The hope of Simeon

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.

Luke 2:25-26

When I was a child, I used to get very excited about Christmas – or, more specifically, unwrapping my presents on Christmas Day! That said, I don’t think I could ever get as excited as my brother, Nathan. He always got extremely excited, and would hardly sleep a wink on Christmas night. In fact, even though he is now 28, he’s still much the same! Whilst it might have seemed to Nathan that Christmas would never arrive, though, it was always pretty much a certainty; December would come, then the weeks and days would tick by until, finally, it was December 25th.

I wonder if Simeon felt the same way about the arrival of the Christ. He had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see the birth of the messiah. I am sure that he was very excited at the prospect of seeing for himself the one whom God had promised for hundreds of years. Even though time was rolling on, with the days becoming weeks, the weeks becoming months, and the months becoming years, I am sure that Simeon never lost hope that one day God would fulfil his promise. As a righteous and devout man, he would have trusted God implicitly, and been overjoyed at the promise made to him. He lived his life according to God’s standards, knowing that one day mankind would be saved by God’s messiah.

Simeon was full of hope. Sometimes I think we can lose our hope. We forget that we are promised that one day Jesus will return, and that he will judge the living and the dead. If we were as hopeful as Simeon, if we were as righteous and devout as him, we would ensure that every aspect of our lives glorified God. I wonder if our lives mirror Simeon’s? Maybe we should reflect on Simeon and his hope today.

The shepherds glorify and praise God

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:20

Last year, when I was in America, I visited Niagara Falls. In fact, I actually visited Niagara Falls twice – once on a holiday to New York with my friend Clive, and once on a holiday to Canada with my fiancee Claire! It was one of the most incredible places I have ever visited. When I arrived in the US town of Niagara Falls late one evening, I did wonder what all the fuss was about, as the town itself is not very nice. The next day, however, when we saw the Falls themselves, they took my breath away. The sight of so much water thundering over the edge of the cliff, coupled with the stunning scenery and the fast flowing Niagara River is simply awe inspiring. Everytime I have the opportunity to tell people about Niagara Falls, I have done just that. Indeed, that’s what I’m doing now!

Sometimes, you witness things that simply amaze you. The Niagara Falls amazed me. The sight of the new born Jesus must have been such a sight. I’m sure the shepherds could not wait to tell everyone what they had seen! Luke records that their number one priority, however, is not rushing out to tell everyone about what they had seen, but “glorifying and praising God” for the things that they had seen. They recognised the significance of the miracle that they had seen, and the generosity of God in sending his son. Not only that, but they were amazed because everything was exactly as they had been told by the angels, which must have seemed impossible when they had been told!

We often marvel at things that we see or hear. I’m sure that you can think of something which took your breath away recently. How often do we do as the shepherds did, however, and praise God for the amazing things that he has created for us and done for us? Have we glorified God this Christmas as we celebrated Christ’s birth? Do we give thanks for the ways that God works in our lives? Do we praise God for the wonders of his creation that we encounter every day? I know for me the answer to these questions is often ‘no’.

Maybe we should all aim to be a bit more like the shepherds.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Luke 2:16-18

It was my fiancee’s birthday recently. Well, she wasn’t my fiancee at that point! To celebrate, I took her to a posh hotel just outside Belfast for afternoon tea. The food was delicious and the views over the lough and the mountains were incredible. What is most memorable about the trip, though, is that I proposed to my girlfriend, and she accepted! As soon as we had decided to get married, we couldn’t wait to tell all our friends and family. We told her parents first, and then I phoned mine. We also made sure that one of the first people we told was the mutual friend who had introduced us. Then, it was a steady stream of text messages, phone calls, emails and Facebook messages to let our other friends know our good news!

When you have good news like that, you want to share it with other people, and to tell anyone who will listen. In today’s verses, we see the shepherds react in a similar way to the birth of Jesus. They had been told about Jesus’ birth by the angels, and then had hurried off to find the baby for themselves. When they got there, they saw that everything was exactly as they had been told. They were so excited at seeing the baby Jesus, and so amazed at what the angels had told them about this child – that he was the saviour, Christ the Lord – that they couldn’t wait to tell everyone about what they had seen. They were bursting with excitement, and had to share the news. The people who the shepherds told were, themselves, amazed at the news.

So often in our present age we can get dispassionate about our beliefs; we say that we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but we don’t seem to get excited by the fact. We celebrate Jesus’ birth, but don’t really seem to grasp the significance of this world changing event. So, as we celebrate Christmas today, I pray that we would all get excited about the big news of Christ’s birth, and that we would be desperate to tell everyone we meet about Jesus.

A very happy Christmas to you!

Glory to God in the highest

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”

Luke 2:13-14

Earlier this week, I spent a few days in the Algarve in Portugal. It was a good, restful break, which was much needed after a busy few months at work! It also a bit of a change, because, as a musician, I often find myself extremely busy in the weeks running up to Christmas, with lots of church services to play, sometimes events outside church, and perhaps even the occasional wedding. This year, though, things have been a little quieter and more relaxed! This has given me more time in the run up to Christmas to reflect on the true meaning of the festival, the significance of Christ’s birth, and the reasons for the angels’ song in Luke 2.

In today’s verse, the angels, who have just announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds, praise God. They are unable to contain their joy at the birth of the promised messiah, such an important part of God’s plan for the world. They give glory to God for the amazing miracle of Christ’s birth. They also recognise the significance of Jesus’ birth for the people of earth; God’s peace, the peace of salvation for all those who choose to accept God’s authority, has come. Those on whom God’s favour rests – those who believe and trust that Jesus is their saviour – need never worry about death again.

The angels encapsulate the true meaning of Christmas in just a few words. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this year, let us reflect on the peace that we can have in Christ. Let’s pray that, like the angels, our joy at Christ’s birth will pour out of us, and that all whom we encounter will learn more of Christ through our example.

A Saviour has been born to you

“Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:11

It’s amazing how many doctors I suddenly know. I was remarking on this to my friend Fiona yesterday after we had been for coffee. Fiona, along with a mutual friend, is in her final year at medical school. Claire, my fiancee is also a doctor. Maybe I’ve just reached that age where all of my peers who have been training for the medical profession are being released into the outside world! One of the things about knowing a lot of doctors is that they often talk about medical stuff, most of which goes over my head. Very occasionally, though, they talk about something that I understand – perhaps because I covered it at school in GCSE Biology. The reality may be, of course, that whilst I think I understand what they’re talking about, I might not really grasp the full depth of what they’re saying, because they know much more about this things than I do!

Amongst the first people to visit the new born Jesus were shepherds. They were tending to their sheep in the fields, when they were visited by angels, who told them, “today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke makes it clear that they were afraid when they saw the angels – I think I would have been too if I was in their position! They also no doubt grasp the importance of the baby who had been born; if his birth was heralded by angels, he must be important! As a result, they packed up their things and headed off to see Jesus.

Whether or not they fully grasped the significance of what the angels said remains to be seen. It might have been like me and medical discussions; they thought they understood what the angels were saying, but may not have grasped the full ramifications of what they were told. This baby is not just any old baby, the angels tell us that he is a Saviour – a Saviour who would eventually die for their sins, as well as yours and mine. The baby is also the Christ, the messiah that had been promised through generations by God. Not only that, but he is in fact the Lord, God himself!

When you see pictures of the baby Jesus over the coming days, reflect on the full miracle that took place when Jesus was born. This was no ordinary baby, but a saviour, the messiah – and God himself.

She gave birth to her firstborn

She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7

Sometimes, events happen that are so monumental, that nothing will be the same again. Back in 2001, whilst I was on holiday from university, I watched, live on television, the second plane crash into the World Trade Center, and the twin towers collapse. It was a deeply shocking sight, and I knew that this event would change the world for ever. Sure enough, as a consequence, we have found ourselves fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Security has been tightened up in airports and planes, as well as in our major cities.

We remember an even more monumental event on December 25th. On that day, we remember the birth of Jesus. This is without doubt the single most important event in the history of mankind. Even if you do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, this event fundamentally changed the world forever. Jesus’ life and teaching have had a fundamental impact on the way in which we live our lives. Jesus is the most talked about person in the entire world. Even our system of dating has developed as a consequence of this event. If, however, you believe as I do that Jesus was the Son of God, then this event is even more significant, for at Christmas we remember the single greatest miracle in the history of the world – the birth of the Son of God as a man. This baby was no ordinary child; he was himself God. His teachings would go on to be the most well known and respected in the world. He would take our sin upon himself when he died on the cross. He would rise from the dead, conquering death itself.

For someone as significant as the Son of God, his birth was surpisingly ordinary. Not for Jesus a magnificent palace and the best medical care. Luke tells us that Jesus was not even born in an inn, but in a stable, surrounded by animals. He was placed not in a comfortable bed, but in an animals’ feeding manger. This is surely a surprisingly humble way for such an incredible person to be born.

As we celebrate Christmas in our comfortable homes, surrounded by those we love, it is worth remembering how Jesus was born. His life is a pattern for how we should live. Whilst we might not be called to live in stables, we are repeatedly called to live humble lives. Do we follow Jesus’ example? Or do we surround ourselves with unnecessary distractions from the gospel that we are called to follow?

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born.

Luke 2:6

Sometimes things happen when we are least expecting them. Occasionally, unexpected events can really throw a spanner in the works and play havoc with the plans that we have made. Often illness can cause major problems. We make careful plans, and then find ourselves unable to complete all we need to do because we are unwell. Sometimes, even greater changes can cause all sorts of confusion and disruption to our plans. Some years ago, I worked for Marks and Spencer. I had just about worked out my career path when I was made redundant. All the plans that I had for my career where thrown out of the window.

Joseph and Mary must have found themselves in a similar situation. They had plans to get married, live together in Nazareth, and no doubt at some point start a family. Then an angel appeared to Mary, and to Joseph in a dream, and told them that Mary was to give birth to a son. Suddenly, all of their plans were shattered. Then, as if that was not bad enough, just as Mary was reaching her full term, they had to up sticks and head to Bethlehem for a census. Travelling miles along dusty roads to a far away town was not ideal for someone in Mary’s position!

Of course, although it might not have seemed like it, God was very much in control of the situation that Mary and Joseph found themselves in. Not only had he ordained the precise moment when his son was to be conceived, he also knew that Mary and Joseph would have to head to Bethlehem. He knew that Jesus would be born in a stable since there was no room at the inn. This is clear from the Old Testament prophecies. God was in control. He ensured that his son was born in the most humble of surroundings to ensure that he understood the full human experience.

Similarly, God was in control when I was made redundant. It might seem like our lives are just one long sequence of coincidences, and we might have to alter our hopes, expectations and plans, but ultimately, God is in control, He knows what is best for us, and he knows what is best for his kingdom, and he will ensure that his plans, not ours, are brought to fruition.