4th Candle of Advent

Today is the 4th and final Sunday of Advent, the candle today represents love. The angles announced the good news of a Savior.  God sent his only Son to earth to save us, because he loves us! “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)

Love became flesh and made his dwelling among us. This is a season of expectancy and hope. Our expectations for the Christmas season will only be met if we put them all in Jesus. I feel like the expectancy of Christ is most manifest in Anna, Simeon, Mary and Joseph. God had promised Simeon, Mary, and Joseph that they would behold the Messiah. Anna was a widow who had been serving God at the Temple for decades and she responded to Jesus by proclaiming that the infant was indeed the redemption of Jerusalem.


All four of them had their expectations finally met in Jesus. You better believe that they rejoiced. Like them we need to look for something better than presents, crowds and family. we need to be looking for Christ. If we hold Jesus in our hearts, his joy should permeate all areas of our lives. Therefore, we should always have a reason to rejoice.

Christmas however provides a special time to rejoice and celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promises. Israel had been without a noted prophet for centuries by the time Jesus was born. They had a huge reason to celebrate and rejoice over the words of Simeon and Anna. But even greater than that they had reason to rejoice over the birth of Jesus. Although their full expectations were not to be met until some thirty years later, these beginning expectations caused a heightened pitch of excitement in Israel. We have no idea when our full expectations will be met, but Christmas should heighten our excitement and rejoicing in the promises of God.

It is odd to me that so little is said about Anna and Simeon. They were devout and just, that is about all we know about their character. It is stated in scripture that Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel. That is to say, based upon the sure promises of God’s word, he looked for and fully expected the Messiah. Further, the record says that the holy spirit was upon him. The LORD had indicated to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Anointed, that is, the one who was appointed to deliver Israel. Now the time had arrived. Simeon had faithfully waited for many years for the fulfillment of that unique promise made to him. What a fine example we have in Simeon to wait upon the Lord, always hopeful and full of expectation for the things promised to us by God! Even though the fulfillment may come many years later, perhaps more than we had hoped or expected, God has his own time schedule. It is pleasing to him that we wait upon him.

Simeon’s joy at the sight of this child who would deliver Israel was immeasurable. He immediately took him into his arms; and with great confidence he blessed God and proclaimed a message that the child eventually would have a great impact upon all the people of the earth. Simeon rejoiced. Simeon loved Jesus instantly. He knew that this child was the manifestation of love. The incarnation...

Who was Anna? Anna was a favored woman of God from the tribe of Asher. Asher was a rather undistinguished tribe that failed to completely live up to everything God had for them. They had produced no judge, hero or heroine of the faith, until Anna! Anna was at least 84, but still actively serving the Lord. No doubt, the burden of her heart and prayers were for the long promised Messiah. NO wonder such a devoted woman was favored of God to see the Messiah in the form of a baby. It thrilled her heart so much that she just had to go tell those far and near the god news! Imagine this elderly woman going from place to place preaching the birth of the messiah. She was rejoicing in the fulfillment of promise.








































Simeon and Anna (and probably Joseph and Mary to some extent)  worshipped Christ. Worship is a type of rejoicing. The Bible says (of the shepherds actually), "they saw the young child…and worshipped him" (Matthew 2:11). And they were right to worship Him, because He is God in human flesh, Emmanuel, which means "God with us." As Charles Wesley put it, "Veiled in flesh the God-head see, Hail the incarnate Deity…Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King". (Charles Wesley, 1707-1788). "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing,O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord." (Latin hymn, Trans. by Frederich Oakeley, 1802-1880).

 Love came down at Christmas time. Worship should be our response.