Jesus, the Great Divider – Luke 2:21-38

“The Oakland Buddha is a statue of a Buddha placed in a traffic median in Oakland, California in 1999. The statue was placed by neighborhood resident Dan Stevenson who was upset about the frequent use of the median for illegal dumping. Stevenson attached the statue to the median using epoxy and rebar to deter theft of the figure. The city’s Public Works Department initially stated that it would remove the statue after receiving a complaint about it, but backed off its plans to do so after receiving substantial opposition. After its installation, local Vietnamese residents made the statue into a Buddhist shrine for daily worship services. Following the installation of the statue and its conversion into a shrine, Oakland police stated that criminal activity in the area, including dumping, graffiti, drug dealing, and prostitution, had dropped by 82% as of 2014.”  When asked why he chose a Buddha, Stevenson said he thought about a statue of Jesus but Jesus was too controversial, and Buddha was more neutral.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

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 (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 two young pigeons.” 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. 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 and said,

“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. 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 seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. 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 all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.  (Luke 2:21-38 ESV)

The family of the newborn Jesus is careful to keep the law, circumcising him on the eighth day (Genesis 17:12) and offering a sacrifice for Mary’s cleansing after birth (Leviticus 12:7,8).  Jerusalem is the place where the sacrifice is to be made and it is 5 and a half miles north of Bethlehem.  God plans this moment for more prophetic utterances about His Son.

Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the Messiah, and he just happened (in the providence of God) to be in the temple area when Jesus and his parents came through.  He held the baby and in the Latin translation his first words are “nunc dimittis” (now let depart), giving this “song” its title.  He describes Jesus as not only God’s salvation for Israel but for the Gentiles (non-Jews) as well.  He also describes him as a source of conflict in Israel as contrasting responses occur resulting in pain to Mary (Joseph was no longer alive at Jesus’ crucifixion).

The prophetess Anna is also led by the Spirit to the temple at this time and she too speaks of Jesus as the redemption of Jerusalem.  The responses of such holy people indicates that those who truly know God will receive Jesus as the Messiah.  Of course, those who don’t know God will resist His Messiah.