Simeon's Song of Recognition

Simeon’s Song of Recognition

Luke 2:21-35

Intro

Christmas is not the celebration of the end of the year but the beginning of the celebration of a Savior. We have a tendency to associate Christmas with a Myth, a fairy tale. We talk about Santa Clause and how he lives in the north pole, has elves who make toys, and flies on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Then people begin to associate Jesus with a myth about Christmas as well. and that is the purpose Luke writes this story. He writes to declare the truth; A Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord. He wants us to know the real story of Christmas is no fairy tale.

If you notice, the songs of Christmas, we have been studying all begin with a devout follower of God. In Mary’s Song of Joy, we see a teenage girl who knew more about God than most of us ever will. In Zachariah’s Song of Praise, we see a priest who praised God for the fulfillment of His covenant promises to the nation Israel. Last week we saw a heavenly choir proclaim peace on earth and good will toward man. And the point Luke is making here is the birth of the Savior is confirmed by those who are truly faithful to God.

In Fact, Luke tells us himself, at the very beginning of his gospel in chapter 1:1-3 why he is writing.

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,

3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order.

It is a long believed tradition that Luke’s account of the gospel story was given to him by Mary herself. Now we don’t know if that is true or not. What we do know is Luke confirms the birth of the Savior through the testimony of those who faithfully lived for God. And the same thing is true in our life today. We confirm the birth of Christ to the world by faithfully living for God. (Read Luke 2:21-35) Our focus is going to be on Vs. 25-35, but I want to start at Vs. 21 to set the context.

“And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),

and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking 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 carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart 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 of revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel.”

And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—

and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” (Pray)

Context

In our passage this morning, Vs. 21-24 provide the background of our story. Jesus has been born in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph named Him just as the angel told them. Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Joshua which means Yahweh saves.

According to their custom He was circumcised on the eighth day, and now it is 40 days later, and the time has come for them to present Him in the temple.

The Levitical law required two things. 1. When God protected the firstborn of Israel on the night of the Passover in Egypt, he declared that every firstborn son had to be redeemed. That’s what is going on in verses 22-24—they are going through the ritual of redemption by presenting their firstborn in the temple.

Also, they are offering a sacrifice for Mary. When a woman would give birth, she was considered ceremonially unclean and was required to bring an offering to the temple.

What is interesting here is notice what they bring as a sacrifice in Vs. 24: a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.

This speaks of the absolute poverty of Mary and Joseph because what they were supposed to bring was a lamb, but if a person couldn’t afford a lamb, they were allowed to bring pigeons instead. How ironic is that?

I want you to notice the beauty and the irony of the Bible. The parents of Jesus were too poor to offer a lamb as a sacrifice for Mary, yet her Son was the Lamb of God who will be sacrificed for the sin of the world.

While they are at the temple, we are introduced to a man named Simeon, who will become the main character of the story. Everything we know about Simeon is written in this passage because this is the only place he is mentioned in the Bible.

But we are given a great deal of information, what we learn here is that Simeon was a man who was faithfully living for God.

And really that is the point of the story. Luke uses faithful believers to confirm the birth of the Savior to the world. And that same thing is true in our life. I want to show you 3 ways Simeon lived a faithful life.

I. Simeon’s Character, Vs. 25-26.

Here is a man of God. A man of impeccable character and we see that in his faithfulness to the Lord. Many people believe he was a priest because we get the impression, he was at the temple often, but if that were true, I believe Luke would have told us he was a priest. No, I believe Simeon was just a lay member of the congregation. Someone who was devoted to God.

Verse 25 tells us several important things about Simeon. 1. It says, “This man was righteous and devout.” The word righteous means he was right with God. The things of God were important to him. It means that Simeon was a man of faith. This is the same word used to describe Abraham in Genesis 15:6. “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” So, Simeon is a man of faith.

Not only was he righteous, he was devout. The word devout means he was careful. It is a word that has been lost in our English language. We don’t use the word devout anymore, but it is an important biblical word.

It means Simeon was careful to do the things God required of him and he was careful to avoid the things God didn’t want him to do. In other words, He had a healthy fear of the Lord.

When we put these things together, we get a picture of a man of faith who lived his life to please the Lord.

Then learn something about his theology. We learn a little bit about what Simeon believed. We are told, “he was looking for the consolation of Israel.” That means he had a messianic hope. He believed in the promises of God, because he was waiting for the Messiah to come.

He was a man that understood the spiritual condition of the nation. He understood they were living in darkness and their only hope was for the Savior of the world.

We live in a similar environment today, and we need to be like Simeon. We need to be a people who stand in the present with one eye on the future. We need to be a people who understand that this world will never be what God intended it to be until Jesus returns.

Simeon was looking for the first coming of Christ and we are patiently waiting His return.

Then we learn why he was able to be faithful to God, we are told “the Holy Spirit was upon him.” This describes someone who is anointed by God. This is describing someone God has a purpose for and a work He is going to accomplish.

It is important for us to understand the Holy Spirit has always been with men, but it did not dwell in men until after Pentecost. That was not going to take place for 33 years. So, what we are seeing here is the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon and using him in a special way.

All of this speaks of the special relationship he had with the Lord, and for us today this is an example that we too can have intimate fellowship with the Lord. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Let me ask you this, are you seeking Him with all your heart? God is only hidden from those who refuse to seek Him.

The problem with the church today is a lack of faithfulness. We have to many people sitting on the fence, claiming Jesus Christ as their Savior but unsure if they want to live for Him.

And Simeon shows us an example of what a Christian should be. He was righteous and devout, empowered by the Spirit, and faithfully living for God. What a witness he was to the world and this is the kind of witness we should be.

Notice his expectation, Vs. 26 says, “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.”

Again, we see the influence of the Holy Spirit here. We are incapable of doing anything for God by ourselves. We come to God, and we have nothing to offer except our sin, but through the Holy Spirit we can be empowered and forgiven.

Somehow, and we don’t know how, God has revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he has seen the Messiah. What a promise this is?

This is the antithesis of the promise of God in our life. We are promised when we die, we get to see Christ, that is unless the rapture of the church comes first. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says, “to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord.” Here, Simeon is promised to see Christ before he dies.

But he teaches us an important lesson here; we should live with expectation. We should expect that one day we are going to see the Savior and that should encourage us to live faithful to the Lord today.

The purpose of life is to know God and be known by God, and to live in a way that brings Him glory. We do that by living faithfully and confirming to the world our Savoir has been born. The 2 way Simeon lived a faithful life was through proclamation.

II. Simeon’s Proclamation, Vs. 27-33

Here we see Simeon proclaim, “what child is this.’ Simeon confirms for us the long-awaited Messiah has arrived. This is the One that God has promised not only to Israel but to the world.

Notice the work of the Spirit again in Vs. 27, “And he came in the Spirit into the temple.” This is the third time we hear of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of Simeon. Simeon doesn’t do anything apart from the Spirit of God. He is being led by the Spirit. He is being guided by the Spirit. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a righteous man are established by the Lord.”

This should be true in the life of every believer. We should walk in the Spirit. We should pursue a Spirit filled life. Galatians 5:16 says “Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.” To live a Spirit filled life is to be empowered and equipped to do all God calls us to do.

Notice Simeon’s worship Vs. 28 says, “He took the child in his arms and blessed the Lord.” He gives thanks to God for fulfilling His promises. God has kept His Word. He has sent them the Savior. So, Simeon blesses the Lord.

In Vs. 29 we have the beginning of a great Christmas hymn. This is a hymn of praise. Notice who Simeon is singing to. Notice the first three words of Vs.29. “Now Lord you.” He is singing directly to God. God is the object of his worship.

And that should be true in the church. We gather to worship the Lord. He is the object of our worship. We gather to bring glory and honor to His name. We do that through song, through word, and through fellowship. We open our mouths, and we praise the Lord.

The primary focus of the church must be God centered, not man centered. The primary purpose of the church must be the glory God. Simeon begins his song with worship.

Then notice his confidence Vs. 29, “Now Lord, you are releasing your bondservant to depart in peace, according to your word.” Simeon is blessing God because he can now die in peace. Two words stand out to me here; “releasing” and “depart.” Both words are referring to death.

Simeon is embracing his death. He is a saint of God. He has run the race. He has fought the good fight and now he is ready for eternity. He is at peace with God and himself. The only way anyone could say this; is because they are confident in their relationship with God. They know they are saved.

I am reminded of the funeral home when Pat Ellison was laid to rest. There was almost an atmosphere of celebration. Certainly, there were those who were mourning the loss of their mother, grandmother, and friend, but there was no despair, there was a quiet confidence of her eternal destiny.

Everyone knew she was in heaven. She was ready to depart because she lived a life of faithfulness to God. That is the kind of confidence that Simeon has in our story.

In Verse 30 we are told why he is so confident. It says, “For my eyes have seen your salvation.” The reason he has confidence in God is because he has eyes of faith.

What is interesting to me is Simeon was able to see what others could not see. Certainly, there were others in the temple that day, who saw Mary and Joseph and their newborn baby, but Simeon saw Jesus. Simeon saw salvation.

I pray that for each one of us here today. I pray that God would give you eyes of faith. That you would see the promises of God in your life and that you would have confidence in Him.

I pray we could have the kind of confidence of Peter when Jesus asked him, “Who do men say I am?” Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

I pray we could have the kind of confidence of Paul who under house arrest said, “for me to live is Christ, for me to die is gain.” That’s the kind of faith we need and that’s the kind of faith we see from Simeon.

Notice this is a universal Faith. Vs. 31-32 tell us “It was prepared in the presence of all peoples, A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The light of Christ that began with Israel now goes out to the world. Salvation has been made available to everyone , for all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Someone recently asked me, “why a loving God would send someone to hell? And my answer was simple, why would you reject a loving God? The decisions we make in life have eternal consequences. Man is responsible for sin, and we are responsible for the choices we make. Joshua said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Don’t base the decisions in life on popular opinion. Just because everyone else is jumping off the bridge doesn’t mean you have to jump. Stand firm in what you believe and hold onto your faith because the world wants to take it away from you. The 3 way Simeon lived a faithful life was through prophecy.

III. Simeons’ Prophecy, Vs. 34-35

Here Simeons’ song of praise becomes a song of prophecy. He turns and speaks directly to Mary about the Purpose of her child’s life. Vs. 34. Says, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel and for a sign to be opposed.”

Simeon says Mary, “this baby of yours has been appointed by God to bring division to the world. He is going to bring salvation for some and judgment for others. There will be those who rejoice in Him and those who will always oppose Him.

Jesus is such a polarizing figure because He is the dividing line of God’s salvation. The Bible says, “He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son does not have life.” “He is the way the truth and the life.” “For there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved.”

One of the great ironies of the Bible is the Prince of Peace who came into the world only brings peace to those who surrender to God. We live in a rebellious world distorted by sin that rejects their Savior. Jesus is the dividing line. You believe on Christ, and you are saved, you reject Him, and you are lost. It is that simple.

John Cadogan is an automotive engineer from Sydney, Australia. He has a YT channel about vehicles. He seems very smart… knows a lot about cars. But he hates God with a passion. Why? I imagine he would say he doesn’t believe in God… or the tooth fairy… or elves for that matter. But what is interesting to me is he doesn’t hate the tooth fairy or elves… why hate God?

Because Jesus is the man we can’t ignore. They couldn’t ignore him in Israel 2000 years ago, and we can’t ignore Him today. Those who are humble and know they need a Savior accept Him and are drawn to Him in repentance and faith. Those who are proud and arrogant oppose Him with every fiber of their being. The question is; which one of those people are you?

Conclusion

What we learn from this passage is; like Simeon we confirm the birth of the Savior to the world by faithfully living for God. Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes but a faithful life is one that is striving to become who God has called us to be.

It means living a life devoted to the Lord, empowered by the Spirit, with a confident hope in heaven. It is having eyes of faith and the ability to see what others either cannot see or refuse to see.

We see Jesus. The author and perfector of our faith, who for joy that was set before Him endured the cross despising it’s shame and is sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We keep our eyes fixed on Him no matter what everyone else is doing because not everyone else is going to believe. But those who do are given the power to become the sons of God.