Faithfully Waiting on Christ

Faithfully Waiting on Christ

Luke 2:25-33 (NKJV)

December 21, 2025

Sermon by Richard Nevils

A Christmas Sermon

Theme: Advent looks back at Jesus' arrival as a baby (the Incarnation) and forward to His triumphant return, fulfilling Old and New Testament promises.

Text: Luke 2:25–33 (NKJV)

25 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. 26 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. 27 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:

29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

Introduction

Waiting is the hidden place where God quietly moves—working behind the scenes, shaping His plan in ways we don’t always notice.

Waiting is one of the most common experiences of the human heart. Much of life is lived in the in-between—between prayer and answer, between promise and fulfillment, between longing and arrival.

Scripture reminds us that Christmas itself was born out of waiting. For centuries, Israel waited for the promised Messiah. Prophets spoke, promises accumulated, and generations passed. And then, in the fullness of time, God acted—quietly, humbly, and faithfully.

Luke 2:25–33 brings us into the temple courts just days after the birth of Jesus. There is no choir of angels here, no shepherds, no magi—only an older man, led by the Spirit, holding a child. At first glance, it feels like a quiet, almost ordinary moment. But Luke wants us to see more. In this encounter, God gathers centuries of waiting into a single scene. What was promised long ago is now held in Simeon’s arms, and what God has begun here will reach far beyond this moment.

Simeon’s words remind us that faithful waiting is never wasted—because God always keeps His word

1. Waiting with Faithful Character (Luke 2:25–26)

“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.” (v. 25)

Simeon’s life could be summarized in just a few Spirit-chosen words:

Just – right before others.

Devout – reverent before God.

Waiting – expectant for God’s promise.

Led by the Spirit – dependent, not self-reliant.

These were the marks of his life while he waited.

Simeon was waiting for “the Consolation of Israel,” a phrase drawn directly from Isaiah’s promise: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1). Israel was weary under Roman oppression. Hope seemed far away. Yet Simeon believed that God’s comfort would come—not merely as political relief, but as a Person. His faith was not in circumstances changing, but in God Himself arriving.

Verse 26 tells us that the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would not see death before seeing the Lord’s Christ. We aren’t told how many years he carried that promise. What we are told is how he waited it—with obedience, reverence, and endurance. Time alone does not mature faith—obedience does. Some grow numb or cynical. Simeon grew faithful.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, reminding us that God fulfilled His promise quietly and without fanfare. He came humbly—but He will return gloriously. “You have need of endurance,” Scripture says, “for He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:36-37). Simeon endured—and in God’s perfect timing, he held the Christ who had been promised.

Illustration: The Watchman at Dawn

Imagine a guard stationed on the city wall through the long night. His task is not glamorous—he doesn’t fight battles or make speeches. He stays alert, scanning the horizon, waiting for the first light of dawn. The hours are long, the darkness thick, and sometimes he wonders if morning will ever come. Some may fall asleep while others abandon their post, but the faithful watchman endures.

Simeon was that watchman. He waited through the long night of Israel’s history, trusting God’s promise of comfort. And when the dawn broke—not in political revolution, but in a baby born in Bethlehem—he was ready. His faithful character made him the one to recognize the Light of the World.

2. Waiting with Spirit-Led Discernment

(Luke 2:27–32)

“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,” (v. 27).

Simeon’s waiting was not something he did to pass the time; it was Spirit-directed. Luke makes this clear by repeating the role of the Holy Spirit in Simeon’s life. The Spirit was upon him. The Spirit revealed truth to him. And on that day, the Spirit led him into the temple just as Mary and Joseph arrived with the infant Jesus.

This was divinely orchestrated. Simeon’s heart had been prepared long before this moment. Because he waited faithfully, he was able to discern spiritually.

Picture the scene. The temple was busy—priests carrying out rituals, worshipers offering sacrifices, families fulfilling religious obligations —and yet, in the middle of all that religious motion, Simeon saw what everyone else missed. He recognized the Messiah.

Others were present that day who did not recognize Him, not because they were evil or opposed, but because they were distracted. They were doing what the Law required, fulfilling religious duties, moving through sacred routines. Yet they missed the very One those rituals pointed to.

Busyness has a way of dulling spiritual sight. It fills our schedules while emptying our attention. It keeps us active without making us attentive. Holy things can surround us and still overlook the Holy One. Christ in our very midst.

That danger has never left us. Distraction pulls our attention in every direction except toward Christ. Pride convinces us we are doing enough. Familiarity convinces us we are seeing clearly—when in fact, we may be missing the moment God is working right in front of us.

Jesus addressed this very issue in Luke 10:41-42 when He said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part.” Martha wasn’t doing bad things—she was distracted by good things. Yet in her busyness, she missed the better thing: sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Simeon had learned to live waiting with God, and because of that, he recognized Jesus when He appeared.

Simeon didn’t see just another baby. He saw salvation. He took the child into his arms and blessed God, saying, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation” (v. 30). Salvation had entered history in human flesh.

This is a divine revelation: It’s as if Simeon is hearing the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:17, when Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Simeon recognized Christ because the Spirit opened his eyes.

He declares who this child truly is:

God’s prepared salvation (v. 31),

A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles (v. 32),

And the glory of Israel (v. 32).

The birth of Christ is not just Israel’s story—it is the world’s hope and redeemer.

Simeon discerned Christ because he was Spirit-led, not self-directed. As Romans 8:14 reminds us: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Waiting well requires us to be obedient to the Spirit, so that when Christ appears—sometimes quietly—we recognize Him rightly.

Illustration: The Musician Who Hears the Note

Picture a crowded orchestra rehearsal. Dozens of instruments are playing at once. To the untrained ear, it’s just noise. But the seasoned conductor hears what others cannot. He knows when one violin is out of tune or when a trumpet misses its note.

Simeon’s spiritual ear was tuned the same way. While in the temple, he heard the one note that mattered—the cry of a baby who was God’s salvation.

That is what Spirit-led discernment does. It enables us to recognize Christ in the noise of life and to see Him despite the world overlooking Him.

3. Waiting with Understanding

(Luke 2:33–35)

“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’ (v. 34).

Simeon, being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks prophetically. Holding the infant Messiah, he looks forward across the whole span of Jesus’ mission. This Child is God Incarnate. His life will divide humanity. Some will rise through Him—finding forgiveness, life, and hope. Others will stumble over Him—rejecting His authority and hardening their hearts.

Jesus will be “a sign which will be spoken against.” From the manger to the cross, He will face contradiction. Neutrality will not be possible. Every heart will be revealed by how it responds to Him. The same Christ who draws worship from surrendered hearts will expose rebellion in resistant ones—and that remains true today.

Then Simeon turns to Mary with words that must have pierced her even as she held her Son:

“Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (v. 35).

This moment gives us a glimpse into God’s redemptive plan. Even here, at the cradle, the shadow of the cross is already being revealed. The Child she cradled would one day be rejected, condemned, pierced, and crucified. Mary’s joy would one day be mingled with anguish.

As Isaiah foretold, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). Christmas joy is born in a manger—but it is purchased at a cross.

Yet, Simeon’s prophecy does not end in sorrow—the “fall and rising of many” points beyond the cross to resurrection and reign. The same Jesus who would be rejected would rise in victory. The same Christ who would suffer would one day reign as King. Simeon helps us see that God’s plan does not stop at Bethlehem—or even at Calvary.

The scripture says, every heart will be revealed, and one day, waiting will give way to glory. As it is written:

“As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).

This is why we wait in faith. We live between His first coming and His promised return. We wait in a world that still resists Him, still rejects Him, still speaks against Him—but we wait with hope, because the story is not finished.

The cradle leads to the cross. The cross leads to the crown. And the King is coming again.

This is the beauty of God’s promise—even while acknowledging the cost:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

Simeon saw the beginning of that promise. The cross revealed the depth of that love. And the empty tomb guaranteed the victory.

But Scripture is also clear:

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

There is no neutrality with Jesus. He is either received in faith or rejected in unbelief.

The word of God still reveals the thoughts of many hearts. And that is why today still matters.

Invitation

There may be someone here who’s been waiting on God, struggling with doubt, or walking through a dry season.

Let me remind you:

God is still in control; He is your strength and salvation.

And He promises to complete the good work He began in you.

If you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ—if you've never experienced a hope and joy that doesn't depend on circumstances—today is your moment. You can trust Him now. You can receive His salvation. You can surrender your fears and doubts and begin walking the hills He prepares for you.

Or maybe you’re a believer who has grown weary. Your faith is tired. Your vision is blurry.

Come and be refreshed by the Living Water and receive the Living Bread for strength. He will strengthen you. He will lift you.

Will you come to Him today? Will you allow Him to renew your joy?

Prayer: