Sermon, The Presentation of Christ, 1 February 2026
Readings: Malachi 3.1-5; Hebrews 2.14-18; Luke 2.22-40
Theme: The Presentation of Christ
In earlier times, this festival was often accompanied by a procession with candles, and hence the name ´Candlemas´. The reason for this is that the light of the candle is used as a symbol in the church. At baptism it signals the final part of the ceremony in which the new Christian is sent out to the world to the glory of God. It is, in effect, the sign that the Christian life is not simply for us but should always be oriented towards mission; that is to say, towards the others who still need to hear this message. Both Simeon and Anna, who encounter the young Jesus in the Temple, represent all those who have waited patiently for the coming of the Messiah. They are, as it were, the symbols of the transition between an older and a newer dispensation now that the Christ has come.
The season of Epiphany ends with the feast of The Presentation of Christ, or Candlemas, as it is often known. This feast celebrates the time when the various themes explored during Christmas and Epiphany come together. There are two central themes that we should be aware of, and they both pick up the idea of the light which has come into the world that we celebrate in the sacrament of baptism, when the neophyte is given a lit candle as a symbol of the light of Christ which they are to bring into the darkness of the world.
The first is the fact that, in Jesus, God has visited God´s people in person. The ´Word made flesh´ theme of Christmas is united with that of the long wait for the Messiah, which the ancient Israelites had spoken of in their holy scriptures. This period of waiting has now ended. Now is a new moment in the history of the salvation of the people of Israel. The prolonged period of waiting for God to redeem God´s people has ended and now is the moment to receive the salvation offered by God. God has dwelt with us, and this means that the great transformation of the world has now been inaugurated.
However, the radical change brought about is not the one expected. The overcoming of the Roman occupation, the latest in a long series of foreign rulers of the land, has not occurred and the Israelites are not sure what the liberation brought by Jesus amounts to. This lack of understanding will continue. It will eventually result in the death of Jesus at the hands of those who had expected another form of liberation, which would crush Israel´s political enemies. The liberation offered to us by God is more than the Israelites had initially realized. It is no less than the offer of living in the transformed and promised land of the kingdom of God.
The second is the fact that the meaning of this visitation is one which picks up an earlier theme that is peppered throughout the Hebrew scriptures; namely, that this message is for the entire world. It is not simply meant to be for the people of Israel. The message is for both Jew and Gentile. This will be a step too far for those who had thought that the privilege of Israel was not one of service, but rather of special favour with God. The true privilege of Israel is its election by God to be the first to share the message of universal inclusion in God´s love. That means that through the story of God´s covenantal relationship with Israel, God has chosen to reveal who God is, and what this account of God means for Israel and for the entire world.
Both themes are beautifully united in the hymn used for the night prayer of the church, which is proclaimed by Simeon in the canticle of the Nunc Dimittis (now depart), that is at the heart of our Gospel reading for The Presentation:
“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel.”
Uniting both themes in one celebration, the festival of the Presentation leaves us in no doubt that this moment is one of transition. The shift from the time of waiting to one of arrival is a change from expectation to fulfilment. The fulfilment of the hopes and longings of Israel surpasses these longings because it reveals Israel to be the sentinel for the entire world. In Simeon and Anna this moment of transition has been announced to both Israel and the Gentiles. It is a moment which has revealed that God not only fulfils our expectations but rather transcends them. God takes us to a place we had never imagined was possible and transforms the limits of our visions and expands them to new dimensions. Earth and heaven are united in this transformation and no longer is the creation detached from its destiny in the New Creation.
So, as we bid farewell to another Christmas and Epiphany, let us attentively follow the progress of this Word made flesh as he grows in wisdom and proclaims his message for all the nations. It will be a white-knuckle ride that we will need to hold on to our faith and hope, because the roller coaster of God´s message of love is one which takes us from death to life, from darkness and into the light.
Happy feast of Candlemas.