The Big Reveal

January 1, 2012 New Year’s Day

Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Luke 2: 22-40

The Big Reveal!

Well. Happy New Year! As of midnight, 2012 is here. What 2012 will bring has not yet been revealed. However, many of you may have heard about one prediction about this year, that the world is supposed to end on December 20, 2012. This prediction is based on an ancient Mayan calendar called the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. The Mayans believed that it began at the moment of the creation of the world. The date of December 20, 2012 marks the end of a period of time.

Dooms-dayers have picked up on the ending of the Mayan calendar as the day for the end of the world. But according to those who study the ancient Mayan culture, that there is “no record or knowledge that [the Maya] would think the world would come to an end in 2012.[1] So, I am making a prediction of my own, the world will not end on that date. I’ll be here to speak to you on the 21^st, unless the Lord returns or takes me or you home. Though we don’t know what 2012 will bring to us, good or bad, I believe I will think positively and say that 2012 will be a blessed year and not end at the End!

Many people here in Lincolnton were busy during the month of December, getting ready for a “Big Reveal.” Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that the ABC TV reality show, Extreme Makeover, Home Edition, made over, actually rebuilt a new house for one of our citizens, the Friday family. If we had time, we would get Richard and Shelia to tell more about that, since the house was built on their street.

For those of you, like me, who don’t watch that show regularly, here’s what happens. On the reality show the modest home of a family is remodeled into a lavish, expensive home. Every family is different, and every home is different, but generally the home is a home that the family could only dream about, not actually afford.

The home is built through the efforts of a tremendous number of community volunteers, and really is a dramatic feat that amazes and astounds everyone involved. The house is equipped with new state-of-the art appliances and furniture. After 7 days of building, comes the Big Reveal! That is when the family arrives from the vacation they have been on for a week, and the big Extreme Makeover Bus pulls away from in front of the dwelling, and the house is revealed to the family for the first time.

One fellow, who was at the site everyday said, “it’s real Hollywood.” I think the show promotes generosity, hospitality and a wonderful community spirit. The family is blessed beyond measure with a brand new place to live.

Today’s scripture from Luke is the story of another kind of Big Reveal! Mary and Joseph weary from their travels had brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. They were there to do for him what was expected by the law, that was make a purification sacrifice for him. Every firstborn son was supposed to be dedicated to God in this way.

The Big Reveal in the gospel story happened this way. There was a devout man living in Jerusalem at the time whose name was Simeon. Simeon had been told by God that he would not die until he saw the salvation of Israel. The Bible does not tell us his age, but it does say that he was righteous and that the Holy Spirit was upon him.

I picture Simeon as a grandpa kind of a guy, the type who loved to see the new baby boys as they were brought to the temple. I know that he was looking for a particular child, but through the dozens of years, years that he had not seen the one he was looking for, that he had grown fond of cradling each little one and saying a blessing over them.

On this ordinary day, I don’t believe that Simeon was even expecting to see Jesus, the Holy one, the salvation of not only Israel, but of us all. But when he took the baby Jesus into his arms like I believe he had taken so many babies, his eyes must have fill with tears of gladness. It was then that the Big Reveal came.

With that one look at Jesus, Simeon broke into praising God, blessing God that now he could die in peace, because what God had told him had come to pass. At last he had seen the salvation of his people, and the one to bring light to the nations (every one of the rest of us).

Mary and Joseph were amazed at what he said. They knew that Jesus was special, and that he was God’s son. Now the truth was being affirmed by Simeon, the old righteous, devout man who was waiting to see the Messiah. And the old woman Anna, the prophetess who had spent most of her life praying, fasting and prophesying at the temple, she also confirmed that Jesus was the redeemer.

Simeon revealed to Mary and Joseph some things about what their child would do, how he was appointed to the fall and rise of many, and that his life would pierce Mary’s heart. I’m sure she didn’t know exactly what Simeon meant. We can look forward into Jesus life and understand what Simeon meant, but for those hearing in the present, a Prophet’s words often don’t make sense until they come about.

Even if they didn’t fully understand what Simeon was saying, I’m sure that both Mary and Joseph felt the weight of parenthood that day. This was a very special boy, one who had to be cared for, protected, one who would change their lives, one who would change the whole world.

That is the way it can be when a Big Reveal happens, along with a most unbelievable gift comes unbelievable responsibilities. The Friday family received a gift from the Extreme Makeover TV show that is nearly unbelievable, but now they have the responsibility of taking care of their gift, paying the taxes, doing the upkeep, paying the electric bill, and so on.

Mary and Joseph’s gift, which was our gift as well, was Jesus. Jesus was the redemption of Israel that Simeon and Anna had been promised and were looking for. Jesus is our savior, born in Bethlehem, who lived and died and rose again to give us life, abundant and eternal.

That gift, Jesus, came to us because of nothing we did. Like the families who are chosen for the Extreme Makeover, they do nothing to “deserve” their new homes. They merely applied, and out of thousands of applications they were chosen by the show to receive the homes they got.

The gift that God gave humanity, God’s only son, was something that we don’t deserve. But no matter, every single one of us receive it. It is given, and the question to us is this: Do we receive this unbelievable gift? Do we take the salvation that Jesus brought to the world?

Mary and Joseph had the responsibility of raising the Christ child. Of putting clothes on him, feeding him, getting a roof over his head, of making sure he grew up to fulfill the words that Simeon spoke to him on the day of his dedication.

We have a similar responsibility when we accept God’s Christmas gift. We also must decide how to accept Jesus in our lives. For us, of course it is different. For now Jesus commands our obedience to the ways of the kingdom of God. That command is not light duty, friends. It is heavy. It is costly. It requires that our own lives be sacrificed, be dedicated to Jesus, and to the fulfillment of the will of God.

I was in a Christian book store after Christmas to see if there were any bargains to be had. I came across some shirts with some kicky slogans on them. One of them was a little offensive to me. It said: “I’m a Zombie for Jesus.” What message it was supposed to send was frankly beyond me.

Following Jesus is not to be taken lightly. We have a mighty responsibility. We are responsible to bring the message of God’s love and grace to the world. It’s in our hands, because God gave us the gift. God gave us the savior. God gave us the Holy Spirit.

What will we do with our Christmas gift from God, the almighty?

We are at the cusp of a new year. The possibilities of what God has for us to do with our gift are as numerous as we will allow God’s creative spirit to reveal to us. Let’s look forward. Let’s say to God: Move that Bus. Let expect something big to be revealed in 2012.

God’s blessings be upon you this new year.

Amen.

[1] Susan Milbrath, Curator of Latin American Art and Archaeology, Florida Museum of Natural History, quoted in USA Today, Wednesday, March 28, 2007, p. 11D