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Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)
Simeon was waiting—not for his own requests and needs to be met—but for something that had never happened before in the history of the world. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, for the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people. What had God promised? How did Simeon know to anticipate its fulfillment? Let us go back to the very beginning and examine God’s great plan, which reveals the reasons for Simeon’s great expectation and understanding.
…the Bible reveals in advance where he will be born, what he will do, why he will suffer, and even that he must die in our place. But the story does not end there; the promises also reveal that this coming Savior will rise from the dead, thus proving himself to be the conqueror of death, sin, and the enemy of souls. Simeon knew these promises and waited to see this Messiah of God, that is, the Christ.
Fallen humanity, to which we all belong and from which we all suffer, needs a restorer, a perfect person who will bring us back to God’s good plan. The first promise of this coming “restorer” is found in the early pages of God’s revelation. Immediately after the Fall, God the Father promises to send a man born of a woman (referring to the virgin birth) who will defeat evil and sin, that is, his own Son, to save fallen humanity (Genesis 3:15). This great story continues throughout the Old Testament, and these promises are elaborated on in great detail until the right time comes and the One who fulfills these promises arrives into the world (Mark 1:15; Romans 5:6). Thus, the Bible reveals in advance where he will be born, what he will do, why he will suffer, and even that he must die in our place (Micah 5:1; Isaiah 53). But the story does not end there; the promises also reveal that this coming Savior will rise from the dead, thus proving himself to be the conqueror of death, sin, and the enemy of souls (Luke 24:45-47). Simeon knew these promises and waited to see this Messiah of God, that is, the Christ. These promises were also marveled at and studied by others. The apostle Peter refers to this:
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12)
The Promised Child
Have you ever wondered why this promised savior had to come among us in the form of a small, helpless baby? Why couldn’t God have sent him as a fully grown adult? There was great risk in having the child of promise born helpless into poverty and danger—King Herod did try to kill him, after all. The infant Jesus and his family were forced into exile, fleeing to Egypt, and Jesus repeatedly faced the challenges of human life, tempted by people and even Satan, and ultimately killed because of the wickedness of people (Romans 4:25; Matthew 4:1-11). Why did it have to happen in this way?
The birth of God’s Son as a human being was God’s promised and fulfilled solution to our greatest problem. Our lives are marred by sin, and therefore we needed someone who could live without sin and enable us to share in this perfect and sinless life! For this to happen, the INCARNATION was necessary, the birth of the Son of God as a human being, so that he could live a sinless life in your and my place. For this reason, Jesus began his mission as a helpless baby and grew to adulthood, experiencing the challenges of fallen humanity just as we do, with the difference that he was without sin! (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15). For this reason, he also had to ultimately face our final enemy, which is death (1 Cor. 15:26).
When Mary and Joseph brought the little eight-day-old baby Jesus to the temple of God to be blessed, there were certainly many other people present. Simeon was one of the few who recognized the Son of God and his mission, one might say, at a very early stage (the prophetess Hanna also recognized Jesus). He knew to wait for God’s promises, and so he also got to experience the fulfillment of those promises.
Look to the Saviour
It is a wonderful story, but what does it have to do with us? A lot, because, like Simeon, we may also see Jesus Christ before we leave this world, that is, before we die. The Holy Spirit reveals this to us today through the revelations of the New Testament, through the promises given by God. We are exhorted to put our faith and trust in this one Son, in the salvation prepared by God, so that we too may share in eternal life. Simeon saw only the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s promises, but we have been given the opportunity to see these promises through the testimonies of the New Testament and the joyful message of the church.
We too may see Jesus before we leave this world!
The Christmas season invites us to observe this miracle, which led Simeon to praise the Savior of all nations. As Simeon went to the temple, expectant and trusting in God’s promises, let us also focus our attention on this central figure in world history as we celebrate Christmas. We too may see Jesus before we leave this world! You too can see Jesus with the eyes of faith opened by the Holy Spirit. This is the best Christmas gift you can receive, for it will lead you to eternal life and to participation in the new creation. And this is only the beginning of all that is good, for God’s promises do not end here! Then you can join Simeon in this praise:
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)
The gift is here. May the Lord enable each of us to open and enjoy it today!
