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A re-cap of the sermon from December 21, 2008:
1. Luke cites two witnesses to the significance of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:21-40, Simeon and Anna. The setting is the Temple, 40 days after Jesus’ birth when Joseph and Mary bring the sacrifice (burnt offering and sin offering) for Mary’s purification (she was not sinless as some doctrine claims) and to present Jesus, the first born to the Lord.
2. The birth of Jesus is significant in three ways:
-He came to bring salvation to the whole world, Jew and Gentile alike (“…all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel”)
-Salvation is found in the person of Jesus, not in a religious system, not in a philosophy, not in righteous works (“My eyes have seen your salvation”)
-Salvation is necessary because we are all sinners and in need of redemption (Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”)
