HE SAW MORE THAN A BABY
Luke 2:25-32 NKJV
25 And 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. 26 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. 27 So 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, 28 he 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;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
This is the account of a man named Simeon. The scriptures speak well of this man, saying he was a righteous man and devoted to God. He was looking for the Consolation of Israel. The word consolation means comfort and encouragement. Simeon knew that that comfort would be embodied in the Messiah. He was not looking for an event but a person.
And here is where we see the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, and it was the Holy Spirit who had previously revealed to him that he would see the Lord’s Christ, the anointed One, before he died. Simeon had most likely been waiting for years to see the Messiah show up in Israel. He knew that John the Baptist was not the Messiah, so he was still looking when the Holy Spirit prompted him to go into the temple. The scriptures say Simeon came by the Spirit into the temple just as Joseph and Mary brought in baby Jesus to be circumcised. Coming by the Spirit does not mean he floated in or came in another form. But he was led by the Holy Spirit to come into the temple at just the right time.
It was obviously the Holy Spirit who revealed to Simeon that the baby who had just been carried in by his parents was the Messiah. Simeon’s faith and confidence in God was evident by the blessing he spoke over Jesus. God told Simeon he would see the Messiah before he died, and he saw a baby. I wonder if Simeon thought that he would see the Messiah in full form, a full-grown man doing amazing things. But he saw a baby.
Simeon knew enough about God to know that the child he was holding was the answer for Israel. And not just Israel. Simeon spoke that the salvation coming to Israel would also be a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles. To the Gentiles? No one was thinking that Israel’s Messiah would also bless the Gentile world. So Simeon was not only seeing beyond a baby, but he was also seeing beyond Israel. This was a miraculous experience and miraculous words. Now Simeon believed he could die in peace. God had kept His promise, and even though Simeon had only seen a baby, he believed that this baby was the answer for the world.
APPLICATION
This story is a great reminder of a couple of things. The first is a reminder of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was only available to a few before Jesus. But after the resurrection of Christ, the gift of the Holy Spirit was now available to all who believed. And His ministry to reveal God’s plan to us, particularly as it pertains to our lives, is just as real to us as it was to Simeon. Just as the Holy Spirit helped Simeon get to the right place at the right time, He can help us be where we need to be as we stay close to the Lord.
And this story is a reminder that God does not always do everything the way we think it will be done. We are thinking we have options A, B, and C, while God has D, E, F, and more. So we accept His plan without telling Him how to do it. And we believe we will see God’s plan and promises fulfilled in our lives before we depart in peace.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your plans and promises. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit who empowers me to fulfill all You have called me to do.