Jesus Is Presented in the Temple (Luke 2:21-38 NRSV)
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 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 firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated 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; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,31which 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 the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon[i] blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Daily Questions& Prayers
Sunday: Luke 2:21
One of the important parts of circumcision is that it places a child on the family tree. Who are some important branches of your family tree for you? Where would Jesus fit on your family tree?
Dear Jesus, I thank you for placing me into a family. Help me to learn and to grow, both as a child of my family and as a child of God. Amen.
Monday: Luke 2:22-24
In the Bible, birth order is often very important. In what order were you and your siblings (if any) born? What makes your place in your family special? Annoying?
Dear God, I know that I was born at just the right time. Help me to see the advantages of my place in my family, and to live according to your Word. Amen.
Tuesday: Luke 2:25-27
This reading mentions that the Holy Spirit rested on Simeon, and that Jesus’ arrival was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. Have you ever experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit? In what ways do you see God in your life?
Dear God, send your Holy Spirit upon me. Reveal your will to me, and guide my life. Amen.
Wednesday: Luke 2:28-32
What difference does light make to a dark room? What kind of a difference do you suppose the light of Christ is making in our dark world? How are you being called to let your “little light” shine?
Dear Jesus, you came to be a light to the whole world. Help me to see your light in dark times. Empower me to reflect your light in those places that need it most. Amen.
Thursday: Luke 2:33-35
What do you think it was like for Mary and Joseph to meet Simeon? What would it be like to know that, because of your son, your future will sometimes be difficult? What prayers would you have for your child?
(Offer a prayer in your own words for your children, future children, or children who are dear to you)
Friday: Luke 2:36-37
What do you think it would have been like to meet Anna? How do you think she might be different from other older women that you know? How would she be the same?
Dear God, I thank you for the wise saints in my life. Open my ears, that I might absorb their wisdom. Open my heart, that I might offer what I can to those of older years. Amen.
Saturday: Luke 2:38
Anna had been waiting for many years for Jesus to arrive on the scene. What are you waiting for? When you wait, is it with patience or impatience, despair or hope? What does God have to do with us while we wait?
Dear Jesus, make me patient when I have to wait for something that is dear to my heart. Help me to wait with hope. Cast out my impatience and despair. Amen.
It was three years ago at a Women in the Middle Bible study that the idea for Jesus’ Birth from A to Z was born. I had just introduced Anna to the women, and many of them had never remembered studying her. “Wouldn’t it be amazing,” they mused, “if we could spend Advent reading the whole story of Jesus birth from beginning to end in order?” “Why not?” I thought, “Where else will we learn this story, if not gathered together at church?” What has resulted has been several years of walking through this story together, and the opportunity to not only expand the story, but to find ourselves in it. As we prepare to embark upon this story once again, I invite you to take some time to reacquaint yourselves with all of the amazing people who worked together to bring our Savior to the world (their roles in the action are below). Who leads you? Who can you learn from? Who do you recognize, either in yourself or in your own life? May these grandmothers and grandfathers, sisters, aunts, and cousin in the faith lead and guide you as you prepare, once again, to receive Jesus in the joy and wonder of Christmas.
In Christ, Pastor Breen
Jesus’
Birth A to Z: An Expanded Nativity
Mary is a young woman from the middle of
nowhere. When the angel tells her that
she will be the mother of the Son of God, she responds, first with questions,
“How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34), and then with faith, “Here
am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:37) This statement of faith and the
belief that “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37) changes the
entire course of the rest of her life.
Joseph is the adopted father of Jesus. He is engaged to marry Mary, but they are not
yet living together, when he finds out that she is pregnant. We learn that God chose Jesus’ step-father
well when we learn that he is both righteous and merciful, planning to dismiss
her quietly. When he dreams of an angel
who explains “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 1:20) he believes the
angel, takes Mary as his wife, and claims Jesus as his own.
Zechariah is an old man who has given up on having
children. Then, an angel appears and
tells him that he will be the father to John the Baptist. He finds this message hard to believe, so the
angel gives him nine months to think about it.
He says, “Because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled
in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these
things occur.” (Luke 1:20)
Elizabeth is Zechariah’s wife and Mary’s cousin. It is to Elizabeth’s house that Mary flees
once she agrees to be Jesus’ mother, and at that house receives the warmest of
welcomes. “Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” (Luke 1:42) Elizabeth cries. She celebrates the birth of a longed-for
child in her baby, John, even as she welcomes the mother of the one who is to
come.
Shepherds are the last people you would expect to
receive the first news of the birth of Jesus.
They live out in the country, they are poor, and they are on the margins
of society. And yet, God chooses the
least, the last, and the lowly, to reveal God’s plan of love and forgiveness
for all. “Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors,” sings the whole
multitude of the heavenly host. (Luke
2:14). The shepherds believe, go and see
for themselves, and just can’t stop telling everyone they meet about the
miracle of Christmas.
Simeon and Anna are prophets who have waited their entire lives to meet Jesus face to face. When Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for the first time, they know that their life’s work is complete. “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word,” Simeon sings, “for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.” (Luke 2:29-31). Anna shared this good news with anyone who would listen, thankful for a long life well lived, a precious hope at last fulfilled.
The Wise Men remind us that Jesus was not just a miracle for the people of Israel, but for the entire world. They see the sign of the star and follow, past the edge of their known world, to meet Jesus face to face. “They offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,” (Matthew 2:11) because these people from a foreign land knew that he was king, God, and sacrifice. They bring this message to the nations, even as they return home by another road.
King Herod is the one who is directly affected by the rumors of a new king who is not from his family. Willing to protect his throne at any cost, “he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.” (Matthew 2:16) Just before the massacre, Joseph dreams of the danger, and he, Mary, and Jesus become refugees in Egypt until it is safe to return.
Bonus: You can color your own expanded “please touch” nativity here:
2014 nativity scene by speakingofhistory on flickr.com
Luke 2:1-20 (New Revised Standard Version)
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Last year, I learned that many of our people know the story of Christmas Eve, but they are a little fuzzier on all of the stories that surround this, one of the most important stories of our faith. We agreed to take a few years to fully immerse ourselves in the story, from the beginning to the end, and #jesusbirthatoz was born. In this book, you will find focus images, Bible stories, prayers, and questions for the ten weeks spanning Christ the King Sunday, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Baptism of our Lord. It is our hope that, by reading this old, old story from beginning to end in order, we might be both renewed and deepened in our faith during this holy season. Resources will be available in various ways. You can pick up a daily flipbook, or a weekly devotion book, or a week by week leaflet. All of our resources will also be available online, so that you can access them any time and in any place. What follows are brief character sketches of who will we meet along the way. Christ is coming soon; Come, let us adore him!
In Christ,
Pastor Breen Marie Sipes
Christ the King: Jesus is an unexpected sort of king, totally opposite of the kind of leaders that we experience here on earth. This is reflected in Mary’s Song: “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:51-52) https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2018/11/23/jesus-birth-a-to-z-week-1-christ-the-king/
Zechariah (Advent 1): Zechariah is an old man who has given up on having children. Then, an angel appears and tells him that he will be the father to John the Baptist. He finds this message hard to believe, so the angel gives him nine months to think about it. He says, “Because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.” (Luke 1:20) https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2018/11/29/jesus-birth-a-to-z-week-2-zechariah/
Mary (Advent 2): Mary is a young woman from the middle of nowhere. When the angel tells her that she will be the mother of the Son of God, she responds, first with questions, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34), and then with faith, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:37) This statement of faith and the belief that “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37) changes the entire course of the rest of her life.
Elizabeth (Advent 3): Elizabeth is Zechariah’s wife and Mary’s cousin. It is to Elizabeth’s house that Mary flees once she agrees to be Jesus’ mother, and at that house receives the warmest of welcomes. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” (Luke 1:42) Elizabeth cries. She celebrates the birth of a longed-for child in her baby, John, even as she welcomes the mother of the one who is to come.
Joseph (Advent 4): Joseph is the adopted father of Jesus. He is engaged to marry Mary, but they are not yet living together, when he finds out that she is pregnant. We learn that God chose Jesus’ step-father well when we learn that he is both righteous and merciful, planning to dismiss her quietly. When he dreams of an angel who explains “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 1:20) he believes the angel, takes Mary as his wife, and claims Jesus as his own.
Shepherds (Christmas): Shepherds are the last people you would expect to receive the first news of the birth of Jesus. They live out in the country, they are poor, and they are on the margins of society. And yet, God chooses the least, the last, and the lowly, to reveal God’s plan of love and forgiveness for all. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors,” sings the whole multitude of the heavenly host. (Luke 2:14). The shepherds believe, go and see for themselves, and just can’t stop telling everyone they meet about the miracle of Christmas.
Simeon and Anna (Christmas 2): Simeon and Anna are prophets who have waited their entire lives to meet Jesus face to face. When Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for the first time, they know that their life’s work is complete. “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word,” Simeon sings, “for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.” (Luke 2:29-31). Anna shared this good news with anyone who would listen, thankful for a long life well lived, a precious hope at last fulfilled.
Wise Men (Epiphany): The wise men remind us that Jesus was not just a miracle for the people of Israel, but for the entire world. They see the sign of the star and follow, past the edge of their known world, to meet Jesus face to face. “They offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,” (Matthew 2:11) because these people from a foreign land knew that he was king, God, and sacrifice. They bring this message to the nations, even as they return home by another road.
King Herod (Epiphany 2): King Herod is the one who is directly affected by the rumors of a new king who is not from his family. Willing to protect his throne at any cost, “he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.” (Matthew 2:16) Just before the massacre, Joseph dreams of the danger, and he, Mary, and Jesus become refugees in Egypt until it is safe to return.
Jesus’ Baptism (Baptism of Our Lord): The Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany cycle ends with the beginning of Jesus’ adult ministry and his baptism. We meet John and Jesus again, now fully grown and ready to fulfill what God had planned for them, even before they were in the womb. During Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit arrives, and God declares, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)
Dwelling in the Word Together 