Christmas 1
December 28, 2014
Luke 2:22-40
What
an old man saw in a baby
Direct us, O Lord, in all our
actions by Your gracious favor, and further us with Your continual help that in
all our works, begun, continued, and ended in Your name, we may glorify Your
holy name and finally, by Your mercy, receive eternal life; through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
One sign of growing old is
failing eyesight. At a certain age –glasses are needed. Bifocals go with
seniority in age. Simeon was old and next to death. Yet, his spiritual eyesight
was excellent. He saw what few others saw in the infant Jesus.
Age is no criterion for insight
even though insight comes with age and life experiences. Simeon had spiritual
eyes to see. In our text for today we find what Simeon saw through the eyes of
faith as we consider what Simeon was led find in the Christ child.
What did Simeon see?
1. Simeon saw the messiah who brought salvation. Listen again to V. 30 “My
eyes have seen Your salvation.”
The Lord had given Simeon a promise. It was
a simple promise and at the same time extremely profound. The promise was
before you die Simeon you will see the promised Savior. When Joseph and Mary
entered the temple, with Jesus, this old man’s eyes were open and immediately
Simeon knew it! In this little baby was
the promise of the Lord’s salvation.
It must have been an incredible
thing for Mary and Joseph to behold. This aged man takes the infant and says, “Lord, I’m ready to die…my eyes have now seen
Your salvation!”
By faith, you can also say these
words. By faith, you believe these words of Simeon. Is it any wonder that after
we have confessed our sin, heard the Lord’s promise of forgiveness and received
it, that we can say these words also?
After receiving Jesus is there
anything else that we need? By faith, these words of Simeon are your words.
Lord, I have seen your salvation in Jesus Christ! So what did Simeon see in the
infant Christ?
2. Simeon saw a salvation ready for all people. Listen to v.32, “A
light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.”
This salvation was not just for
Simeon and it isn’t just for you alone. It’s for everyone. It is for the Jew as
well as the Gentile believer. It is for the members of your family, it’s for
your neighbor, yes it is offered to the entire world.
Think of all of the people
whose path you have met this past year. Who were they? Where they nameless,
almost faceless people? No, they were people for whom the Savior came to save
and redeem... In this next year – 2015 - consider that point when you meet a
stranger. That one is a person for whom the Savior came to redeem and save.
That one is the person for whom the Savior came to claim as His own. If by
chance you would happen to strike up some sort of conversation – share with
that person the Lord of Jesus Christ. As you live and witness share the
compassion of Jesus Christ with all you meet.
Like Simeon may we see that
Christ has come for all people. In these last days of 2014 may God forgive us
our sins of omission where we have missed those opportunities to witness for
Jesus Christ. But may He use us in the coming New Year to speak for Him who
died for all that they may come to faith in Him.
What did Simeon see in the
infant Christ? He saw the messiah, which brings salvation. He saw salvation
offered to all people. He saw Christ’s future suffering for the life of the
world.
3. Simeon saw Jesus’ future suffering and death on the cross. “Simeon blessed His
parents and said to Mary His mother. Behold, this child is set for the fall and
rising again of many in Israel
When Simeon picked up this
infant, he saw way into the future. What he saw was the passion, suffering and
death of Jesus. Simeon saw into the future. You and I look back on the past.
Yet we see the same image. We see the cross and death of Jesus Christ winning
for us salvation and life. Simeon saw the same thing yet before it would
happen.
Scripture does not tell us when
Simeon passed into glory. We are not told whether Simeon died that night, the
next morning, that week, or exactly when he was called. We know he was an old
man and the time that he had was probably short. I would not be surprised
however that during the time that Simeon had left of earth he spent that time
telling everyone he knew that he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Today is the last Sunday of
2014. Next Sunday we begin a New Year. Who knows what will befall us in the New
Year. Yet if we use Simeon as an example for us we can learn how to experience
a life which is well lived. Having seen
the Lord’s Christ, we are ready to depart this world whenever the Lord would
call us.
Like Simeon, we have seen the
Lord. We’ve see the cross and that salvation which the Savior brings. May we
share Christ with others as the Lord permits. For we have seen the Lord’s
salvation. That is why whenever our Lord calls us, like Simeon we can depart in
serenity, security and peace. To God be the glory in all things; in our living,
in our witness, and yes, even in our dying.
Words –994
Passive Sentences –
Reading Ease – 78%
Reading Level -5.4
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