Rev Gav

Song

Luke 2:29-31

²² Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. ²³ The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” ²⁴ So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

The Prophecy of Simeon

²⁵ At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him ²⁶ and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, ²⁸ Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
    as you have promised.
³⁰ I have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared for all people.
³² He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
    and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

³³ Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. ³⁵ As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

The Prophecy of Anna

³⁶ Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. ³⁷ Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. ³⁸ She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

³⁹ When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. ⁴⁰ There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

Reflect

The Holy Spirit had led Simeon to the temple in Jerusalem to pray, and while he was there he saw Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus. The promise made to Simeon by God, that he would see God’s ‘anointed one’ or Messiah before he died, had come true. When Simeon held the baby Jesus in his arms, he was so thrilled that he burst into song. This song, like other songs in Luke’s gospel, such as Mary’s Song and Zechariah’s Song, has been used in Christian worship for centuries. If you come across it it might be called the ‘Nunc Dimittis’ because these are the first Latin (or Roman language) words of Simeon’s song.

Simeon declared that he could now die in peace and he prophesied (or made a statement about the future) that Jesus was going to be the glory of Israel and the saviour of the world. Simeon described Jesus as the ‘glory of Israel’ because Jesus came into the world through the Jewish nation, and he described Jesus as a ‘spotlight to God for the world’ because the whole world would be blessed through Jesus’ ministry.

At the end of his life, seeing Jesus gave Simeon peace, and despite our busy and fast-paced culture, Christians claim that seeing Jesus today gives them that same peace. And that means that the peace of Jesus is available to you.

Do

To hear God we need to stay close to God, and to stay close to God we need to make time with God. This week, commit to spending quality time with God.

Pray

Holy God
Help me find time to slow down and stop
in the midst of my busy and fast-paced life.
And fill me with the peace that comes from
knowing and being known by Jesus.
This day and for ever.
Amen.

Think

How can we make ‘seeing Jesus’ a goal in our lives today? What practical things can we do?