Sunday 31 December 2023 @BBP Church Auckland – it’s still Christmas!

SHINE JESUS, SHINE    

Readings: Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:22-40              

Yes, it’s still Christmas. The church celebrates Christmas for two weeks. If only the retail world understood that. O wait, they do. They’re always selling stuff on special. What a deal. The deal we have in Christ’s mass is a big deal and a better deal.

Finally, at the right time (literally “in the fulness of time – an idiom for the exact correct time), says Paul, in Galatians 4:4  “God sent his Son, born of a woman.” (Our translation today puts it well – “But when the set time had fully come”.)

• Yes, Paul’s not big on Christmas. In fact, this is Paul’s Christmas story – “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law…” It’s about as Christmassy as Paul gets. He’s much more interested in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
• Yes, Paul’s not big on Christmas. Mind you, neither are Mark or John. If we’d only had their gospels, we may have saved a lot of money and not done Christmas in the way we do.
• Matthew gives us Jesus’ lineage. And the basis for our next season in the Church – Epiphany – the revelation to the gentile magi from the east. But he’s very economical too. He emphasises David’s line, and the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies.

Luke is the best – he gives a wonderful account and much more detail, in line with his stated objective outlined at the beginning of the gospel: With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:3-4)

Luke chapters 1 and 2 are quite detailed.

• Someone said recently that if he could only have two chapters of the entire bible, these would be it. They are two of the most beautiful chapters in the whole NT. Luke gives the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah, John’s family, Mary’s magnificat and especially Zechariah’s beautiful prophecy – we’ll come to that later. And of course, angels, shepherds and the manger.
• It’s in Luke that we find flickers of longing, hope, life and possibility. There are faithful people shining their light, fasting, praying, waiting, believing. Expecting God to act. A Messiah to come.

Christmas in the first week is often focused on the children.

•  Presents, nativity plays, carols and songs. Decorations, colour, lights and candles.
• In today’s story – well this is more for the older ones. I was going to say oldies, then I realised that when we get together, the average age might be a little on the higher side than the age of the kids in a nativity play.
• We’ve heard the Christmas story every year. Sometimes we miss the faithful oldies in the story. Maybe there’s something for us there.

ZECHARIAH AND ELIZABETH

Luke goes straight into his orderly account in verse 5 of chapter one:

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Zechariah and Elizabeth – barren yet faithful and prayerful.

Zechariah

The story continues in verse 8: Luk 1:8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. Like so many in our churches, the priest is on a roster. Terrible word. Well, it’s true – his whole division was on duty when this all starts.

It’s worth reading Luke chapters 1 and 2 this week. The light was still flickering there when the majority of people were still walking in darkness (to quote Isaiah 9).

Zechariah is still there doing his duty. And an angel of the Lord appears standing at the right side of the altar of incense. He’s startled and gripped with fear. The angel also speaks! ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.’

Yes, he is a bit too dubious – and he is silenced by a rather miffed angel – ahem. Excuse me. I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God.   20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.’

“At their appointed time.” Exactly the same idiomatic phrase Paul uses in his Galatians Christmas line. It’s in the fulness of time.

Then there’s Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is a key person in the angel’s message of her pregnancy to the very young Mary.

• The angel, after explaining that the power of the Holy Spirit would make this possible, adds this helpful line: Luk 1:36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her six month. Luk 1:37 For no word from God will ever fail.” (Nothing is impossible with God)
• Even Elizabeth. Mary’s response is a kind of “well okay then, all good.” Okay it’s a bit more formal: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
• I’m sure that the relationship between this young teen and the older woman is key – the conversations they had must have made all the difference.

SIMEON AND ANNA

• Then there’s Simeon and Anna. Finally, we get to Luke 2!
• I think they are a great inspiration for us today.
• Faithful. Obedient. Their lights of faith and hope are still burning in a season of great darkness.

The application to us today?

I wrote in the newsletter today about little candles in the dark conflicted places of the world – “little candles of hope burning – people who serve without counting the cost, who shine the light of Christ in dark places.“

Sadly, it’s not just in war zones that we find a sense of gloom. Sometimes our churches get like that. Sometimes we expect too much from ourselves, or others place expectations on us.

As the new year approaches, perhaps this will help.

• God notices the faithful ones serving in these congregations.
• Like Simeon and Anna, we should not give up hope.

Okay it’s true that they were there at a particular point in history, the “fullness of time.” A specific season if you like.

Do we have seasons in our church and faith life?

Yes, I think we do. But there are some key things that enable this to happen. We see it in the Luke’s Christmas account.

• When Zechariah gets it right – it’s the Holy Spirit who moves in him. He is filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophecies giving us one of the most beautiful verses in Luke 1:78 – “through the tender mercy of our God; by which the Dayspring from on high has visited us…” This rising sun, dayspring, new dawn in the east, is the new day Jesus brings, and it incorporates forgiveness and mercy.(MKJV)
• In Simeon’s contribution – it’s all the Holy Spirit’s doing: Luke writes of Simeon, “who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.”

Anna is lovely too.

• You have to do some calculations to figure out her actual age. 7 years married 84 years widowed. If she was married at 14 which would not have been unusual then, what dress that add you to? 105. Reasonable age really. She’s the night and day lady.
• ³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna. She never left the temple but worshipped 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.

• She’s there and she’s connected. She may be a prophet, but there is no prophetic word – just thanksgiving.
• She gives thanks for Jesus, and then gets onto her prayer chain or pastoral list. Those other little candles of hope waiting for God to come and do it. Get things back on track.  She’s like the shepherds telling the story. Not out there but in the temple community. Her night and day job. ”She spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Simeon and Anna in today’s reading didn’t give up and walk away, but led by the Spirit, stayed faithful as little candles flickering – always faithful – until they saw Jesus the light, the hope of nations.

• We know this Jesus – “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).
• We are to be his light too. It’s the Holy Spirit who makes the light and life become a reality in our church communities.
• Even in Paul’s limited Christmas reference, it’s the Hoy Spirit in their hearts who enables them to call out “Abba, Father.”

You only find the term “Abba Father” three times in the NT. Here, and in the very similar passage in Romans 8, both talking about the Holy Spirit at work affirming our status as redeemed adopted children of God.

The third place is in Mar 14:36  “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus praying in the agony of the garden of Gethsemane.

• If there is to be a new season of hope, the local church has to be a hopeful place too.

Our season of growth will always be the work of the Holy Spirit too..

• Where we have a clear identity as God’s children (by the Holy Spirit ), and a clear purpose to let our light shine in witness to the world we live in.
• We are always a witness together. In unity – because according to Jesus’ prayer in John 17 – when we’re one the world will see that Jesus was sent to save us all. And then individually.
• Remember who you are and pray to the Father, Abba, that you may be a beacon of hope.
• Let’s be His light and hope in 2024.

Shine, Jesus, Shine – in us and in every other way you choose.

Amen