Luke 2:22-40 Born to Die
Theological Proposition/Focus: Jesus was born to die and that changes everything.
Homiletical Proposition/Application: We should strive to know Jesus, but not just the fun parts. Rather we strive to completely know Jesus.
Introduction:
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Setting the Stage:
When we tell the story of Christmas we often stop at Luke 2:20. But what happens right after 2:20 is also important.
In verse 21 we see that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be circumcised exactly as the law had commanded.
When we talk about Jesus one of the hardest aspects we need to keep in mind is the balance between Christ's humanity and his deity. What better time to think about this balance than Christmas? Here in the remaining verses of Luke 2 we catch a glimpse of Christ's humanity. This begins with verse 21 but extends through verse 40 and beyond. We learn that Jesus was fully human and born into a Jewish family before Christ, hence the law mattered and there was a prescribed format that needed to be followed.
There is one reality that we as humans all face, not taxes, but death. Jesus was born fully human without a sin nature and so he was exempt from the requirement of death. However, what we learn in verses 22-40 is that Jesus was in fact, born to die.
Body
Knowing Jesus changes everything (25-32).
Jesus is the most significant figure in all of history (25-28).
Therefore, knowing Jesus is enough for a complete life (29-31).
And it is possible for anybody to come to know Jesus (32).
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MTR: Ask yourself, "Have I met Jesus?"
But truly knowing Jesus will demand both joy and sorrow (33-35).
The fact that the most significant figure in all of history is knowable by every individual is marvelous (33-34).
However, we must understand that Jesus is more than just a significant figure (35a).
Jesus is the one who brings us face-to-face with the consequences of sin (35b).
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MTR: Ask yourself, "Have I properly dealt with the hard parts of Jesus?"
We should go about life seeking to know Jesus more and more (36-40).
Anna reminds us that Jesus is the answer no matter your stage of life (36-38).
Mary and Joseph remind us that even though Jesus changes everything, life still goes on (39).
Why not stay in the temple? Because life needs to continue,
