december 22, 2024
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“Simeon’s Song: A Testimony of Faith” (Luke 2:25-35)
We all know what it feels like to wait for something that seems like it takes forever. Simeon waited his entire life to see the Messiah, and God allowed him to hold the infant Savior in his arms before he died.
Luke 2:25-32
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
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“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
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For my eyes have seen your salvation,
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which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
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a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
1) Peace comes from trusting that God is sovereign and keeps His promises.
Those of us who want to control things need to be reminded that God is the sovereign Lord, not us.
Releasing control can be hard, but we must trust that God knows what He is doing. Peace comes from letting go and resting in His promises.
2) Jesus came to bring salvation to all people.
"Salvation" means being saved from what otherwise would have been a tragic situation.
Jesus came to "save" us from their belief that they could do enough to make themselves right before God on their own.
Jesus came to "save" us from the consequences of our sin.
Romans 10:9-10
“ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Luke 2:33-35
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
3) Jesus doesn't make us immune to pain.
Even as followers of Christ, we will have difficulty. We will experience pain in life just like everyone else does. The difference is that we have a great comforter, the "consolation of Israel."
2 Closing Thoughts
1) Our encounter with Jesus must be just as personal as Simeon's was.
2) The way Simeon waited for Jesus' first coming is a model for the way we should wait for His second coming.
A Prayer to Trust in Jesus:
“God, thank you for loving me even though I’ve rebelled against You. I confess that I’m sinful. I’m so grateful that Jesus died on the cross to pay for all my sins. Right now I turn away from my sins and I turn to You. I’m putting my full trust in Jesus to rescue me from my sins. Thank you for forgiving me and washing me clean on the inside. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
