Sermon Tone Analysis

Illustration: “Glory Days” football game.

Neighborhood Alliance

There can be a tendency for the young to consider the older folks to be behind in thinking (technology, information, education all constantly improve.

Youth know things their parents didn’t know.

Younger people need to value and respect older people.

They have much to teach.

Last week recap vs 22-24: The obedience of Mary and Joseph keeping the law.

Went to the temple to do as was required.

They 1) present him to the Lord 2) offer a sacrifice.

Two turtledoves or two young pigeons, this sacrifice was “less than”.

It was a concession for the poor who could not afford a lamb.

Now Simeon.

Who was Simeon?

Righteous and devout: His behavior towards others and towards God was upright.

He was waiting for the consolation of Israel.

Much of Jewish history involved bondage, being under the thumb of other nations or powers, a history of mistreatment.

Many Jews longed for the “consolation of Israel”.

Today, many people wait for consolation, or vindication.

They sometimes are hoping for a return of those glory days.

Sometimes that is ok, so long as it is God’s glory they are hoping for.

Believers have this hope for future consolation, that we will have every tear wiped from our eyes, that we see see Jesus, and know God, and have Him be our God and we be his people.

Many people today await the glory days, but they aren’t even sure what that means.

We are blessed in this world to have gifted artists, whether with visual art, or writing, or song writing, or dramatic gifts.

They give us ideas about how things could be.

And yet, outside of God’s plan for the salvation of people, none of that really meets the need.

Whatever your favorite mode of art is, whether viewing paintings, or seeing plays or movies, or reading a book, no one really truly finishes consuming that media and says to themselves, “That’s it!”

now I know exactly what bliss is, what peace is, what happiness is.”

Rather, these things at their very best only provide to increase our real longing.

The Christian knows what this longing is for, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that longing.

Paul writes Rom8.19-25

We wait eagerly.

So said the writer to the Hebrews:

Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel.

He was a pre-Christian believer.

The Bible teaches that those who were saved in the OT times were saved by faith, just as they are today.

No man was justified by the law, it was by faith.

Simeon was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

This means he spoke prophetically.

Indeed, his words here, since they are included in scripture, we know were inspired and inerrant, as all of the Bible is.

Matthew Henry was certain that he had identified this Simeon.

He believes it is the same Simeon who was written about by the Jews.

This Simeon was, according to Matthew Henry:

known for eminent piety and communion with God

Was of great note in Jerusalem

was the son of Hillel, who founded a rabbinical school, and was the first of only 7 men to have been honored with the title “Rabban”

Was president (for a while) of the college his father Hillel founded

The Jews Said he was endued with a prophetical spirit.

He was rejected because he witnessed against the common opinion of the Jews concerning the temporal kingdom of the Messiah (in other words, that the Messiah was more than just a leader for a time)

He was the father to Gamaliel, who was the teacher of Paul the Apostle.

Gamaliel was concerned about the Christians and was the one who cautioned the Sanhedrin to leave the Christians alone.

So this is who is thought by Matthew Henry to be this same Simeon.

Luke2.26

A unique prophecy to have recieved!

He came in the Spirit to the temple indicates that he had received a special calling to the temple that day.

God called him from wherever he was and from whatever he was doing to go to the temple at this time.

Another example of obedience.

Simeon had received the promise that he would see the Lord’s Christ, so I suspect he had been looking forward to this, eagerly awaiting, not only the consolation of Israel, but his own special sneak preview.

So Mary and Joseph come in obedience to the temple, to do what the law requires of them.

Simeon comes and picks up this child.

He was eagerly awaiting.

I remember when our babies were born, some eagerly awaiting grandparents came to pick up those babies!

And Simeon has been eagerly awaiting this.

I haven’t read his autobiography, but I suspect that for Simeon, nothing else had mattered much to him since he had received the promise of God that he would see the Christ.

Now he comes to the temple.

He is called to the temple.

God calls those whom he calls for his purposes.

And Simeon blesses God and gives a beautiful prayer, some have said this was the first Christian hymn;

That first line, in other words, Simeon is saying, “let me die now”.

I am at peace.

God had told Abraham that he would die in peace.

Simeon faithfully and eagerly awaited the fulfillment of the promise He had received.

But his faith had also put him at peace with God.

The word in this line for Lord is different than the word usually used.

this is not lord, Kurios, it is despote.

The word we get despot from.

Today this is usually meaning a ruthless person who is a dictator.

But here is means sovereign, the master, the Lord.

Note that Simeon does not say he has seen part of the Lord’s salvation.

He does not see I have been given a glimpse at your salvation.

He does not say, well step one!

What is next?

He says my eyes have seen your salvation.

Jesus is salvation.

Jesus is all of salvation.

Salvation does not come through Jesus plus works, salvation is Jesus plus nothing.

this is salvation, Simeon says,

Simeon is speaking of a universal salvation, not universalism, which means everyone will be saved, but universal in the sense that this salvation is not limited to the Jews, but people from every tribe and nation will experience this salvation.

A light for revelation: John8.12

And Simeon had more to say, this time to Mary alone:

Simeon could now die in peace.

All who see Jesus for who He is and put faith in God for His salvation can die in peace.

He allows those to die in peace who, moments before their death, look to him for salvation.

This man put faith in Jesus at the very end of his life, with minutes to spare!

I do not recommend this strategy to you, for you do not know the moment God will call you to judgement.

Do not delay, the time for salvation is now.

God calls you to believe in Christ, He who lived as a man, who died sinless for our sins, and was raised again to life everlasting, this Jesus calls you to faith in him.

Either you will die or He will return at any moment.

Rev22.20

He is coming quickly, so come to Him, before He comes to you at your death or at his return.

He is coming quickly, either the time for all mankind quickly approaches or your own mortality will soon come to an end.