“Simeon’s Advent Song of Praise”
(Luke 2:25-35 – Midweek Advent 3 – December 18, 2024)
Luke 2:25-35 – 25And 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. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27So 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, 28he 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; 30for my eyes have seen Your salvation 31which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” 33And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34Then 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 35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Dear Redeemed in Jesus, born to bring us God’s eternal salvation, peace, and joy:
The Christmas season is often associated with peace and joy. For many people, the kind of peace they think of is peace and goodwill among people. It is based on how people get along with good and charitable feelings toward each other. And the kind of joy many think of is the excitement in giving and receiving gifts, the happiness in getting together with family and friends, the fun of Christmas parties…
While these things are fine in themselves, God’s Word reminds us that the true peace and joy of Christmas is not based on the goodwill of people or the good feelings of a passing season. Instead, as we hear the “good tidings of great joy” the angels announced at our Savior’s birth, we can truly rejoice in Jesus, who came to win our salvation and never-ending joys in His Kingdom. And we can join the angels singing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:10-14); for God has shown His peace and goodwill toward us sinners, in sending His Son to win our forgiveness and everlasting peace with God.
This is the peace and joy Simeon expresses, as he takes the Baby Jesus in his arms and says: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation.” Let us join “Simeon’s Advent Song of Praise” as we see the salvation, peace, and joy Jesus brings.
The setting is at the temple at Jerusalem, forty days after Jesus’ birth. At this time, the Law of Moses required a rite of purification for the mother, as well as the presentation of a firstborn son, along with a sacrifice. So it says: “the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law.”
It was no accident that Simeon met Mary and Joseph, and the Baby Jesus there. It says of Simeon: “this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 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. So he came by the Spirit into the temple.”
Simeon was “waiting for the Consolation of Israel.” In His Word given through the prophets, God had revealed to His people that He was sending the Messiah to them, who would bring them consolation and comfort, and lasting peace and joy in His Kingdom. As He said in Isaiah 40:1-2: “‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ says your God. ‘Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.’”
In Israel, they longed for that consolation in the face of many troubles of life. For centuries God’s people had seen warfare and captivity under the threat of enemies who oppressed and occupied Israel. Even from within they saw evil and corruption in government, religion, and society. They dealt with everyday troubles in stressful relationships, concerns of work and income, problems of health, sorrows of death. How they longed for that Consolation of Israel, the Messiah who would bring them God’s salvation from all their enemies, and lasting peace and joy in His Kingdom.
Consolation: isn’t that what we all need? We seek true and lasting comfort and peace as we deal with the troubles of life in a fallen world. We need the consolation of knowing that, no matter what troubles we may face in life, and no matter what enemies may be against us, God Himself is for us. We need the comforting assurance, even in the face of death, that we are at peace with God, and that nothing can separate us from His love.
Devout believers in Israel like Simeon knew the only way to have this consolation and peace with God was through His salvation from sin. As revealed in God’s Word, the underlying problem in this fallen world is sin, with all its evil effects. Ever since Satan tempted and mankind fell, the world had lived under the oppression of those worst enemies of sin, Satan, and death.
Therefore, they longed for that Consolation God promised in the Savior who was coming to redeem them. Day after day, as they saw their failures to keep God’s Law, they confessed their sins. Year after year, as they brought sacrifices for sin to God’s altar, the blood of innocent victims reminded them of God’s promise that the Messiah would one day come as the innocent Lamb, whose blood sacrifice would set them free from all sin. They longed for that Consolation in the Savior who would be born to bring peace between sinners and God and everlasting life in His Kingdom.
Like Simeon and believers in every age, isn’t this the Consolation we need most? Day after day, we feel the burden of sin and guilt when, despite our best intentions, we have not been the godly people we wanted to be. As hard as we try to be people full of peace and goodwill, the sinful nature in us is full of selfishness and ill-will; and we end up causing enmity in our relationships. Instead of being filled with joy, we may feel doubt and fear, wondering, “How can God love me, when so often I do not loved as I ought? How can God be for me, when so many sins stand against me?”
So like Simeon, we look in hope to that Consolation God promised in His Word – the consolation of our Savior, who came to win our pardon and peace with God; our Savior who came to conquer sin, Satan, and death for us; our Savior who came to give us peace and joy without end in His everlasting Kingdom.
It says of Simeon, “the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Like all believers, the Spirit had brought him to faith as he heard God’s promise of the coming Christ in Scripture. But it says Simeon also received a special revelation: “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
This is how it happened that, on the very day the Christ Child was presented, Simeon “came by the Spirit into the temple.” Among all the parents who came daily to present firstborn sons to the Lord, the Spirit led Simeon to identify at once “the Consolation of Israel” in the Baby Jesus. And it says: “He took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation.”
God had kept his promise to Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Christ. Now, Simeon could live his remaining days in the consolation of God. He could live in true peace, knowing God forgave all his sins in the name of this newborn Savior. He could live in peace, knowing God would finally turn all evil into good for His people in the name of this Holy Child. He could even depart this world in peace, knowing God replaced death with eternal life in the name of Jesus.
But it was also revealed to Simeon that this salvation would come at a cost for Jesus. Now the Spirit led him to prophesy to Jesus’ earthly parents. “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 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’”
One day at the foot of Jesus’ cross, Mary’s soul would be pierced as Jesus was crucified. But with the faith informed by God’s Word, Mary would know there was more to that cruel scene than just the evil plots of human enemies. Hadn’t the Lord revealed to her that this Child, conceived by the Holy Spirit, was the Son of God in human flesh (Luke 1:35)? Hadn’t she seen through His growing years that this Child was the perfect Son, obedient not only to His earthly parents but above all to His heavenly Father? When Jesus went as the innocent Lamb to the cross, wouldn’t Mary remember the Word of God which had been revealed concerning Him in Isaiah 53:5: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed”?
Yes, this Holy One born of Mary, this Christ Child whom Simeon rejoiced to hold in his arms, has come to bring us the lasting peace of God. For now, through His own Son’s perfect life of obedience in our place, God is counting us perfect. And through His Son’s innocent suffering and death on the cross for us, God has taken away all our sin, guilt, and punishment.
Now like Simeon, the Holy Spirit has led us by His Word to see our Savior and embrace Him in our hearts by faith. In this Holy Child, we have true peace of God, knowing that He forgives all our sins and blesses us for Jesus’ sake. We have true peace knowing that He is near in every circumstance of life, finally turning even evil into good for us as His children. We have the peace of knowing that God is for us; and if God is for us, who can be against us?
Therefore today, we can join Simeon’s Advent Song of Praise; for our eyes have seen the Lord’s salvation. We can sing in true peace and joy as we see Jesus, born to win our forgiveness and eternal life. Like Simeon, even in death we can depart in peace; for Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for us His Father’s heavenly mansions, and He will bring us to that home of perfect joys without end.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.