Die Holding on to Jesus
St. Luke 1:22-40
December 31, 2023 anno Domini
How do you want to die? That’s not a very merry Christmas question to ask just a week removed from the birth of our Savior, but it is what old Simeon teaches us in today’s Gospel. He teaches us how to die. So how do you want to die?
I want to die in old age – and I’m sure the older I get I will think it’s not old enough. I want to be in good health and sound mind, live in my own home and enjoy all the gifts of God to the very end – my family, God’s creation, and the pleasure of a few hobbies. I don’t really want to think about how I die, but if I could choose, I would like to die in my sleep – once again, when I’m really old.
Simeon is ready to die. In his words he is ready to depart in peace, to be set free from this valley of sorrow, because he is holding on to Jesus, because in Jesus he sees his salvation.
The days after Christmas on the Church calendar are days of death, deaths that were not expected. The day after Christmas is St. Stephen’s day. Stephen was a deacon, visiting widows with the church’s version of meals on wheels in Acts 6. Then he was seized by the Jews and preached a beautiful sermon of Jesus to them, which they couldn’t stand so they stoned him. Stephen encourages pastors to be faithful even if it kills you.
December 27 is the Day of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. John lived a lot longer than he expected. Remember John and his brother James asked if they could sit one at Jesus’s right and the other at His left when He came into His Kingdom. They didn’t realize they were asking to hang on the crosses beside Him at His crucifixion. It seemed like the Lord was going to give them what they asked for. James was the first Apostle to be killed for preaching Jesus. John probably thought he was next, that he also was going to get what he asked for and yet he outlived the 12 and died in old age. John teaches us that it’s no use figuring out when you’re going to die, leave that in the Lord’s hands.
December 28 is the day of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs. Those are the little boys who died in Bethlehem as Herod’s soldiers tried to kill the newborn King of the Jews. As we grieve those little infants, we are reminded that sin and death don’t even respect the littlest among us.
You should die holding Jesus. To hold on to Him you need to know where to find Him. Learn from Simeon that God is not all over the place for you. To be sure He is in the beauty of His creation and is with you in your home, but nowhere is He with you and for you like He is in Jesus. Simeon was in the temple. Why? Because that is where God located Himself for His people in the Old Testament. The glory of God descended in a cloud and sat above the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant. As Pastor Finnern told us on Christmas Day when God rested on the Ark the people rested. When the Cloud of Glory rose and started moving, they followed. The Holy Spirit told Simeon exactly where to find his salvation. Go to the Temple and then, the Spirit must have said something like, “Hey, Simeon. See that poor couple over there, offering their sacrifice of turtle doves. That little baby boy He is the Christ. He’s the One, He’s your Savior Simeon.”
Gift giving requires a location. Imagine a parent who buys Christmas gifts for his children. On Christmas day the children come running to the living room, but the Christmas tree is gone and there are no presents. Dad says, “Don’t worry. I got you gifts. I bought you a Playstation 5, and I got you an iPhone 15, and I got you that whole set of construction trucks and you that set of books.” Then the kids ask, “Where are they?” Dad says, “I don’t know. They could be anywhere.” That would be one cruel father. Our Father in heaven is good and merciful. He loves for us to receive His gifts so He puts them where we can find them. When you love someone the best part of gift buying is gift delivery and gift delivery requires a location. At this time of the year thatg’s under the tree, hidden in wrapping paper, addressed to you. To: Vixen. From: Rudolph.
If you want to die holding Jesus, you need to be where Jesus is delivered. Simeon was in the temple because that’s where Jesus was. You need to be in church. This is where the Holy Spirit has told you to go. This is where He has put Jesus. Jesus’ death and resurrection are given you in your Baptism. You are raised from the death of your sins by Jesus’ Word of forgiveness in the absolution. You hold Jesus’ very body in your hand in the Lord’s Supper, and you drink His very blood. Do you have to go to church? I don’t know. Do children have to go to the Christmas tree on Christmas? If they don’t want to go that’s up to them. You don’t have to go -you just won’t get your gifts.
Holding Jesus, you can depart in peace. That word depart doesn’t really capture what Simeon is saying. The word is most often for someone getting out of jail. It’s the word used then Pontius Pilate put Jesus and Barabbas before the crowd and the people chose Barabbas to be released. It is even used for forgiveness. When you hold Jesus by faith you’re free of your sins. God won’t let the Devil present them in the final court of judgment. You’re free of death – even though you die yet shall you live. You’re free from hell – you’re going to live in the new heavens and the new earth – free from sorrow, sickness, and sin.
Holding Jesus is not easy. Simeon says that Jesus is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” The world is living in darkness. They are blind to God’s ways and God’s words, and they are comfortable there. Only Jesus opens your eyes to understand sin and suffering and to know the way out. Only by faith in Jesus can you understand the purpose of life and marriage and work and children. Jesus is the light of the world, but the world loves the darkness, and so does your old sinful self.
Jesus is the glory of Israel – the crown on the head of God’s chosen people, but they didn’t want the Christ to rule them with forgiveness and grace. They didn’t want to travel the way of the cross as they waited for glory. They wanted to rule themselves, as St. Stephen preached in his deadly sermon, “You have betrayed and murdered the Righteous One.”
Holding on to Jesus is not easy, perhaps that is why my old sinful self wants an easy death. Yours probably does too. We shouldn’t pray for an easy death. Jesus didn’t have an easy death. He had a good death holding your sins up to the Father’s judgment, offering His life for yours, His body for your body. Let’s pray for the same kind of death – a death where we pray for the Father’s will to be done, a death where we resist the Devil’s temptations to glory, a death where we forgive our enemies, a death where we hold on to Jesus as Simeon did. That would be a good death not only for you, but for all those around you when you die. How do you want to die? Holding on to the name of Jesus. Amen.