The Day Simeon Met The Christ

Luke 2:25-35

I am working backwards, Christ is born, it is some 40 or more days later......

This story, to me, helps us to see what God’s true chosen people were looking for! Similarly, we are looking for he same now, the only difference was that everything that we need is finished and in a way, it was at this point in history. When God sends it will be completed!

Let’s get to this wonderful rich historical event.......

Luke 2:25-35......

Joseph & Mary as faithful parents followed the requirements of the law, faithful to God’s law!

Circumcision.....this would be a special occasion for friends and family to come. (not sure if that was the case here). It was customary to name the child on this day, in which Joseph and Mary both were told by angels.

Circumcision represented a unique relationship with God, a separation from the Gentiles.

Leviticus 12:1-3 “And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”

Presenting the first born male to the Lord....

Exodus 13:2 “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.”

Purification.....After a mother gives birth, she must got through a cleansing time, she was considered ceremonially unclean and could not enter the temple.

40 days of purification for a male child and 80 for the female.

Leviticus 12:5-6 “And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:”

Mary offered 2 turtle doves, which from Scripture tells us they were poor.

Leviticus 12:8 “And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”

Now they enter the temple......here we meet Simeon........Simeon is mentioned no where else in Scripture, but his place in Scripture is important and also moving! What a scene!

What Luke tells us about Simeon is that he is just and devout.......

Just-Righteous

Genesis 15:6 “And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Romans 4:3 “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

Devout-God fearing

Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”

Spurgeon said about Simeon “He valued the “outward and visible sign,” but he possessed the “inward and spiritual grace.”

Simeon must have been true and devout in his looking for the coming Messiah (The Consolation (Comfort) of Israel).

Because God preserved Simeon’s life past the normal life expectancy to see the Christ!

A false search was and is for an earthly deliverer, one that wouldn’t redeem you from your fallen state.

A true search would be for the redeemer of the inward man.

Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Ephesians 2:15-16 “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”

Simeon’s true search is what makes all the difference here......we hear from his mouth what Jesus is to all mankind!

Notice that the Holy Spirit is directing all of these things.....

The Spirit came upon him.........John 16:13-14 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

He kept Simeon alive past what was normal.......Life expectancy was similar to ours, the average, however, was 35 but that was due to disease and many other factors, if they lived to 80 then that was a good long life.

Some traditional church history has him living well past 200 years old.

Rest assured if the Holy Spirit is doing this, then it was miraculous!

The Holy Spirit led him to the temple......there Simeon met Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God!

The Consolation of Israel is what Simeon was looking for..........mark your place and turn to Isaiah 40.......

It can be inserted into our thinking of Simeon that he knew all of the prophecies of the coming Messiah.

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

Micah 5:2 “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

There are so many more, but the key to Simeon’s watching and waiting was the purity of his heart, he sought the True Deliverer!

Isaiah 40:1-11.........The word consolation back in our original text means comfort....it is more than that it is a Messianic title, which the Jewish people were waiting for derived from Isaiah 40, Isaiah 66, and also.......

Isaiah 25:9 “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; We have waited for him, and he will save us: This is the Lord; we have waited for him, We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

They waited for the saving......although some thought this saving would be earthly than spiritually, they couldn’t see that in the humble nature of Jesus.....

His entrance as a human

Where He was from (earthly), Nazareth.

How He lived

How He died

These things did not meet the earthly standards of a deliverer and therefore in their minds disqualified Jesus.

Not so, with Simeon! He knew what prophecy had spoke of the Messiah and Jesus fit those prophecies, but because of his faith the Holy Spirit affirmed all of what he knew, to be true!

Jesus came to be the comfort of Israel, to feed His flock, His reward is with Him.....

Wed. night study........John 10:9-11 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

There was no doubt in Simeon, this is displayed by his willingness to depart this world!

What Simeon said is known as Nunc Dimittis which is Latin....it is also known as The Song of Simeon...

Lord, let my servant depart....for mine eyes has seen Your Salvation......before the entire world’s, eyes, God’s Son was sent to save us....John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

A light to the Gentiles, this could be translated Jesus is the light that is a revelation or revealing to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 49:6 “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, That thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”

Jesus was and is the Glory of God’s chosen people, all people for that matter! All those that believe.....

Why is He our glory? Because, He stands for us, He mediates for us, He died our death, He lived out the purpose of our life that we were supposed to, He intercedes for us!

This is why He is our Savior! He is our Lord because He is God’s Son and by Him, through Him, and for Him was everything made that was made.......He is our Savior, because He took our place and delivered us from the wrath of God!

This is why this is called Simeon’s song!!!!!

Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph and spoke to Mary.....

This is a simple but heavy statement.........To believe in Jesus will mean that we will be raised up with Him in glory

To reject the Gift of God.......means a fall similar to satan’s fall and the fall of man and the casting out of the Garden of Eden.......However, the final state of the one’s that reject is worse, because it is forever!

Isaiah 8:14-15 “And he shall be for a sanctuary; But for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, For a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, And be snared, and be taken.”

Romans 9:33 “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

The sword that will pierce Mary........this must be alluding to this mother having to endure the rejection and crucifying of Jesus......the sword being grieving over the pains of her Son!

The thoughts of the hearts be revealed.....the coming of Jesus Christ revealed the true beliefs of the religious leaders.......this is truly why Jesus was the stone to stumble over......those leaders true desires were revealed because they rejected why Jesus came and Who Jesus was!!

All of this points to one thing for me.......What are we seeking Jesus for????? It was only prophesied of in Simeon’s day, but it has been fulfilled in Christ.......Simeon didn’t get to see it completely fulfilled, but he knew it would be just at the presence of the Baby Jesus.......

So what are we looking for? Earthly deliverance? I have heard many talk about and even prophecy about America returning to it’s original intent and frankly, I hope it does!

Truthfully, however, that is not why Jesus came.....if you will indulge me for just a few more moments turn with me to Ephesians 2........

Paul is speaking to this church about Jesus and his prayer in chapter 1 is for their hearts, as well as ours, be enlightened in the knowledge and understanding of the true hope and inheritance that we have in the Person and Complete Working of Jesus Christ......

Ephesians 2............Paul plainly tells us what we are without Jesus and what we are with Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God!!!! I can explain it any better!!!

What are you looking for in Christ? Is it what Paul tells us through the Holy Spirit, just as the Holy Spirit led Simeon or is it something else? If it is something else, I pray that is becomes was......The true Christ reveals the intentions and desires of the heart........Eph. 2 exposes the selfish desires of the heart, because it is the true reason for Jesus Christ!