Anchor My Faith

The Words of Simeon About Jesus

Scripture: Luke 2:29-32

In our previous lesson we left Simeon holding baby Jesus as he was about to say: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word” (Luke 2:29 ESV). As Simeon aged he may have become more anxious over God’s unfilled promise to him about not dying before seeing the Messiah, but now holding him in his arms he can now die in peace knowing that God was faithful in carrying out his promise. Simeon was holding onto life as the years slipped by waiting for the promised event, and now it seems to be complete, leaving no good reason that he should live any longer as his work seems to be complete. He expresses to God that as a result he can now depart in peace.

There is much more to why he can experience peace: “for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples” (Luke 2:30 – 31 ESV). Simeon knew the Old Testament well and knew that it spoke of a coming savior the Messiah, who would deliver them from their enemies, especially our sin. This salvation was to come in the form of a person who would teach us the way of salvation and then die on a cross in our place to pay the ransom price for our sin. Simeon now holds this person in his arms and thus has seen with his eyes, God’s salvation that he had prepared. This salvation was not only for the Jew, but for all people, a concept difficult for the Jews to accept as other people were seen as evil people to be avoided.

This salvation was to be: “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32 ESV). Looking at Isaiah 49:6, in the NLT version, we read: “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” This savior that God will raise up will do more than restore the people of Israel to him. It was his desire, his intension, that the people of Israel would carry this light of salvation to the gentile, to those wicked sinners. Like Jonah, they resisted and finally Paul is chosen and converted on the road to Damascus and used to reach the Gentile.

We read about this in Acts 26:16 – 18 (ESV): “But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

God had given the revelation of himself to the people of Israel and now he brings further glory to them by bringing the Savior through them through the child Mary gave birth to. And with this we progress one more day along the gospel path on which we walk together.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the salvation you provided for us through the person of Jesus. To have the assurance, by the words spoken by Simeon, that Jesus would remove the darkness from the souls of all people, both Jews and Gentile, who turn to him in repentance of their sin and belief in his finished work on the cross, is indeed encouraging.