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December 27, 2015

The Firstborn King

Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Series: The King Is Coming! Category: Biblical Scripture: Luke 2:22–40

The First Sunday of Christmas
December 26-27, 2015
Luke 2:22-40

“The Firstborn King”

Did you get through all of your Christmas cards? We send and receive these to people in our lives, and they become an opportunity to catch up with one another. This can be the only time that we hear from folks the whole year! So did you get your card from Prince William or Prince Harry? Yeah, me neither. The British royals do send out official Christmas cards, and this year included one of Prince William’s growing family with his wife and two young children. Not to be outdone, the bachelor Prince Harry sent out his own card which was a photo from one of his “favorite moments from 2015.” The image shows the 31-year-old prince grasping hands with 95-year-old Battle of Britain veteran Tom Neil. Prince Harry met the pilot at the 75th anniversary commemorations on September 15, 2015. Check it out for yourself at
http://www.ibtimes.com/prince-harry-releases-his-own-christmas-card-after-prince-william-kate-middletons-2236309. But it is William, not Harry, who is firstborn and following his father, Prince Charles, will be heir to the British throne. We hear about what it means to be firstborn in today’s Old Testament lesson (Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15) and Gospel lesson (Luke 2:22-40), and how Jesus as the firstborn Child is presented at the temple in Jerusalem. That Advent theme for preaching, “The King is Coming!,” is extended just a bit further as we rejoice in Jesus our firstborn King who has come. And that is the theme for the message today on this First Sunday of Christmas. May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.

Let’s look first at the Old Testament lesson to give context and background to the Gospel lesson. Soon after delivering his chosen people from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:33ff.), the Lord God commanded that the firstborn of both man and beast were to be his. Beasts were to be sacrificed or redeemed, and firstborn male children were to be set apart for service to the Lord. Soon afterward, though, the Lord declared that the tribe of Levi should take the place of the firstborn and be specially dedicated to his service (Numbers 3:12ff.). While firstborn male children were no longer set aside for service to God, the principle was upheld that every firstborn really belonged to the Lord. A payment was required to redeem the child from this special service (Numbers 18:16), which was five shekels (about $2.50). The purpose of all this was to remind the children of Israel that they were dependent on the Lord and that they belonged to him. The people were to remember what God had done for them, as well as providing instruction for the next generation. So when a youngster would ask, “’What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem’” (Exodus 13:14-15). This was to be a memorial, a living witness, to how the Lord had delivered his people with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

Fast forward untold generations to the Gospel lesson as Joseph and Mary enter the temple in Jerusalem with their firstborn Son. Though not residents of Jerusalem, they had traveled to the holy city and the house of the Lord to do what the Lord required of them in the Law of Moses. And so we have a good picture of the faith and piety of this couple. And it is here, after fulfilling what was required at the temple, that Joseph and Mary encounter two of the eldest of God’s children, Simeon and Anna. They recognize who this firstborn King is and Simeon bursts into song: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). We will sing Simeon’s song today. Often called by its Latin name, the Nunc Dimittis, it has found its place in worship as one of our post-Communion canticles. Simeon’s joy, Anna’s joy, our joy, is in that tiny firstborn King. In him our eyes have seen the salvation which God has prepared in the sight of every people. This is Jesus, true God and true man, born of Mary, who came to fulfill all of the Law of Moses perfectly in our behalf as the sinless Son of God. He came to do what we could never do: living that life of perfect obedience to the Father’s will. And Jesus’ perfection, his sinlessness, his righteousness, he now graciously bestows upon imperfect, sinful, and wholly unrighteous people like you and me. This is not something that we can buy or purchase. This is not something that we earn or deserve through good behavior. No, this comes only as a gift – Jesus’ Christmas gift to you – and it is received only by faith in this tiny firstborn King. This King loved you so much that he left his throne in heaven to enter our broken and hurting world that he might give his life for us all.

Now what is our response to all of this? What do we do with this “good news of great joy that is for all the people” (Luke 2:10)? I can think of no better description of what our response to this ought to be and what it ought to look like than in today’s Epistle lesson as Paul the apostle encourages us: “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [13] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. [14] And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:12-17).

As we join Jesus on his mission in our daily lives, lives that look like this will serve as a magnet to other people as they see Jesus our firstborn King reflected in us. They will see something different in us that is attractive; something they want for themselves; something only God can give. And that is when we will, like Anna in the temple at Jerusalem, will be able “to speak of him [our firstborn King] to all who were [and are] waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). Amen.