When the appointed time had come the Creator of heaven and earth was brought to His temple by His faithful mother and father to present Him to the Lord in remembrance of Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt at the cost of the firstborn of the Egyptians and the sparing of Israel’s firstborn by the spilling of the blood of the lambs. But this Lamb, this firstborn Son will not be spared. He will not be bought back. He has come to do the Father’s will, to spill His sacred and precious Blood for sinners to deliver us from our bondage to sin. Faithful Simeon and Anna both believed this promise of God and so received the Christ child in faith and found rest and joy in the salvation which God had faithfully brought to fruition just as He had promised. What joy is ours to go to the Lord’s house and there find the Lord Jesus with the life and salvation He brings just as He promised. God grant that we may so receive Him in His Word and Sacraments that we too may depart in peace having seen the salvation of the Lord with our eyes and heard the great promise of redemption with our ears. I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer