Worship Helps for Christmas 1
The Presentation in the Temple
Pieter Jozef Verhaghen
1767
Worship Theme: There are two great miracles in Christmas:
the one that God has become man for us and for our salvation, and that he in
grace reveals the first miracle even to me and blesses me with all its benefit.
Old
Testament: Isaiah 45:20-25
"Gather together and come; assemble, you
fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save. 21 Declare what is to be, present
it-- let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared
it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart
from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. 22
"Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and
there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered
in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will
bow; by me every tongue will swear. 24 They will say of me, 'In the
LORD alone are righteousness and strength.'" All who have raged against
him will come to him and be put to shame. 25 But in the LORD all the
descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.
1. What key ability does the Lord have that idols do not
have (verses 20–21)?
2. Why do all the ends of the earth need to turn to the
Lord (verses 21–22)?
3. On the last day, what will all believers in the Lord be
found? How will we feel (verse 25)?
Epistle: Colossians 3:12-17
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly
loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances
you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in
perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since
as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one
another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with
gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in
word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through him.
4. What three key gospel truths motivate our new lives in
Christ (verse 12)?
5. Where is the only place to find strength for our new
life in Christ (verse 16)?
Gospel: Luke 2:25-40
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. 26 It had been revealed to him by the
Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27
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, 28
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in
peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which
you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for
revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 33
The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34
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, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts
will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." 36
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of
Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her
marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She
never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38
Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about
the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the
Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And
the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of
God was upon him.
6. What did God
do for Simeon, compared to what God had promised Simeon (verses 25–28)?
7. What did Simeon hint at to Mary (verse 35)?
8. For what were Simeon and Anna waiting (verses 25, 38)?
For what are you waiting?
Answers:
1. The Lord can predict the future, and has done so many
times. Every time, he does so with perfect accuracy. Idols and those who follow
them have no ability to predict the future.
2. All the ends of the earth need to turn to the Lord
because he is the only God. He is the only Savior. He is righteous, so he must
punish sinners, but in mercy the Father has punished his Son in our place.
3. All believers in the Lord will be found righteous, and
will exult. To be found righteous means that on the last day God will judge us
sinners right with him, for Jesus’ sake. This will make us exult. That is, we
will be full of joy.
4. A) In Christ, we are God’s chosen people. In eternity,
in pure grace, the Father picked us to be his own. B) In Christ, we are holy in
God’s sight. Jesus’ holiness is credited to us, as if we have had only holy
thoughts and actions all our lives. C) In Christ, we are dearly loved.
5. The only place to find strength for our new life in
Christ is in God’s Word. (Let’s dig into it daily it to teach and warn each
other! Let’s sing it gladly!)
6. God
had promised Simeon that he would not die before he saw God’s Anointed Son. But
God did better than he promised. He let Simeon hold his Savior!
7. He hinted that Jesus would suffer great pain, and Mary,
without Joseph at her side, would see it. A sword would pierce her own soul,
too.
8. They were waiting for the consolation of Israel ,
the redemption of Jerusalem —
waiting for God to come and comfort his people by paying for their sins. We
wait for Jesus to comfort and rescue us by coming again.
Putting your faith
into action
As soon as Christmas is over, the Christmas joy seems to
go with it. Vacations from school and work are over. It’s time to get back to
“the grind.” Simeon and Anna give us excellent examples of Christmas joy that
lasts a lifetime. Both of them had lived long and faithful lives. After seeing
their Savior, both were ready for their Lord to call them to the eternal reward
that this baby boy was going to win for them. Don’t get rid of Christmas with
the dried-up tree. Instead, may the good news of a Savior from sin fill our
lives all year round!
Controversy has arisen among some theologians of the
Augsburg Confession about the righteousness of Christ or of faith, which God
credits by grace, through faith, to poor sinners for righteousness.
One side contends that the righteousness of faith, which
the apostle calls God’s righteousness, is God’s essential righteousness. They say this is Christ Himself as God’s
true, and essential Son, who dwells in the elect by faith and moves them to do
right. And so He is their
righteousness.
Against this, others have held and taught that Christ is
our righteousness according to His human nature alone.
In opposition to both these groups it has been unanimously
taught by the other teachers of the Augsburg Confession that Christ is our
righteousness not according to His divine nature alone, nor according to His
human nature alone, but according to both natures. For He has redeemed, justified, and saved us
from our sins as God and man, through His complete obedience. The righteousness of faith is the forgiveness
of sins, reconciliation with God, and our adoption as God’s children only on
account of Christ’s obedience. Christ’s
obedience alone—out of pure grace—is credited for righteousness through faith
alone to all true believers. They are
absolved from all their unrighteousness by this obedience. – Formula of Concord ,
Solid Declaration, Article III, The Righteousness of Faith (paragraphs 1-4)
Let all together praise our God Before his highest throne;
Today he opens heav'n again And gives us his own Son,
And gives us his own Son.
He leaves his heav'nly Father's throne, Is born an infant
small,
And in a manger, poor and lone, Lies in a humble stall,
Lies in a humble stall.
He veils in flesh his pow'r divine A servant's form to
take;
In want and lowliness must die Who heav'n and earth did
make,
Who heav'n and earth did make.
A wondrous change which he does make: He takes our flesh
and blood,
And he conceals for sinners' sake His majesty as God,
His majesty as God.
He serves that I a lord may be -- A great exchange indeed!
Could Jesus' love do more for me To help me in my need?
To help me in my need?
For us he opens wide the door Of paradise today.
The angel guards the gate no more; To God our thanks we
pay,
To God our thanks we pay.
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