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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for December 10, 2010
“The Day the Redeemer Was Redeemed”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
When baby Jesus was just 40 days old, Mary and Joseph took Him on a little trip.
They had business at the temple in Jerusalem.
This trip was a big deal for several reasons. First of all, it’s always a big deal when you travel from a small town to a big city. Second, they were going to the temple, which was one of the largest and most impressive structures at the time. It featured the new construction of King Herod who wanted everything he built to be magnificent.
The historian Josephus said that Herod’s temple was dazzling to the eyes, “for it was covered all over with plates of gold...” He said at the rising of the sun it reflected back a fiery splendor, and people had to avert their eyes because it was just like looking at the sun.
From a distance, Josephus said the temple looked like a mountain covered with snow, because the parts that weren’t plated in gold were exceedingly white.
The top of the temple had spikes with sharp points, “to prevent any pollution…by birds…” he said.
You’ve seen stone walls. Well imagine massive stones, like gigantic white bricks, so big that even one stone wouldn’t even fit in your garage. The temple was built with stones like that.
Yes, it was impressive.
And impressive things were going on there. Have you ever been to the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC? You sure don’t run around there like a wild tourist. It’s a place of dignity and respect and order and protocol. Things are done by the book and by tradition, and if you aren’t used to it, it’s intimidating.
That’s what Mary and Joseph were walking into as they approached the temple with 40-day-old baby Jesus.
The 40 days was significant because that’s how long Mary had to wait after giving birth. Leviticus 12 says that a mother must go through 40 days of “purification,” then bring the priest a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. But if she couldn’t afford the lamb, she could bring two birds instead.
In addition to Mary’s atonement, the trip had another purpose – to redeem their first born son. According to the Law, all firstborns belonged to God, so they needed to be redeemed back from God. Exodus 13 says you shall set apart to the LORD every firstborn, and every firstborn son you shall redeem.
That’s ironic because Jesus came to be our redeemer, redeeming us from the curse of the Law. So what we have here is the redemption of the Redeemer.
Joseph and Mary entered the massive, intimidating temple complex, and you know how things go. There’s a crowd and things are confusing and you’re trying to figure out where to go and which line to get in. Plus you have a baby.
So there they were, trying to take care of business, and a man approached them. He was probably quite old, and guess what? He wanted to hold the baby.
Mary and Joseph probably weren’t privy to this information beforehand, but the man’s name was Simeon. Luke two says he was righteous and devout, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
And now listen to this. It had been revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah.
So the Spirit of God moved on him that day in a powerful way, and he went to the temple courts, and there he saw Him, the Messiah, in the form of a baby.
Simeon scooped the baby Jesus up into his arms and prayed, “Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”
Ah, that was sweet. And then he blessed the parents, and it was just a beautiful, amazing moment; and the Bible says that Mary and Joseph marveled at his words.
But he wasn’t finished. Simeon had one last message, just for Mary. He said, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; 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.”
Just as Simeon was finishing, an old woman approached. It was a prophetess named Anna, a widow who spent all her time at the temple worshipping, fasting and praying. Luke 2:38 says she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Little did they know, or maybe they did, that that little baby would bring about an end to the need for that entire temple apparatus. No longer would anyone need to come to the temple and offer up sacrifices for redemption.
First Corinthians 1:30 says that Christ Jesus became our redemption.
Ephesians 1:7 says we have redemption through His blood.
Hebrews 9:12 says that by His own blood, Jesus obtained for us “eternal redemption.”
Through His redemption we are justified freely by His grace. (Romans 3:24)
And now we His people are sealed by the Holy Spirit until that one great “day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
It’s easy at Christmas to only think about Jesus in a Bethlehem manger.
But don’t forget what happened just 40 days later.
The day the Redeemer was redeemed.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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