The Great Divide Text: Luke 2:21-38
Introduction: Covenant Obedience
We live in a sentimental age, an age that wants a Jesus who is all manger and no cross, all platitudes and no prophecy. Our culture wants a soft, therapeutic Savior who affirms everyone and confronts no one. But the Jesus of the Bible is not a harmless baby cooing in the straw forever. He is the long-awaited King, the fulfillment of the law, and the great dividing line of human history. And in this passage, we see His parents, in humble obedience, bringing this King into direct contact with the institutions of the Old Covenant. What we witness here is not just a quaint family ritual; it is a profound statement about who Jesus is and what He came to do.
Mary and Joseph are not religious innovators. They are not trying to be "spiritual but not religious." They are faithful, observant Jews, and they bring their firstborn son to the Temple to fulfill all righteousness. They do everything "according to the Law of Moses." This is a critical point. Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He is not a revolutionary in the modern sense, tearing down institutions. He is the reality to which all the Old Testament shadows pointed. The circumcision, the purification, the presentation, the sacrifice, all of it was a divinely-ordained picture, and now the subject of the portrait has arrived in person.
And when He arrives, He is met by the faithful remnant, the true Israel, represented by Simeon and Anna. These are not the powerful, the movers and shakers in Jerusalem. They are not the Herods or the Caiaphases. They are the humble, the devout, the ones who were actually waiting for God to keep His promises. And in their Spirit-filled response to this baby, we are given the meaning of His advent. He is salvation. He is a light. He is glory. And He is a sword. He is the great sorting event of the world. How a man responds to this child reveals what is truly in his heart. There is no neutrality here. This child is appointed for the fall and rise of many. You either stand with Him or you fall before Him. There is no third option.
The Text
And when eight days were fulfilled so that they could circumcise Him, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days for their cleansing according to the Law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.” And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort 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 carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms and blessed God, and said, “Now Master, You are releasing Your slave in peace, According to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT FOR REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And for the glory of Your people Israel.” And His father and mother were marveling at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed, and a sword will pierce through your own soul as well, that the 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 to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
(Luke 2:21-38 LSB)
Under the Law (vv. 21-24)
The first thing Luke wants us to see is the profound submission of the Holy Family to the terms of the Old Covenant.
"And when eight days were fulfilled so that they could circumcise Him, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb." (Luke 2:21 LSB)
On the eighth day, Jesus is circumcised. This is the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. By this act, the sinless Son of God is formally identified with a sinful people. He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us. The shedding of His blood begins here, in a ceremonial act that pointed to the need for a cleansing of the heart. He who had no need of heart-circumcision submitted to the physical sign in order to fulfill the law He Himself had given. He is also given His name, Jesus, which means "Yahweh saves." The name and the sign are bound together. He is marked as a son of the covenant in order to save the sons of the covenant.
This has massive implications for how we understand the continuity of God's people. The sign of the covenant has changed from circumcision to baptism, but the reality it points to, and the recipients of that sign, have not. The covenant is still made with believers and their children. To exclude infants from the sign of the covenant in the New Testament is to make the New Covenant narrower than the Old, which is the exact opposite of what the prophets promised.
"And when the days for their cleansing according to the Law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.”" (Luke 2:22-24 LSB)
Next, they obey the laws concerning purification and the redemption of the firstborn. Mary, though she bore the sinless Son of God, submits to the law for ceremonial cleansing after childbirth. This shows her humility and her solidarity with all other mothers in Israel. Jesus, as the firstborn, belonged to God in a special way. This law went back to the Exodus, when God spared the firstborn of Israel. Now, the ultimate Firstborn, the one through whom all creation was made, is presented in the Temple. He is the one who redeems, yet He is symbolically redeemed.
And notice their sacrifice: two turtledoves or pigeons. This was the concession God made for the poor. The prescribed sacrifice was a lamb, but if a family could not afford one, they could bring birds. The Lord of glory, the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills, enters His own house under the provision for the poor. This is the breathtaking humility of the incarnation. He became poor, so that we through His poverty might become rich.
The Watchman's Reward (vv. 25-32)
In the temple, the Holy Spirit arranges a divine appointment with two elderly saints who embody the faithful hope of Israel.
"And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort 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." (Luke 2:25-26 LSB)
Simeon is described as righteous and devout. He is not just externally religious; his life is oriented toward God. He is "waiting for the comfort of Israel." This is messianic language. He was looking for the promised Messiah to come and console God's people. And he is a man of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was upon him, had revealed a promise to him, and now leads him into the temple at the precise moment Mary and Joseph arrive. This is not a coincidence; it is a divine orchestration.
"And he came in the Spirit into the temple...then he took Him into his arms and blessed God, and said, 'Now Master, You are releasing Your slave in peace, According to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT FOR REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And for the glory of Your people Israel.'" (Luke 2:27-32 LSB)
This beautiful hymn is often called the Nunc Dimittis, from the first words in Latin, "Now you dismiss." Simeon sees his life's purpose fulfilled. He can die in peace because God has kept His word. But look at what he says about this baby. He is not just the comfort of Israel; He is God's "salvation." This child is salvation. And this salvation has been prepared for all peoples. Simeon, a faithful Jew, steeped in the Old Testament, sees at once the universal scope of the Messiah's work. He will be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles." The mystery hidden for ages is now being revealed. The Gentiles are not an afterthought; they are part of the plan from the beginning. And yet, this does not diminish Israel's place. This same light is "the glory of Your people Israel." The true glory of Israel is not in their political power or their ethnic purity, but in the fact that the Savior of the world came from them.
The Prophetic Sword (vv. 33-35)
Simeon's prophecy now takes a darker, more realistic turn. The arrival of this child is not a simple, happy event. It is a crisis.
"And His father and mother were marveling at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed, and a sword will pierce through your own soul as well, that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.'" (Luke 2:34-35 LSB)
Even Mary and Joseph, who had received angelic announcements, are marveling. The reality of God's plan is always bigger than we can grasp. Simeon blesses them, and then delivers a hard word directly to Mary. This child is a watershed. He is "appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel." Jesus is the great stumbling stone. For those who are proud, who trust in their own righteousness, He will be an occasion for their fall. They will trip over His humility, His claims, His cross. But for those who are humble, who know they are sinners in need of a savior, He will be the occasion for their rising. He lifts the lowly from the ash heap.
He will be a "sign to be opposed." The word is literally "spoken against." He is a sign of contradiction. His very presence forces a decision. He will be hated, slandered, and ultimately, killed. And this opposition will be like a sword piercing Mary's own soul. She will watch her son be rejected and crucified. This is the cost of being the mother of the Messiah. The joy of the nativity is inseparable from the agony of Calvary.
And what is the purpose of all this? "That the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." Jesus is the great revealer. He is the truth, and when He shows up, He exposes the secrets of the heart. You cannot remain neutral about Jesus. Your reaction to Him shows what you truly are. He is the ultimate litmus test. He forces all the hidden motives, all the pride, all the rebellion, and all the humble faith out into the open.
The Faithful Witness (vv. 36-38)
As if to confirm Simeon's word, another witness appears, also arranged by the Holy Spirit.
"And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher...She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem." (Luke 2:36-38 LSB)
Anna is a model of faithful endurance. A widow for most of her long life, she has dedicated herself completely to God. She lives in the temple, in constant worship. Her life is one of fasting and prayer. She represents the devout soul that longs for God's presence. And "at that very moment," another one of Luke's divinely timed appointments, she arrives. Her response is immediate: she gives thanks to God. She recognizes the child for who He is.
And then she becomes the first evangelist. She begins to speak of Him to all the others who were "waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem." She finds the community of the faithful, the true remnant, and she tells them the good news. The redeemer has come. The waiting is over. Simeon saw Him and was ready to die. Anna saw Him and was ready to speak. Both responses are the proper outworking of a heart that has truly seen the salvation of God.
Conclusion: The Thoughts of Your Heart
This passage strips away all our sentimental Christmas decorations and confronts us with the raw reality of Jesus Christ. He is not a suggestion. He is not a life coach. He is the pivot point of all human history and the crisis point for every human soul.
Simeon's prophecy is as true today as it was in the temple court. This Jesus is still appointed for the fall and rise of many. Many today are falling over Him. They are offended by His exclusive claims. They are offended by His moral demands. They are offended by the cross. They want a God they can manage, a religion that fits comfortably into their lifestyle. And so they stumble, and fall, and are broken.
But many are also rising. They are the ones who have come to the end of themselves. They are the ones who know they are spiritually bankrupt. They are the ones who hear His call and, by grace, they cast themselves upon Him. For them, He is not a stumbling stone but the cornerstone, the sure foundation upon which their lives are built. He lifts them out of the pit and sets their feet on a rock.
Simeon's word still stands: the thoughts of many hearts are being revealed. How you respond to this Jesus, the one presented in the temple, the one circumcised for sin, the one who was a sign spoken against, the one who died and rose again, reveals everything about you. It reveals whether your heart is proud or humble, rebellious or submissive, dead in sin or alive by grace. You cannot escape the decision. He is the great divide. On which side do you stand?