pickwick dancing a reel with the old lady at Dingley Dell or Scrooge waking up the next morning a changed man. It is not just the spirit of giving abroad the land with a white beard and reindeer. It is not just the most famous birthday of them all, and not just an annual reaffirmation of peace on earth that is so often reduced so that people of many faiths or no faith can exchange Christmas cards without qualm. On the contrary, if you do not hear in the message of Christmas something that must strike some as blasphemy and others as sheer fantasy, the chances are you have not heard the message for what it is. End quote.
Jeffrey Heine:Fantasy. Blasphemy. This is what many see when they look at the nativity scene and that little baby in the manger. They see a fantasy, while others see blasphemy. The very thought that the Creator of all things would be so low and degraded to be poor and even more scandalous to be born to be killable.
Jeffrey Heine:As you consider what you personally and honestly see when you look at the baby in the manger, do you feel that pull toward fantasy? Do you feel the pull to see foolishness or even blasphemy? It appears that most people in the temple this day, they looked at the humble family and simply saw a baby and parents fulfilling the obligation of the law. But Simeon saw salvation prepared. Luke records that Simeon goes on to bless the child and the parents, saying to Mary specifically, 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.
Jeffrey Heine:Simeon brings the revelation that the life of this child would not be an easy future, but one of opposition, ultimately of piercing, revealing what is hidden in the hearts of humanity, what's really thought and believed. And what lies ahead for the child will include a piercing pain to Mary's soul, as she will see this child nailed to the cross before her. As this old man offers this hymn of praise and these words of blessing and prophecy to Mary and Joseph, another person comes to address the family. This time, it's a prophetess named Anna. Luke records far more personal details about Anna, and that might be because she was more well known than Simeon.
Jeffrey Heine:We do imagine that Luke got all of this story not only from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but firsthand conversations with Mary herself about what she saw and experienced in these days. Anna was a prophetess and a widow. She had been a widow since her early twenties. And now in her mid eighties, Luke records that she is worshiping the Lord night and day. She does not depart from the temple.
Jeffrey Heine:And Luke either means that she's been given dwelling quarters somewhere on the temple grounds or that she essentially lives in the temple. Either way, the point is that she is there night and day, day and night, worshiping, prophesying and waiting. Joseph and Mary come to the temple for the ceremonies of the presentation and the purification. And after Simeon offers his praise and his blessing, Luke records that Anna comes forward in verse 38. 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.
Jeffrey Heine:The central focus of the prophetess Anna's heart was the same as Simeon. Their deepest concern was the fulfillment of God's covenant promises in bringing redemption and salvation. And this is what Simeon and Anna were waiting for, and that is what they beheld with their own eyes when they looked at the baby in Mary's arms. These two witnesses to salvation, they offer testimony to the covenant promises of God, fulfilling these promises in the coming of the Christ child. Anna gives thanks to God because she knows she is beholding more than just a humble child and dutiful parents.
Jeffrey Heine:Anna praises God because she is seeing the redemption of Jerusalem, the redemption of God's children from the tyranny of sin and death. This child will proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to the captives. He will recover sight to the blind and set at liberty those who are oppressed. Anna rejoices and thanks God for this coming redemption because with her own eyes, she is beholding the great Redeemer. So do you see what Simeon saw?
Jeffrey Heine:Do you see what Anna saw? This year, as we have been studying in our series in the Gospel of Mark, we read of lots of people who have looked at Jesus, most with derision, with disgust, with shame, with annoyance. Some barely gave him a glance, and they simply looked away. So why did Simeon and why did Anna see something different? Why did they recognize God in the flesh when no one else did?
Jeffrey Heine:I think that they saw salvation because through the Holy Spirit, God gave them the desire to look for him. By God's grace, through the Spirit, they longed for Jesus, and in their longing, they saw him. So how do we learn to look like Simeon and Anna? How do we behold Jesus like they did? Let's consider one last statement from Simeon in verse 32, where he says, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel.
Jeffrey Heine:Light and glory are often connected in the scriptures. And one passage I'd like to briefly highlight, it comes from, again, the prophet Isaiah, this time in chapter 60, where Isaiah writes, arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you, and the nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising. For many followers of Jesus today, for for many of us who are his disciples, we are so accustomed to thinking of ourselves as part of the people of God, which we are through Christ, but we don't often think of ourselves as being Gentiles, strangers, outsiders to the promises of God. Instead, we read the scriptures and we immediately identify with the people being described, the various characters in the Bible.
Jeffrey Heine:But verses like this remind us of a distinction, an important distinction, the need for revelation to the Gentiles, to us. The people of Israel, they knew Yahweh. They knew God because He made Himself known to them and called them to Himself as His people. God had elected and called a people to himself out of humanity. And the Gentiles, the non Israelites, needed revelation.
Jeffrey Heine:And the salvation that was prepared by God was bringing not only redemption, but a light, a light of revelation. And it is this light of revelation that God would call people from every nation, from every tribe and from every tongue to be his promised people. It is the light by which you and I can see salvation and redemption. For those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them a light has shown. And by this light, we are able to see Jesus.
Jeffrey Heine:This light is what transforms what you see when you look at that manger. Christ must be revealed to us, and God the Father must do the revealing. And we are called to behold, to look and to see. Jesus is the light of the world by which we are able to see God. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
Jeffrey Heine:This light is for the revealing of God. We don't look at Jesus and see this in our own strength of vision. It must be revealed by the Spirit, just as it was for Simeon and for Anna. That is why they saw what they saw in the temple. By God's grace, they were worshipers.
Jeffrey Heine:They were gifted the Spirit to see what others did not, what others could not, and what many still today refuse to see. To see salvation and redemption, God must reveal himself to us, and he does so through the light of Jesus Christ. And as the salvation from God brings light to the Gentiles, it brings glory to Israel. The glory comes from God keeping all of his promises that he made to his people. That from the stump of Jesse, this lineage of King David, that in his eternal glory, Christ will reign over the whole of creation forever.
Jeffrey Heine:God has been faithful, and he has given his people honor and glory by showing himself eternally faithful to his promises. This salvation, which God has prepared in the body of this child, brings light that we can see God. And that's what Simeon saw when he held the Messiah in his arms. And that's what Anna saw when she praised God for the redemption that this child would bring. So again, we must ask this question.
Jeffrey Heine:What do you see when you look at this child in the manger? What do you see? 28 years ago, the radio host Ira Glass, on his radio program, This American Life, he said these words, quote, you know that saying that you can really tell who somebody is in a crisis? Well, you can really tell at Christmas too. That's because Christmas, more than any other day in the American calendar, is a day when we are all handed the same stage props.
Jeffrey Heine:The same treat, the presents, the meal, the relatives, and all the same expectations. And then we all try to create, more or less, the same kind of day. It's like 100 of millions of people all set to work doing exactly the same art project. And not just any art project, but a very high stakes art project, an art project everybody cares about getting right. End quote.
Jeffrey Heine:As I said at the start of our time together, I don't know what kind of Christmas you are heading into this week. I don't know what your art project of Christmas is going to end up looking like in the coming days. But I do know this, that regardless of whether you have yourself a merry little Christmas like Judy's, with heartache and sorrow, or like Frank's with joy and cheer? What is central? What is at the very heart?
Jeffrey Heine:And what reveals what you and I really do believe can be found in what you see when you look at this baby lying in the manger. So this Christmas, may the Spirit aid us to behold our salvation in the face of Jesus Christ, to see the light of revelation and the glory of redemption in his name. And may we long together all the more for his second advent. So come, Lord Jesus. Come.
Jeffrey Heine:Let's pray. Oh, lord. As we go into this Christmas week, would you draw near to us that we might draw near to you. May we marvel that you became like us that we might become like you through Christ and dwell with you forever. Help a spirit to behold, to set both our attention and our affections on Jesus.
Jeffrey Heine:And in our beholding, in our beholding, would we love him more deeply, obey him more fully, trust him with all that we are to the glory of Christ alone? In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.