Luke 2: 22-40 The Great Consolation Prize January 1, 2012

Pastor Robert Schipul

Quiz shows are noted for the wonderful prizes one could win if you have the right answers. Of course sometimes you don’t win and then you receive a CONSOLATION PRIZE. Many “Winners” walk away from quiz shows because they cannot afford the immediate tax levied against their prize. But the consolation prize is usually smaller in value and does not require an immediate gift tax.

On the eight day of Jesus life here on earth Mary and Joseph entered the Temple in Jerusalem with Jesus in their arms. He had won the great prize of “SAVIOR OF THE WORLD” and for that there would be a penalty due and collected by the government and one also by His Father in heaven. The prize of being Savior would cost him his life.

On that day the beginning of the end of mans continual strife to be good enough and failing every time would come to an end. The powerful and political hoped for a rising of the HOUSE of DAVID again. The Jews had been waiting for 1,000 years for a new David to come forward. A time of superior power and might, a time when the entire world would bow to Jerusalem. The poor and sick and downtrodden who are present in all societies wanted a time of healing and a time of plenty. A time when their physical needs would be filled and they could live in peace.

An old man who kept the ritual of daily worship and prayer in the Temple came in and saw the Babe and his parents. “He was waiting for the comforting …The Consolation of Israel and he saw in the Babe the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah. Simeon knew that He or his people could never attain to the level of righteousness which God demanded…so like many faithful Jews…Simeon waited patiently, doing the best he could to devote his life to serving God…but waiting for God to bring him comfort…a consolation prize.

When a contestant loses the big prize, they would walk away empty-handed if it were not for the consolation prize. The Show doesn’t have to give them the prize…they do it out of pure grace. Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel that (because of your short-comings, no matter how heard you try) you will never be good enough to stand in front of God and say: “I am worthy.” So you wait too…We all do. When Simeon looked up that day and saw Jesus in his Mother’s arms, the Holy Spirit whispered…”Simeon…that’s the one…Your wait is over. God has kept his promise!

What does Simeon say to them…? “My life is complete…Now I can die…hey Simeon!…now you can live!…because You have seen YOUR salvation…not mine…that you have prepared in the FACE of all people …a light to reveal all this to the Gentiles who will believe and for Glory to your people Israel … because NOW they can see Messiah… promised for so long.

This was another story to be told over and over again…after all only 5 people witnessed it… bewildered parents, a gurgling baby boy and two old devout pilgrims that nobody listens to. That’s not the point…the point is it happened. The point is the consolation had begun to take place…the Lord had kept His promise to the Jewish nation and to you and me.

So for you and me this means we can live a completed life. We know that our Redeemer lives! We know that he has prepared a place for us at the end of our journey…and…we know that whatever comes our way in 2012 no one can take this comfort away from us. We can go home today with the consolation prize, given to us by a gracious Father because we too lost the big one. We couldn’t give enough right answers, do enough right things, share enough of ourselves to win, but like Simeon, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit we can receive the comfort of the Jews and the enlightenment for the Gentiles. And with these wonderful gifts of Grace, we can live in the forgiven kingdom now and forever.

God grant that in this New Year we may call upon the Lord and His Spirit to guide us along our pilgrimage way. AMEN.