Active Waiting Luke 2:25-30

I can’t wait……

Christmas Eve is the culmination of anticipation in just about every child’s heart in the Western hemisphere. For some, maybe even adults, they’ve been counting down the days since July. Some have waited until after Halloween, while a few were able to last until Thanksgiving.

For children, its the anticipation of the Christmas morning extravaganza; pouring out your stocking, eating sweets, and opening presents. For moms and dads its seeing your children enjoy your gifts and being with your loved ones.

Christmas has been dubbed the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Its a time we can’t wait for to arrive.

In a similar way, the Bibel speaks about anticipation as we wait for the Lord. Christmas is about the first advent, the arrival of the long awaited Messiah. There were many in Israel who were as ancy as school boy on Christmas Eve at the prospect of the arrival of the Messiah. They couldn’t wait for him to come. For the Messiah was the consolation of Israel, the encouragement, the hope of Israel. The Messiah would come and restore and reconcile man to God. Once of those people who were anxious for the Messiah to come was Simeon.

Luke 2:25 ESV

25 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.

Simeon was a righteous and devout man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25). Luke describes him as a righteously devout man who was filled with the Holy Spirit and who trusted the Father to fulfill his promises of seeing the Messiah. And when he saw the messiah, he said his life had now been complete. For Him, seeing Jesus was the greatest gift of Christmas. He blessed Mary and spoke truth to her, proclaiming that Jesus is the salvation of the world.

For Jesus to be the salvation, he had to die on a cross to atone for our sin. God accepted his sacrifice and raised him from the dead. Jesus ascended into heaven where he sits now interceeding for all of those who repent and put theoir trust in Him. For salvation from God’s wrath can only happen to those who confess their sin, repent, and trust Jesus as their Savior. For those believe, Jesus pours out his Spirit to empower them to live rightly before God, and wait for his second return. We are in a time of advent, just like Simeon. Those who love Jesus are waiting for His Second Coming, and by the looks of things, it seems like ti will be sooner than later. How are we to wait for Jesus to come bacK?

From this description, Simeon offers us four active ways to wait for Jesus to come back.

Be faithful in your righteousness as you wait for Christ to return(Luke 2:25)

Luke 2:25 (ESV)

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.

Luke says that Simeon was righteous and devout as he waited for the Messiah.

Simeon lived a consistent life of obedience to God’s commands. More than that, he lived by faith; he was righteous and devout. He expressed his faith through his obedience to God’s commands and his hope that the Messiah would come to deliver Israel.

God saw Simeon’s faith and counted it as righteous, just as he did with Abraham and every other Old Testament saint. Keep in mind, God’s Spirit rested upon him. God gave him a promise that he would see the Messiah before he died. Simeon believed that promise by faith.

On this side of the cross, by faith, we are made righteous by believing that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to cover all our sin and justify us before God. By faith we believe God’s promsie that we have eternal life with him through the atoning work of Jesus. Jesus is our righteousness.

We express our faith by trusting him and loving him. Our love is expressed by our obedience. Jesus says to his disciples, if you love me you will obey me (John 14).

We are living in the second advent period. We are living by faith that Jesus will come back to reverse Adam’s curse, and restore heaven and earth. When Jesus comes back, what will he find? Jesus as asks this very question of his disciples. When he returns will he find great faith? Will he find you being righteous and devout, trusting in God’s promises, and faith-filled love inspired obedience?

Be filled with the Holy Spirit as you wait for Christ to return (Luke 2:26-28)

Luke 2:25–28 (ESV)

... 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...

Simeon was a godly man who filled with the Holy Spirit.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ and accept His gift of salvation receive the life-giving, eternal “Living Water” of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37–39; see also 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 3:14; Ephesians 1:13). Everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ has the Spirit of God living in him or her (Romans 8:9). Nevertheless, we can hinder or stifle the work of the Spirit in our lives (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and even “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30) by unbelief and habitual sin.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) and are “led by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:18), “live by the Spirit,” and “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). According to the apostle Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit makes the difference between life and death. When we belong to Jesus, “the power of the life-giving Spirit” frees us “from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:2, NLT). Spirit-filled believers trade in “fear and timidity” for “power, love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Be filled with the Holy Spirit as you wait for the Lord.

Be satisfied in Christ now as you wait for His return (Luke 2:29)

Luke 2:29 (ESV)

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;

Simeon’s words here are traditionally called the “Nunc Dimittis,” from wording in the Latin Vulgate translation. Simeon’s Divine Master had kept his promise that he would live to see Christ (i.e., your salvation), so he could now die (dismiss your servant). God’s salvation in Christ (v. 30) is for all peoples (the Gentiles and Israel). The worldwide scope of the gospel is Luke’s ongoing theme in both of his writings (his Gospel and the book of Acts).

Simeon found the climax, the pinnacle of his life was when he met Jesus, and Jesus became his all-in all. A.W. Tozer sums it up well when he says,

All that man can know of God and his love in this life is revealed in Jesus Christ.

A. W. Tozer

Be satisfied with Christ now as you wait for the Lord.

Be on mission speaking truth as you wait for Christ to return (Luke 2:30-35)

Luke 2:30–35 ESV

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Being on Mission is about joyfully advancing the kingdom of God by making much of Jesus. Simeon share the gospel after he met Jesus.

Jesus is the salvation for Jews and Gentiles (Luke 2:30-32)

Luke 2:30–32 (ESV)

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.”

Jesus would die on the cross for the sins of the world (Luke 2:33-35)

Luke 2:33–35 (ESV)

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed

(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

We must tell the world that Jesus is the Savior King who invites his enemies to surrender and be at peace. We must be about psreaidng this good news. God saves sinenrs though the life, death, and resurrection of his son.

Jesus is the light to the world. Christmas is about the light coming into darkness. When Jesus comes again, He is going to rid the earth of darkness. The first advent let to the cross, where the sky went dark and the earth shook because God’s judgment was laid upon Him. In teh second advent, Jesus will light up the sky, gather his elect, and throw sion, death, and Satan into the lake of fire, and everyone who rejected Jesus.

Wait with abounding Hopefulness

Above everything, when you wait on God, do so in the spirit of abounding hopefulness. It is God in His glory, in His power, in His love longing to bless you that you are waiting on.

Andrew Murray