Christmas

Christmas

Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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, Simeon was there.

Luke 2:25-28

I’ve always been intrigued by the Bible’s accounts of lesser-known characters surrounding the birth of Christ. One of those characters was an old man named Simeon, and there’s a lot of wonder packed into the ten short verses that tell his story.

Simeon was a Jew who lived in Jerusalem at the time Jesus was born. The words used to describe him—righteous and devout—are very telling. They inform us that Simeon was upright, godly, sincere, earnest, and passionate in his beliefs. The Bible goes on to tell us that God’s spirit not only filled Simeon’s life but had also revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah.

Eight days after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph fulfilled the law of Moses by taking Jesus to the Temple, presenting him to the Lord. That very day, God’s spirit led Simeon to the Temple, and he had a part in the ceremony! As Simeon took Jesus into his arms, he praised God, saying, “Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:29-32).

What an example of faith Simeon is for us. He was eager for Jesus to bring light to all peoples, and as a result of his righteous and devout life he was ready to be used at just the right time for God’s divine purposes. May we be every bit as eager to see the light of Jesus shine in our lives and families.

Father,

Thank you for the way you arrange for people like Simeon to be in just the right place at just the right time. We ask for your help as we cooperate with you to bring the Good News of Jesus to others. In the name of Jesus, our Savior, amen.