place to meet Him Is In His temple (Eph. 2:21, 22). II. PASSING UNDER THE YOKE. i. The circumcision. Christ was "made under the law" (Gal. 4:4); "Every man that Is circumcised is a debtor to do the whole law" (Gal. 5:3). The < Creditor became the debtor! A L a mb was p ut under a yokel a galling yoke t h at drew the blood! 2. Christ a Jew, not a Christian! Most significant! H e "was a minister of the circumcision" (Rom. 15:18). T h at is, Jesus was under law; Christians are "not under law but un- der grace" (Rom. 6:14). 3. Modern theol- ogy tells us to go "back to Christ" for our doctrine; b ut we are to build our creed on the Epistles, not on the gospels, though they have much to do with it. It is not the Jewish Christ but the risen Christ who is the source of the distinctions between Jew and Christian in doctrine. Christ passed from under the law by death (Rom. 1 7:1), and Christians lived not with Him, b ut died with H im (Rom. 6:3); and now like H im are dead to the law, b ut alive in His grace with Him (Rom. 6:7). Chris* IS a Christian now. III. THE REDEEMER REDEEMED. 1. The purification. A mother was "un- clean" 40 days from the birth of a son, for she had borne a sinner, an unclean thing; 80 days for a daughter, for she had borne a bearer of sinners, "In sin did my mother con- ceive me" a sinner (Psa. 51:1-5). 2. Jesus was really a "Holy thing" (Luke 1:35), but was "reckoned with transgressors" (Luke 22:37). 3. A lamb vs. the first born. The ceremony involved the redemption of the first b om (Ex. 13:2, 12, 13). The first born spared t h at night in E g y pt were forfeit to the LORD. P a r e n ts ' to possess t h em must r e d e em t h em; and the first born of their cattle. The redemption price of an ass was the s a me as of a man, a lamb. So low had man fallen in the estimate of God; "I was as a beast before Thee," said one (Psa. 73:22). Indeed m an by his sin is really below the beast, which remains wh at God made it. Jesus was valued at the s ame rate, and "Low lay His head with the beasts of the stall." 4. If the parents were "too poor," doves were taken in lieu of a lamb. Mary offered the former (16 cents) as too poor for the latter ($2.50). Truly Jesus "became poor that we might be made rich" (1 Cor. '8:9). Think, a tiny Babe, "the mighty God" (Isa. 6:9), redeemed as an u n- clean thing, in the temple where for ages He had been worshipped as the "Ancient of Days!" "O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! (Rom. 11:33). IV. THE REDEEMER IDENTIFIED. 1. Witness No. 1. Simeon. (1) His char- acter, "just" (certified by men who witness- ed his conduct; reckoned by God, who. saw his faith (Rom. 4:3). (2) His spirit, "de- vout." (He revered God, and worshipped in His house and ordinances). (3) His expec- tation, "waiting for the consolation of Is- rael," like Joseph of Arimathea, "who also waited for the kingdom of God" . (Mark. 15: 43). The consolation of. Israel was con - tained in the Messianic promise. Christ is the Consoler of Israel. It was H e who said, "Comfort ye, .bomfort ye my people" (Isa. 40:1), and ipromised them "breasts of consolation" from whence they should "suck" (Isa. 66 :11) ; the same who says, "Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28), and "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be a f r a i d" (Jno. 14:
27). Israel rejected her consolation with her Consoler, b ut she shall yet be com- forted (Luke 13:34, 35). (4) His inspiration. The Spirit of the ancient prophets was upon him. T he renewing power of the Holy Spirit accompanied the promise (Acts 2:18). The Comforter precedes and follows the Con- soler. (5) His revelation. Hje should not see death till he had seen Christ, and He who sees Christ shall never die (11:26). But the latter refers to Christ's second advent. "The secret of the Lord Is 'Jvith them that fear Him" (Psa. 25:14), and God has blessed revelations for all "just and devout" per- sons. Some of us may see the Lord before we die (1 Cor. 15:51), but "whether we wake or sleep, we are the Lord's (1 Thess. 5:10), and we shall all jsee H im some day (1 Thess. 4:13—). (6) His opportune presence. a. Thomas missed a whole week of bless- ing, a nd passed a whole week of doubt, by absence when the Lord came (Jno. 20:24). Simeon forsook not the assembling of the saints (Heb. 10:25). b. "By the Spirit," Simeon was a m an who lived in the Spirit, walked in the Spirit, was led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:18, 25), the Spirit will not permit such to miss any good thing, specially a sight of Jesus. (7) His embrace of Jesus. "Him in his arms." H e . w ho was "Leaning on the Everlasting arm" took the Everlasting in his arms! He who a f t er took little children in His a r ms (Mark 10:16) learned w h at a sweet experience it is to be fondled. (8) His praising. "Blessed God." The Greek is "Spoke well of Him." And who. can do otherwise. Yet how many speak ill of H i m; mu r mur a t Him, blas- pheme Him. . Why His very n ame .God means good. Simeon knew Him and so spake well of Him. Honored Him as the Keeper of promises and the Benefactor of Israel and of all. " T he Lord be with you," said a friend to a preacher. "And if He is not, I will speak well of Him behind His back," said he. (9) His "Nunc Dimittis;" for so his song, and such it was, is' called ."Let me depart, let me die, in peace." a. 'To see Jesus! is, 1st, »to live; 2d, to misS the sting of Death; 3d, to deem it "better to depart" (1 Cor. 15:22, 55, 57; 2 Cor, 5:8). b. His work was finished, his watch was ended, his.soul was ransomed, now he could go in triumph and in peace. The Idea in the text is the latter. Simeon was ma n u- mitted and n o y asked to be demitted. c. In peace. He held, 1st, God's Peace in his a r ms (Eph. 2:14); 2nd, he had great peace in his heart (Psa. 119:165); 3rd, and so he ro"i'' look for sweet peace in his grave, could "lay him down in peace and sleep" (Psa. 4:8). Í10) His testimony. "Mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation." He identified the Saviour, the Christ, and bore testimony to Him. Jesus is the instrument, or agent of salvation, and is Himself in a particular sense Salvation, for "Neither Is there salvation in any other" (Acts 4:12). Can you say "Mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation?" If so, say si. "Thou hast prepared." Such was God's pternal purpose (Eph. 3:9-11). God made the world to send the Word, and when all things were ready He sent Him. "All peo- oles." Simeon was not a narrow-minded Jew, He caught the true spirit of the Word, and knew t h at Abraham's Seed was to bless all the families of the earth (Gen. 28:14). "To lighten the Gentiles." . From the moun- tain tops of his large faith, and hope, and love, this "just and devout" man saw the rising Sun of Righteousness, "the Light of the world'," and hailed Him in the name of the whole earth. May we, too, speak well of God, who has lightened our hearts, „ minds, lives, social intercourse, our past,
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