In his sermon entitled 'This Child is Set for the Fall and Rising of Many in Israel,' Pastor Steve Hopkins discusses the presentation of Jesus at the temple as described in Luke 2. He focuses on Simeon, a devout man in Jerusalem, who recognized Jesus as the Messiah and declared Him as the salvation prepared before all people, a light to the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel. Pastor Hopkins explores historical and scriptural insights into Simeon's identity, suggesting he may be Rabban Simeon, a respected Jewish leader. The sermon examines the dual role of Jesus as both a sanctuary for believers and a stumbling block for unbelievers, emphasizing the eternal implications of one's response to Christ. Pastor Hopkins urges the congregation to reflect on their eternal state, encouraging repentance and faith in Jesus as the cornerstone of salvation. He concludes by highlighting the assurance and joy found in trusting Christ, especially during the Christmas season.

Welcome back to Burnet Bible Church. This week, Pastor Hopkins gives a Christmas sermon entitled, This Child is Set for the Fall and Rising Again of Many in Israel. Good morning, everyone. If you would turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Luke, the second chapter. Let's begin with verse 25.

And if you would stand with me for the reading of the word of the Lord. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, that he took him up in his arms and blessed God, and said, Lord, now let us bow thy servant to part in peace according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. Alight, alight with the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many individuals and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Let's pray.

Our Father in heaven, we are so grateful, God, for your Word, Lord, and of this historical account, Lord, of the fortieth day after Christ's birth. Lord, we ask that you would make the truth of these scripture passages known to us, Lord. God, that you would open up our understanding and help us to understand, Lord, the things that are in your word, God, and that we might be changed thereby, that we might be conformed more into the image of your Son and grow in the grace and knowledge of him who has saved us from our sins and the wrath to come. For we ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. Let's be seated.

In our next session on Christmas Day, and I hope everyone will be here, we'll be looking at the account of the birth of Christ, And we're going to be looking at the purpose for which Christ came into the world. This morning we're going to be looking at the 40th day after the birth of Jesus. Some say it was the 40th day, some the 41st. There's a little bit of debate on that topic. But around the 40th day after the birth of Jesus when male infants were brought to the temple for the purification ceremony.

And we start off with Luke chapter 2 verse 25 where we read, and behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And I don't know if you have commentaries in your Bible. I have a commentary in my Bible. And a note in my Bible commentary says that apart from this account in Luke, nothing is known of the man Simeon. And while that's true, we have no other biblical information concerning the man Simeon other than what we have before us this morning.

We do have some information about him here in our text that gives us some idea of who this man was and at least the character of this man. And we also have some compelling entries from the historical records that may give us some insight as to the identification of the man Simeon. From the text, we know that he was, well first he was in Jerusalem, we know he was there. We know he was alive at that time, at the time of the birth of Christ. We know that he was not only in Jerusalem, he was actually at the temple or the temple area at the time of the birth or just after the birth of Christ and at the time of his purification ceremony.

And from history we know some things about a man named Simeon who was living at that time in Jerusalem. John Lightfoot, a rabbinical scholar who lived in the 1600s, notes that there was a man named Simeon found in the Jewish chronologies living at Jerusalem at the time of Christ's birth, and he was called, quote, a prince in Israel, and he was a, quote, president of the council, so he was a leader among the Jews, and his name was Rabban Simeon. And I wanted to just camp out for just a moment or two on this first part of verse 25, because there's some interesting things about that man, Rabban Simeon, who lived in Jerusalem at the time of Christ's birth, that make me tend to agree with Lightfoot and others, and even John Gill alludes to this or suggests it as a possibility, that Rabban Simeon may in fact be the Simeon spoke of here in our text this morning. I want you to consider something for just a moment. Consider how it is that a man could walk in into the temple during a purification ceremony in the temple, have to walk past the temple guards, which we know were there, able to walk right up to the parents of a child who's only 40 or 41 days old and Be able to walk up to them interrupt this ceremony that's taking place and have the parents of this child hand their baby over to him and allow him to take this child into his arms.

And no one, at least from the text, stops him or even questions his intent. It seems to me that this man Simeon wasn't just a vagrant. He wasn't a man who just drifted in off the streets of Jerusalem to find Joseph and Mary willing to hand off their child to him. But whether or not one concludes that his identity is the at least somewhat well-known Rabban Simeon, we have to at least conclude that he's a man that Joseph and Mary trusted. He had to be somebody that they trusted.

You don't hand off your baby to just any older man or even younger man who walks up to you. So again, whether or not we conclude his identity is Rabban Simeon, we have to at least conclude that he is a man that Joseph and Mary trusted. Our text tells us this morning that this same man was just and devout. This Simeon who came into the temple was just and devout. He was known for His godly character.

He was just and for his faith. He was devout the Simeon in our text had a reputation in Israel for both his piety as well as his devotion to God. Again, no parent in his or her right mind hands off their newborn child or infant to just any man who walks in off the streets. And it's hard to imagine that the Jewish authorities would permit just anyone to interrupt their ceremony to do what Simeon did. This Simeon of Scripture was evidently known by everyone present and a man whose reputation followed him.

You know, barring the possibility that, you know, this interruption comes, nobody knows this guy, he's just some guy off the streets somewhere and he walks in and and no one's ever seen him before, nobody knows anything and kind of the Holy Spirit just creates this special situation where they all are just kind of stunned and they don't do anything, they don't question him, he gets in, he gets past the guards, he gets into the ceremony and these parents just hand their child off to him because it's all the operation of the Holy Spirit, possibly. But it seems to me that it's more something that we would be able to say, this is logical. Ancient Jewish records tell us that Rabban Simeon was the son of the well-known Rabbi Hillel. How many of you have heard of Hillel? Very famous in history.

And that he was the father of Gamaliel. How many remember that name? So Gamaliel, that strikes a bell, the instructor, the mentor of Saul, who would later become the apostle Paul upon his conversion. You know, it's easy for us to think sometimes of these characters in biblical history in a somewhat disconnected way. Like there's no community there.

People don't really know each other. There's no community. But something we need to understand is that Jesus never traveled beyond 80 miles from the place of his birth. If you track everywhere he went, he never went beyond 80 miles, so figure 80 miles from here, where that would be, beyond the place of his birth. Also consider that you can fit the nation of Israel, at least in its modern dimensions, into the state of Texas 31 times.

Just to give us some scale here. My point is that there was a lot of community and family ties within the Jewish community and people tended to know who their neighbors were and it seems clear that Joseph and Mary and the Jewish authorities knew this man. Another interesting point that leads me to believe that Rabban Simeon, son of Hillel, father of Gamaliel, could be the Simeon of Luke 2, is that while the chronological and historical records of the Jewish nation name Rabban Simeon in various places, the man's name was stricken from the records of what are known as the tradition of the elders. His name was taken out. John Gill brings this up.

He suggests the possibility that Rabban Simeon was stricken from the records known as the tradition of the elders on account of his having professed Jesus as Messiah. We don't know this for sure, but he suggests the possibility. It's really a speculation. McGill says that Rabban Simeon being, quote, entirely left out in the account of the succession of the fathers of tradition is somewhat extraordinary, considering he's the son of one, Halal, and the father of another, Gamaliel, who were men of so much note among them. One would be tempted to think, just tempted to think, that such a neglect of him may have sprung from ill will to him.

And then Gil suggests the possibility of him being stricken from the tradition of the elders was on account of his confession that Jesus was the Messiah awaited by the Jewish people. We don't know again. What we do know is this in John chapter 9 and verse 22 the Jewish leaders of Christ Day agreed, They determined, you can read there in John 9, 22, to cast out from their synagogues, that is to excommunicate anyone who professed Jesus to be the Christ. But back to our text. Our text tells us that This man, Simeon, whoever he was, was waiting for the consolation of Israel.

The consolation of Israel is a messianic title. He was waiting for the hope and the comfort of Israel. This is a Messianic title that refers specifically to Christ. Simeon, listen to this, Simeon was a man who had his spiritual eyes fastened on the Christ to come. He had his eyes fastened on him who was to be the comfort of Israel the consolation of Israel Israel's strength in consolation hope of all the earth thou art as the hymn says He's waiting.

He has his spiritual eyes fastened upon Christ to come, just as every one of us should have our eyes focused upon Christ who has come and who is coming again. Simeon was a man who longed for the appearance of Messiah, the hope of Israel. And now the waiting's over because the day has come. And our text tells us, the next thing it tells us is that the Holy Ghost was upon him. The Holy Spirit was upon him.

The Holy Spirit was both speaking to Simeon and speaking through Simeon. And it was revealed unto him, we read in verse 26, by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death. He wasn't going to die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. That he would not die until he had seen Christ's appearance, until he had seen the Messiah come in the flesh. And he trusted the word of the Lord revealed unto him, and he waited for the day.

And now the day of the fulfillment of that revelation has come. And the scripture tells us that he came by the Spirit. He came under the power of the Spirit, inspiration of the Spirit, and leading of the Spirit, and guidance of the Spirit. And he came into the temple by the Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who led him to the temple that day.

And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, this is verse 27, to do for him after the custom of the law, that is to bring their offering of purification on the 40th or 41st day after the birth of a male child. That Simeon took him up in his arms. They handed him off to Simeon and he took Jesus, the Messiah, up into his arm and he blessed God. He praised God. Can you not just see this man coming into the temple?

He's waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit has shown him, has told him, has revealed him, this is the Christ. And he's saying, I can die now in peace. And He takes him in his arms and he's holding him and he's blessing God and he's blessing Joseph and Mary and he's praising God. Can you just see him with tears running down his cheeks?

The revelation of God to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ has finally come to pass. He's come face to face with Israel's strength and consolation, the hope of Israel and the hope of all the world. He's come face to face with him. And so he prays, holding the child Jesus, Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word. That is, I can die now in peace, Lord, for I have seen Christ.

And brothers and sisters, every one of us can also depart in peace who have laid our spiritual eyes upon him in faith. Simeon says, my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. Simeon knows the prophecies of his coming, obviously, and He knows that the kingdom of Christ and His saving reach, its expansion, will be far beyond the borders of Israel and Judaism. He understands that this child that he's holding in his arms is the light spoken of by the prophets of old. This is the one we've been reading of.

This is the hope of Israel. This is the light who's going to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, verse 32, which is from Isaiah. Isaiah said, he was a light to lighten the Gentiles, and praise God, brothers and sisters, that means you and me, the Gentiles. He was the light to lighten the Gentiles in the glory of his people Israel, though only a remnant of Israel will realize it. Isaiah predicted this 700 years earlier.

700 years earlier, Isaiah predicts and Simeon repeats what Isaiah said. 700 years earlier. I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles, Isaiah says in Isaiah 49.6. I will give you for a light to the Gentiles. Matthew Henry comments here, Christ came to be the light of the world, not just a candle in the Jewish candlestick.

All without distinction may obtain salvation in Christ, writes Calvin. Christ brings God's truth, salvation, and gracious presence to all nations. The note in my Bible says, verse 33, Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. They knew the scriptures and they knew exactly what Simeon was saying and they marveled at him and they marveled at it. This was Messianic language that was being spoken of concerning their child and they understood it to be so.

And Simeon blessed them, verse 34, and he said unto Mary his mother, behold, Behold this child, behold this child, he's holding him in his arms, behold this child is set for the fall and the rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against. And yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also." Mary would witness much of the perpetual cross that Jesus would endure From the manger to the cross and she will be at the foot of the cross When her son is is thrust through the side with a Roman spear after his death. And oh, how the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed. The gospel sharper than any two-edged sword is quick and powerful, piercing, even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And this child, Simeon says, speaking by the Holy Spirit under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, oh this child, he is set.

He is set for the fall and the rising again of many in Israel. This child, Simeon holds in his arms, is set like a stone. He is appointed to an end, and that end cannot be altered. And that end is the fall of many and the rising again of many in Israel. Many will be blessed, even as others are condemned through his ministry, Christ's ministry.

Many will be raised from spiritual death to spiritual life, but many will stumble and fall. In Isaiah chapter 8 verse 14, the prophet Isaiah prophesies that Messiah will be a sanctuary for some and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense at the same time to others. Does everyone hear that? And remember, listen to me, nothing has changed. Nothing has changed.

He is a sanctuary. Isaiah said he will be a sanctuary for some a place of safety a place of safety apart from which there is no safety eternally and to others he will be the same Messiah will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense 814 says he shall be for a sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. 8.14 says, he shall be for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a djinn and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and many among them shall stumble and fall. Many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken." Again, a note in my Reformation heritage Bible says, the same Lord who is the confidence of believers is the obstacle that destroys unbelievers." Further on in Luke chapter 20, from our opening text, in verse 17, we read, and he beheld them and said, this is Jesus, what is this then? After Jesus is in his public ministry, he beheld them and said, what is this then that is written?

The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner. He's asking the Jewish leaders and those who are openly rejecting him, what is this? What's this all about? What is this then that is written, the stone which the build is rejected, the same has become the head of the corner? Jesus here referring to himself.

And then he says in verse 18 of Luke chapter 20, whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken. Imagine him looking into the eyes of these super religious leaders of his day and saying these words. Listen to me, he's saying. Listen to me. Whoever falls on this stone shall be broken, but on whosoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

This is their Messiah speaking to them, and this is the babe that Simeon has taken up in his arms and lifted up. No wonder the prophet Malachi says, who may abide the day of his coming? Who shall abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appears? As I say, Nothing has changed, has it?

Everyone responds to this babe that came and was born at Bethlehem and appeared suddenly in the temple at Jerusalem 40 days after his birth. Nothing has changed. Nothing's really changed. Some hear of him and what he came to do, who he is, and what he came to do, and They're softened, they're broken. Others are hardened.

It's the same. It's the same today as it always has been. There's nothing more important for any soul in this church house or any soul on earth to consider than the consideration of their eternal state. How many would agree with that? It's the most important thing.

We got lots of things on our minds, lots of things going on this season. We got lots of things we want to do and things we've got to do and things we've got to get done, but the most important thing that we could possibly consider is our eternal state, the state of our eternal souls. And every one of us is at this moment, this very afternoon, is either in a state of grace or a state of condemnation, every one of us is. Or in one place or the other. And eternity is just around the corner.

I love reading the sermons of Charles Spurgeon because he delivers his message, but he never fails to come around to the most important thing, eternity, at the close of his message. We should always come to a close and think about the things of eternity, the most important things, the most important things of life, the most important thing of life. Eternity is just around the corner. I've said it many times, you've heard me say it, your life is like an hourglass that is turned upside down. The grains of sand are falling.

And when the last grain of sand falls, it will not give back. It's not going to give back. At the moment of your death, your eternal state will be sealed. Simeon said that Jesus was set for the fall and the rising again of many in Israel. And I tell you that Jesus is set for the fall and the rising again of many in America today and in this church house.

He is set for one or the other. And your response to Jesus, your response to Him reveals which it is. Your response to His invitation to repent and believe, if you've never repented and believed on His name, reveals which it is. We just read from the prophet Malachi a moment ago, who can abide the day of his coming? And I ask you this afternoon, who can abide the day of his second coming?

Who can abide the day of his second coming? If a tree falls to the south or if it falls to the north, there it lies. Death is coming for every person in this room, and death is final. It's final. There is nothing you will ever consider that is more important and timely than the question of your eternal state before God.

People like to tell themselves that there's more time. I got more time. There's more time to think about the things of eternity. Not today. They say to themselves, there's always tomorrow.

And of course, that's true. There is always tomorrow, right up to the day that there is no tomorrow. There is a day that's called the last day. Can you abide the day of Christ's second coming? Will you be able to stand before God on that day?

The scriptures tell us that only united to Jesus by faith will any one of us stand on that day and the rest will fall and it will be an eternal fall. The rest will fall and it will be an eternal fall. And you may say, Pastor, this is kind of talking really putting me into the Christmas spirit. I don't want you in the Christmas spirit. I want you in Christ.

My prayer is that not a single soul in this place today will leave here without the calm. Listen to me, the calm assurance. It's a calm assurance that they are in Christ and Christ is in them. And yes, you can have that calm assurance. You can have that.

You can have that. Turn from your sins, embrace Christ and all He's done for you both in His life and His death and His resurrection from the dead. You can have that calm assurance. The sure mercies of God are set before every one of us in the gospel. What God requires of us is to repent and believe on his name.

To those who knowingly and willingly oppose the Son of God, he's to them different than what he is to us who believe. To us he's salvation, consolation, comfort, peace, joy, righteousness. To them, he's a rock of offense and a stone of stumbling. To us who believe, he is precious, Peter said. Unto us who believe, he is precious because he's the cornerstone upon which our salvation rests.

We have God's promise that all who call in the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rest in his promise. Embrace the calm assurance of it. Fall upon the sure mercies of Christ by faith. Rest in Him in what He's done for you, in living for you, in dying for you, and in rising again from the dead for you.

Trust Him. Trust Jesus. Embrace the calm assurance that Christ is yours and you are his by faith. Trust him. And then rejoice as we close.

Rejoice with heart and soul and voice knowing that God has done mighty things unto you. For no one who sincerely comes to God through Christ will ever come into condemnation and these are good tidings of great joy that have been proclaimed to all people. Jesus Christ was born for this. Let's pray. Father, we are so grateful once again for your Word.

We're so grateful, God, for your Spirit. We're so grateful, God, when your Spirit takes the Word and applies the Word to our hearts and helps us to grow thereby. And we're so grateful, God, when your spirit wields the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, upon our hearts and upon our souls, oh God, and brings conviction where we need conviction. And Lord, we're so grateful for your work in our lives that brings us to saving faith. And God, we praise you and thank you and admit and confess that salvation is all of you and none of us.

And God, we thank you and praise you for the work that you've done in our hearts and lives, Lord, who are trusting in you alone today for our salvation. We thank you God for the work that you've done and that only you've done, oh God. And we know that you never begin a work that you don't complete. And we know Lord that because you have done this work and begun this work in our hearts Lord that we will never come into condemnation. We are eternally safe.

We're eternally safe in Christ. And we thank you for this. We praise you for it, God. And Lord, we thank you for this time of year when we can look upon the coming of Christ into the world, both His advent and His birth at Bethlehem. We thank you Lord that we have a time when we can really focus upon this and praise you God and worship you Lord for sending your Son into the world as our Savior and He willingly coming and suffering and dying for our sins and rising from the dead to bring us to God.

We thank you, Lord, and we praise you, God, for this time. And we ask you, Lord, that you would now be with us, Lord, as we prepare to share in the Lord's table and eat of that bread and drink of that cup each person who participates saying, Jesus died for me. Jesus shed his blood for me. My hope and my trust is in him. He is my strength and consolation and my hope alone.

Help us now, Lord, to examine ourselves as we approach that table. For we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. Thank you.