Luke 2:21-38 "Jesus' Presentation to the LORD"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Just a reminder… Inductive Bible Study Training will be Jan 9th & 10th. Please mark your calendars if you plan to attend.

See Bern if you have questions about the course… and registration will be live this week.

Well, let’s open our Bibles to Luke 2. Luke 2:21-38 today.

Luke began his Gospel sharing the backstories and miraculous births of both John the Baptist and Jesus.

And, last time… we looked at Jesus’ first day of life…

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem… an angel appeared to humble Shepherds somewhere near Bethlehem…

… and announced… the Savior, Christ the Lord was born.

And a whole host of Angels burst forth into praise saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

And, when the angels returned to heaven… the Shepherds quickly departed to find the Christ in Bethlehem… and when they found the Babe lying in a manger… they made widely known what was said of Jesus…

All who heard it marveled… and Mary treasured all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Today, we observe the events around “Jesus’ Presentation to the LORD”… our message title today.

This is a scene taking place in Jerusalem, and is only recorded in Luke.

Now, in reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Luke 2:21-38 but let’s just read the first two verses to set the scene… “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord...”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

In V21… we read the only record of Jesus’ Eighth day of life. In one brief verse… we read Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day…

And the significance of circumcision and the eighth day is a bit lost on our culture…

So let’s look at these topics… and look… don’t dred this topic.

Don’t think “Oh boy, just the awkward topic I wanted to meditate on Sunday at church.”

Because there’s some rich symbolism that provides deep application even for our lives today… so here we go…

The word Circumcision means “to cut around”… it’s the literal removal of the foreskin of the male child…

But symbolically, the meanings carried much weight… let’s reflect upon two today:

1st… Covenant Identity with God… circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham in Gen 17:12.

A male circumcised on the eighth day represented being set apart as one of God’s people… and this practice was formally written into the law in Lev 12:3.

And this was serious… any uncircumcised Israelite was to be “cut off” from his people for breaking the covenant (Gen 17:14)

And, no uncircumcised male could participate in the Passover. (Exo 12:48)

And, so as Joseph and Mary had Jesus circumcised in adherence to the Levitical Law and in Covenant Identity with God.

Demonstrating Jesus was raised in a devout Jewish home… and raised under the law… which only He would keep perfectly.

No one else did… they failed to keep the law and would offer sacrifices for their sins… sins which Jesus would eventually become the perfect sinless sacrifice for.

And, as people wrestled with sin and rebellion towards God…

… circumcision was a constant reminder to the male… the leader of the household… that they were to be “cut off” from the life of the flesh… and devoted to God… which…

… reflects the 2nd purpose of circumcision… a spiritual purpose… which is “Heart Transformation”…

Which was an application no doubt for the Jews, but very much for us today.

Deuteronomy 10:16 states, “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.”

And, there are many other OT verses like that.

Obviously, they could not literally remove skin from their heart… so this was spiritual…

An uncircumcised heart represented a heart that was hardened against God’s commands.

A rebellious and stubborn person who walked in the ways of the world and not in the ways of God.

They pursued passions of the flesh and idols of the heart… forsaking holiness… love… and obedience to God.

So, God’s people needed inner transformation to stop being stubborn in following God’s commands.

And still today… the flesh and the spirit are in constant conflict…

Galatians 5:17 reads, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

Can anyone relate to this? Knowing to do good, but not doing it. Being tempted and giving in to sin…

Lusts of our eyes and flesh…

Poor heart attitudes… pride… stubbornness… bitterness…

The hateful words that come out of our mouths…

James 3:8–9 “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men...”

Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt 12:34)

Paul cried out in Romans 7, “… what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do…” and he said, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Paul knew the right thing to do, but didn’t do it… and the internal struggle of wrestling with sin… and either yielding to temptation… or rising above victorious is an ongoing frustrating we all face.

In humility Paul looked to God with an honest outcry of how miserable he was.

And he knew not to reform his flesh, but to put it to death.

Very intentionally… God did not remove our fleshly nature at our moment of conversion. He could have, but He didn’t… and it reminds us of our weakness and keeps us dependent on Christ and walking in the Spirit.

And, Paul knew WHO to look to… which was not himself, but Jesus Christ… “Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

And if in our Christian living… if in our sanctification He is Lord… then sin will not be Lord.

Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Jesus can save us… meaning deliver or rescue us from our body of death.

And by walking in the Spirit… sin will not be fulfilled… it will not come to completion.

It may tempt you, but you will turn away… because that’s not the path you’re on.

You’re walking a new road… a new path. I see alcohol and think “destruction of my life and health”… “ruin to my family”… “stripping of my calling”…

I repented… I changed my mind about alcohol… MORE ACCURATELY… God changed my mind and my heart.

He can circumcise our hearts… where we are not stiff necked anymore to God and His commands.

And it was the same in the OT… in Deut 30:6 we read, “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart [the Greek Septuagint reads “cleanse your heart”] and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Look to God to do what you cannot do yourself. Can you perform heart surgery on yourself? Not successfully.

You need a heart surgeon… and God is the Great Physician.

Can you change your heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh that is soft to God’s ways?

No… it is God who will circumcise your heart. Just as Paul thanked God and cried out to Jesus… for Paul failed miserably by his own efforts.

And, so… the intent of circumcision was always deeper then just physically removing the flesh…

The male… the spiritual leader of the home… daily would have a reminder that they had “cut off” the flesh…

That they were to be “set apart” from the flesh… to put to death the flesh… to not live for sensation… to be “set apart” from the world… to put aside evil and corruption… and to be wholly dedicated to God.

Which… is this not how all of us should live?

And if you are the spiritually leader of the home… there rests a greater responsibility on you to lead your family in the ways of the Lord.

In fact… as a qualification for church leaders… Paul told Timothy that 1 Tim 3:4-5 an overseer must be “… one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?).”

And… either as leaders… or for any of us individually… for us to be successfully set apart…

… we daily must look to Jesus Christ… to cry out like Paul did… thanking God and looking to Christ to do His precise heart surgery that we cannot do ourselves.

Pray to Him… read His word and let it sanctify you (John 17:17)… and daily incorporate spiritual life into your homes… and do it with joy.

Now for the eighth day… why was Jesus… and John the Baptist for that matter (Luke 1:59)… circumcised on the eighth day?

God does not just randomly set forth specifics like the eighth day without purpose… and I see two major reasons the eighth day was assigned:

First, was obedience to God’s command… as we discussed, in Gen 17:12… Jews were instructed to cut off the foreskin of their male children on the eighth day…

Second… as we consider that all of creation was completed in seven days… representing completion or perfection…

Eight in Jewish thought and tradition symbolized “new beginning”…

… thus the infant on the eighth day is spiritually connected in this new beginning into covenantal relationship with God.

And third… day 8… medically points to a designer who knows His design.

Today… the most common day for a non-religious circumcision is day 1… and this most commonly happens at the hospital… where the newborn is given a Vit K shot.

Why? Because Vitamin K is lowest the first 3 days of life… and Vit K helps form blood clots and stops bleeding.

But on the eighth day, Vit K spikes and the protein prothrombin also spikes to over 100% of normal…

… and this combination of elevated vitamin K and prothrombin makes day 8 an optimal time for procedures like circumcision… as bleeding risk is minimized.

A tremendous testimony to God as a designer… who lays out His commands and His ways orderly and with purpose.

So, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day… V21 concludes with “His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

Jesus was given his name miraculously… hand selected by God the Father and told to May by the messenger of God… the angel Gabriel.

And His name means “Jehovah is salvation”… which testifies of His mission to thoroughly save from sin all who trust in Him.

In the past, when we trusted in Jesus, He justified us… saving us from the penalty of sin.

In our present Christian life, He is sanctifying us… saving us from the power of sin.

And in the future, upon death, He saves believers by glorifying us… saving us from the presence of sin.

And the good news of Jesus Christ is that while every person sins, falling short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)… and the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23)…

On the cross, Jesus shed His blood and paid the price of death and rose again three days later demonstrating the Father accepted the payment…

“… and the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23).

A gift is not earned… otherwise it wouldn’t be a gift. A gift is free…

It’s grace… undeserved favor… you just have to accept the gift… which is done through faith.

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

There are no works we need to add to the gift… simply understand that you can’t pay the price for your sin… Jesus paid it… trust in Him and Him alone… and you will be saved… and then all glory goes to God.

If for the first time you believe that today, please let us know afterward, we’d like to give you a Bible and pray for you in your new walk with the Lord.

We want nothing from you… we want everything for you.

Now… moving on to vv22-24… we fast forward to day 40 of Jesus’ life… where we now see two more rituals… purification and presentation.

vv22-24 “Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Lev 12:1-8 describes the ritual after childbirth.

A woman was considered ritually unclean for 7days due to childbirth… But, why she was considered unclean is not explained in Leviticus 12…

Calvin believed the uncleanness was due to the existence of a depraved offspring.

More likely… it was due to coming in contact with the blood of childbirth… as supported by Lev 12:2 and it’s similarity to Lev 15:19-24… both which address impurity… and Lev 15 identifies the impurity as blood.

After the first 7 days… the purification ritual continued for the next 33 days… where the woman would not touch any holy thing or come into the sanctuary.

V22 states Mary’s purification was complete… so this is now day 40…

And now… she was to bring an offering to the Temple in Jerusalem… and, after the offering… Lev 12 states the priest would make atonement for her and she would be ritually clean.

Interesting… some scholars like to point out that already early in life… symbolically in Jesus’ circumcision and Mary’s purification, that Jesus… while sinless… was already identifying with sinners…

The lamb of God… spotless and without blemish, but numberer with the transgressors.

Lev 12:6 states she was to offer a “lamb of the first year” as a burnt offering… and “a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering.”

However V24 in our passage states she offered “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Which was permissible according to Lev 12:8 if the woman could not bring a lamb.

If you were poor you could offer two turtledoves…

… and if you were really poor you could offer three french hens…

… if you were dirt poor you could offer a partridge in a pear tree.

… Wait… no… that’s just a song. Scratch that last detail.

But, Mary offering “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” tells us… Joseph and Mary were a poor couple… they could not afford a lamb…

God chose a poor family to bring forth the Messiah… showing His humble beginnings and heart for the poor and downtrodden.

And while materially poor… as we saw in Mary’s Song (the Magnificat it’s been called)… in her understanding of scripture in that Song…

… and because she and Joseph believed Gabriel without doubting… and submitted to the will of the God, even at person cost…

And Mary treasured up the miraculous events unfolding… and pondered these things in her heart…

While they were materially poor… but were spiritually rich. They were not hypocrites like the religious leaders of Israel.

No matter your station in life… scripture shows that God sees the heart…

And, this was a family dedicated to His word… His commands… His leading…

His asking of them to do hard things… things that would impact their life…

But they said, “Yes.”

Mary could have lost her betrothed… she could have been stoned to death for being found pregnant…

Joseph would have to live with the rumors about Mary being pregnant NOT by him.

Herod would eventually hunt down every boy under two in Bethlehem and they would flee to Egypt.

But, they don’t resist God… they follow His lead… they believe… they said, “Yes.”

They were spiritually rich… storing up treasures in heaven, for that is where their heart was.

And they stand as good models for us… in our walk with the Lord.

vv 22-23 also state, “… they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”)… ”

So, Jesus’ presentation at the Temple… was the third ritual described in this passage.

Now… in some ways… this passage (and others like Hannah dedicating Samuel) is where we get the modern idea of ‘Christian baby dedication’ from…

Parents bring their infant or child in front of the church.

The Pastor prays over the child and family.

The Parent publicly vow to raise their child in the ways of the Lord.

The Church publicly vows to support the family.

And then you get a nice Child Dedication certificate to mark the occasion and the commitment.

And, I imagine… we need to dedicate some babies and children around here… SO… let me know… and we’ll make it happen.

Knowing the number of young ones we have here… we may have a marathon month of dedications.

We shall see.

But for Jews… for Jesus here in vv 22-23… His presentation to the the Lord… carried deep OT symbolic meaning… looking back to the Passover and the priesthood.

We read the words in V23 “as it is written...” and Luke cites Exodus 13:2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

Under Mosaic Law… in commemoration of the Passover deliverance from Egypt… God declared every firstborn male belonged to Him…

In V23 of Luke it reads that child was “holy to the Lord” meaning “separate from common condition… sacred… even dedicated”… to the Lord.

God said in Exo 13… “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn”…

“Consecrate” or “set apart” the firstborn… who would be dedicated to the service of the LORD (since they were spared in the Tenth plague)… and they would be priests to the LORD.

Now, in Num 3:40-51 the Levites were established to serve as substitutes for the firstborn of Israel… and that tribe served as priests dedicated to Temple service.

For non-Levites (like Jesus who is from the tribe of Judah)… the firstborn son had to be redeemed or “bought back” from dedicated service to God…

Five shekels were paid to a priest when the child was 30 days old according to Num 18:16… and this released the child from priestly obligations.

The five shekel payment symbolized substitution:

The money supported the priesthood, and the child was "restored" to ordinary life.

Now… if you get your child dedicated here at Calvary Chapel and you don’t have the five shekels… don’t worry… we won’t work your child too hard.

We are very reasonable.

What’s very interesting about Jesus presentation… is the details of five shekels being paid to redeem Jesus back are notably absent.

And this omission has, of course, caused debate amongst scholars…

Did Luke just leave out the detail of the five shekels being paid? And it actually happened off-page?

Or were the five shekels NOT PAID because Jesus was consecrated to God?

Some think that the omission of the five-shekel payment signifies Jesus' total consecration to God…

… and foreshadows his non-Levitical, eternal priesthood in the order of Melchizedek in Hebrews 7.

Which also signifies that Jesus isn't merely a participant in the old covenant but its fulfillment—our Great High Priest who redeems us not with shekels, but with his very life.

1 Peter 1:18-19 states, “… knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

We didn’t need to be redeemed from the Temple priesthood, but from the marketplace of sin… and Jesus paid the price, not with five shekels, but with His blood.

Some interesting connections… and allusions… in these few verses.

It would seem that this was not a typical child presentation… but one of most high significance.

Especially because of what happens next…

Most families would bring their child to the Temple, pay their five shekels… buy back their child… get their certificate… and on their way…

But once again in the life of Joseph and Mary… the Spirt moves… and the most incredible scene unfolds…

One of my favorite scenes in all the Bible…

V25 “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”

I love reading the word “behold”… it’s a powerful attention grabber that means “look! or see!”

Joseph and Mary are minding their own business to perform the religious rites in the temple… and Luke now draws our attention to Simeon who will be led by the Spirit to them.

Which will be just one more God story for Mary to treasure and ponder no doubt.

But first, Luke wants us first to understand WHO Simeon was.

His name, Simeon means “Hearkening” or “Hears and obeys”… an appropriate name for this man in Jerusalem who is described as…

Just… meaning “righteous”… pointing to his right relationship with the Lord on the vertical.

He was one of the believing remnant of Israel.

And, Devout… meaning “taking hold of well” or “full of reverence towards God”…

He was dedicated to God and His commands. A doer of the word, not just a hearer only.

This points to his observable life by others on the horizontal plane.

He had a reputation for loving God and living a life of holiness… which should be paramount in all of our lives.

Simeon was also “waiting for the Consolation of Israel”…

Which is the long awaited appearing of the Messiah… He who would bring comfort to Israel… “the redemption of Jerusalem” as stated in V38.

And Simeon waited for this. The Gk word for “waiting” by definition means “waiting anxiously”…

Simeon wasn’t just casually waiting…

With the news the events around John the Baptist’s birth circulating (Luke 1:65)… and the news of the Shepherds proclaiming the angelic account of the Christ being born (Luke 2:17)…

… it’s safe to say that now more then ever… Simeon was living each day with hopeful expectation that today was the day that Messiah would come.

Our lives should have this same heart posture… knowing there is nothing else that prophetically needs to happen for Jesus to return.

We should be living faithfully unto him… not elevating pleasures of this world or selfish ambition… above Him…

But living like Simeon… where our reputation is… we are just… devout… waiting on the Lord… AND… last in V25…

The Holy Spirit was upon him… which reminds us of how the Holy Spirit came upon OT worker and prophets for special work unto the Lord.

In this Church Age… all believers in Jesus Christ enjoyed the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, but I also encourage you to pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily.

Even after the Baptism with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2…

Many were subsequently “filled with the Holy Spirit”

Peter before boldly speaking to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:8…

Disciples in Acts 4:31 were “filled with the Holy Spirit” and spoke the word of God with boldness.

Saul in Acts 9:17 “filled with the Holy Spirit” and immediately received his sight.

Paul (same guy, though born again) “filled with the Holy Spirit” looked intently at Elymas the sorcerer… and called him out as a deceiver and fraud.

At Antioch, after persecution against Paul and Barnabas… we read “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

And no one is feeling joy after persecution unless it’s a work of the Holy Spirit.

D.L. Moody was known for saying things like, “A man is not filled once for all with the Holy Spirit. We are leaky vessels, and we must stay under the fountain to remain full.”

And, once he was questioned why he urged Christians to be filled constantly with the Holy Spirit.

"Well," he said, "I need a continual infilling because I leak!"

He pointed to a water tank with a leak and said, “I’m like that!"

I see no harm in wanting more and more of the Holy Spirit… this world wears us down…

Our flesh craves sin… and the world has plenty of it to offer.

So… YES… fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit daily Lord.

None of us should try to take on the flesh… and the world by simply rolling up our sleeves and trusting ourselves to tackle the impossible…

Pray and ask God to be filled… and led… and guided into His will daily… by the Holy Spirit.

And, what I love about our account with Simeon is… here we have a guy who obviously was focused upon God… waiting on God… being led by the Holy Spirit…

And, how many normal days went by where he was faithful… but they were just routine days.

Wake… serve the Lord… sleep. Wake… serve the Lord… sleep.

We don’t read about him complaining about life… we don’t read about him complaining about waiting…

But, there was something behind it all… no doubt OT prophecies of the Coming One…

But also… Simeon had received a word from the Lord… and He believed what God told Him…

Much like Abraham who believed God… and it was accounted to him as righteousness.

Look at V26 “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.”

We don’t read WHEN this word from the Holy Spirit was given to him.

How long had he been holding onto this promise… this revelation that… so astounding… “… he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

Can you imagine the Holy Spirit revealing this to you?

How this would impact your daily life… everyday waiting for the day that God would fulfill His word.

We don’t read HOW the Holy Spirit revealed this to Simeon.

Was it a dream… a vision… the still small voice of God. We don’t know, but God can move in a number of ways.

More important then HOW or WHEN… is what I already said… Simeon BELIEVED God.

It’s so easy for some to write off the supernatural… to dismiss spiritual.

Last week we looked at the sign given to the Shepherds… they would know the Christ because he was the Babe in Bethlehem… wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

That’s easily could be written off as just coincidence, but the Shepherd believed and went.

Still… so many people dismiss signs…

Herod and the priests did not think to investigate the claims from the wise men and see if the Christ was indeed born in Bethlehem according to Mic 5:2.

When life got hard… even John the Baptist had doubts. “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Jesus told John’s disciples, Matthew 11:4–6 “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Many signs… many OT prophecies fulfilled… and yet… as a Nation… Israel rejecter her Messiah… her King.

When the rich man died and was tormented in flames, he begged father Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers.

And Abraham replied, in Luke 16:31, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

The brothers would have dismissed a sign of one even rising from the dead… because they were also hard hearted and stiff necked towards God’s word.

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Family listen… it’s so important for us to treasure spiritual things like His word… like His moving of the Spirit… like the signs He gives to guide us in life.

Don’t dismiss these… treasure them.

And for Simeon… his life was one of belief… he had a strong vertical uplink… and we see this in vv 27-28…

vv27-28 “So he came by 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, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:”

So, Simeon is led by the Holy Spirit into the temple…

Somehow he was prompted… his heart was drawn to… he had some impression to go into the temple… or he heard the still small voice of God…

We don’t know exactly, but the Holy Spirit led Simeon into the temple.

And, then Joseph and Mary brought Jesus in… to present Him to the Lord…

And, before they knew it… here is Simeon grabbing Jesus… joyfully lifting Him up in his arms… blessing God…

And, we don’t read that Joseph pepper sprayed Simeon… or rebuked him saying, “Give me back my kid old man!”

After all the ways God had already moved… confirming Jesus again and again… this was just one more confirmation that Jesus was Messiah.

Now before we look at WHAT he Simeon said… consider HOW did Simeon know that Jesus was the Messiah?

Was Jesus glowing… did He have a Halo or a star above His head? Was everyone else black and white, but He was pastel?

No… Simeon was led by the Spirit!

And, now holding baby Jesus, I imagine Simeon is crying for joy… and he blessed (or praised) God and said:

vv 29-30 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation...”

Verses 29-32 are called “The Song of SImeon”… in Latin the Nunc Dimittis meaning “Now depart.”

Making this the fourth and final song we’ve read in Luke 1-2.

Scripture described Simeon as just, devout, waiting on the Lord, and being led by the Spirit… which is how God saw him.

Simeon saw himself as God’s “servant.” A doulos… the lowest of slaves. He had a humble outlook on himself, which is healthy.

Psalm 25:9 states, “The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.”

John the Baptist declared, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)

This passage never says Simeon was an old man, but the context seems to suggest so.

He would not die before he saw the Lord’s Christ… and now that God had fulfilled His promise… now that His eyes had seen Messiah… he was ready to “depart” meaning exit this world… and he was at perfect peace.

He saw Messiah… but he says, “… my eyes have seen Your salvation...” Gk sōtērios… the Doctrine of Soteriology is the study of salvation.

And, Simeon understood what so many people fail to grasp today. That salvation comes by looking to Jesus… NOT by looking at oneself and one’s good works.

For Salvation is obtained through faith… NOT in myself… but by trusting Jesus as the object of my faith.

If you think your saved because of something you did… because YOU repented of sin… because YOU felt sorrowful… because YOU confessed Jesus’ name… because YOU hold Jesus as Lord.

Those are all the result of faith… NOT precursors to faith.

Many make salvation a hill too steep to climb and mistakenly… or intentionally… add these as works… and also say, “Jesus plus nothing saves.”

If your eyes are looking at something you did to be saved… you’re looking in the wrong direction.

Your eyes must see Salvation in Jesus Christ alone…

Repent or change your mind about works and unbelief… and trust in Jesus alone.

And, then let all those other good things follow…

They are beautiful for sanctification, but trusting in Jesus is the one condition for justification.

And, this Salvation that Simeon saw… it was not just for him…

vv31-32 declare “Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, [First Coming] And the glory of Your people Israel. [Second Coming]”

Even as a Jew… Simeon understood the OT passages that Salvation came for Jews and Gentiles alike…

Simeon could think of the covenant to Abraham… Genesis 12:3 “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Or Messianic Psalm 22:27 “All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.”

Or one of many passages in the prophets, especially Isaiah.

Isaiah 49:6 declares Messiah will be salvation for all people “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

Simeon could not declare what he said in vv 31-32 without knowledge of God’s word.

He was a Spirit led man… who also knew the Scriptures.

And, when God fulfilled His promise for Simeon to behold the Christ… no doubt it was for Simeon, but God’s fulfilled promises also have a ripple effect to those around us…

When God answered my wife’s prayer to melt her husband’s heart of stone… when that happened… and I began to truly love God and His word… and was delivered from alcohol and led by the Spirit…

That was not only for her and I, but a whole church community saw prayers answered and a man changed.

And this fulfilled promise was not for Simeon alone, but also for Joseph and Mary… look at vv 33-35.

vv33-35 “And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. [Simeon testified Jesus would save even Gentiles… which was astonishing to Jews] 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Add THIS amazing encounter to the many Joseph and Mary had already experienced.

If there were any doubt in their heart that they had done the wrong thing in saying, “Yes” to the virgin birth and being the parent of the Messiah…

… God had blessed them with one assurance after another… and God so often works this way still to this day.

Simeon’s blessing upon Jesus’ parents also included a prophetic word to Mary… and she would need it as she will suffer more than Joseph (who is thought to have died sometime before Jesus’ ministry began).

But Mary would see all the trials of Jesus’ ministry… leading up to the cross.

Jesus would be the “fall and rising of many in Israel.”

He would be the “stone of stumbling” spoken of in Isa 8:14-15; 28:16.

The prideful would reject Jesus Christ and would fall into judgment.

The humble would believe and rise… speaking of the blessing of Salvation.

Just as one thief believed and the other blasphemed.

As it is this day… believe and rise… reject and fall.

And Jesus was literally “a sign which will spoke against”… “that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Jesus’ ministry would fulfill many prophecies showing He was Messiah… He was a sign of the times…

And, as prophesied many would speak against Him, such as the nation crying out “Crucify Him!”

Their hearts would be revealed by their word, just as the whitewashed tombs… the religious leaders who claimed self-righteousness… were exposed by their words rejecting Messiah.

Their words at the cross were Matthew 27:43 “He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him...”

Which literally fulfilled Psalm 22:8 “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him, Let Him deliver Him...

And, very pointed to Mary… while there was much blessing in bearing the Messiah…

V35… the sword that would pierce Mary’s soul predicted the burden she would bear… especially when she beheld her Son’s brutal passion and crucifixion.

And, closing out quickly…

vv36-38 “Now there was one, Anna [her name means “grace”], a prophetess, [She was divinely gifted and of the faithful remnant of believing Jews. She was…] the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, [that’s a nice way of saying she was really old] and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, [her husband died after just 7 years of marriage… and she was widowed since] who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

So, while she lost her husband early, she did not shrink back, but pressed into the Lord… and like Simeon was a servant…

And, she “served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”

A heart that is committed to God is a service to God. She was more of a Mary than a Martha… known for sitting at the feet of God… for abiding in Him… for communion with Him.

(worship team please come)

V38 “And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

What a beautiful way to close out… probably just when Joseph and Mary couldn’t take anymore…

Here comes Anna… bursting forth in thanks to the Lord… also testifying of Jesus to all who “looked for redemption”… to all who expected the Coming One… the Messiah.

And may our mouths do the same in this week ahead… may our lips speak of Jesus Christ to all we encounter… with an open heart to the Lord.

Let’s Pray!

If you need prayer, we will have people to pray with you on the sides as we close with this last song.

I pray over you as Simeon sang:

Lord, let your servants depart in peace, according to your word.

And, NO… I don’t want you to depart as in die… but do go in peace.

God bless you in this week ahead.