Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God: “Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die
in peace as you said. I have seen with my own eyes how you will save your
people. Now all people can see your plan. He is a light to show your way to the
other nations. And he will bring honor to your people Israel.” Luke 2:28-32
Not much is known about a man named Simeon, other than he
was a devout righteous man. We also know he was full of the Holy Spirit, and
this was many years before Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was revealed to the
new Christians. The few words Simeon spoke, would be written down for all
generations to hear. His words set the stage for the foundation for our Christian
faith, today.
Simeon had a belief in the message of the ancient prophets,
of the coming Messiah. Many years had passed but Simeon still watched, waited
and believed. The Holy Spirit had told
him that he would see the Messiah before his death and prompted him to go to
the temple on the very day that Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to dedicate
him to God.
We need to keep in mind that Jesus was only a baby. He had
not started his ministry. He had not performed any miracles. He had not died on
the cross or risen from the dead. Today, we have all of the story in the Bible
to come to our faith, however Simeon, with nothing more than a baby boy, Mary, Joseph, and most importantly, the Holy Spirit, looked at this child and knew.
I’m sure his eyes filled with tears as he took baby Jesus in his arms and
proclaimed, “Now I can die because I have seen how you will save your people.”
The very beginning of the Christian faith was displayed
right here in this room of the temple, even though the term Christian had not
yet come into existence. But Simeon also said one other important thing, “He
will bring God to the Gentile nation.”
This is all before Peter was shown the blanket of unclean animals
coming down from heaven; his commission to preach to the Gentiles.
These words were amazing to Mary and Joseph and are amazing
words for us today. Simeon’s faith was a forward faith. He could see that Jesus
would be rejected and sorrow would pierce the hearts of his parents. In this
helpless little baby, he could see the Redeemer.
Ours is a backward faith, in that we have the message in its
entirety, in the Bible, and we can believe. But we can also have a forward
faith, by believing that Christ will one day return. It’s a promise to come,
just as the promise to Simeon that the Messiah would come.
Dearest Savior,
Thank you for the completed message we have in your word.
Help us to grow in faith.
Amen
Comments
Post a Comment