25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” ”~ Luke 2:25-35
In our text, we are introduced to Simeon of whom little is known. In v.25 the Holy Spirit was on Him. In v.26, the Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death until he saw the Messiah. Then in v.27, the Spirit moves him to enter the temple at just the right moment to see the Lord Jesus who was a forty day old child. Simeon, a man of great faith, declares the word of the Lord over the baby Jesus, and is ready to die in peace. His peace was the product of the coming of Messiah and that the word of God is sure.
"Simeon" means "God has heard." All of his life Simeon cried to God to send the Messiah. This was no doubt the cry of Simeon's heart. Wonderfully in the end, God heard, and the Messiah came.
Most likely Simeon was an old man who was near death. This is why, in v.29, he told the Lord that he was ready to die. He was ready to depart in peace. Could you see yourself spending a lifetime waiting for the appearance of the Messiah and it happen? We could see His appearing any day now. I am no prophet and I am not saying that we are in the last days, but I would not be surprised at all to see His next coming soon.
In v.25 we read, "Simeon was righteous and devout." Simeon was "righteous" means he was justified by his faith in the God of the Bible. He did not earn his righteousness, that's impossible. God declared him righteous based on His faith in Him. God is the only One who declares sinners righteous when we trust in Him for forgiveness, and we will never be declared righteous on the basis of our own works. God applied the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which hadn't even happened yet to Simeon because Simeon looked forward in faith to the God of the Bible and he rested in His promises of a Messiah who would take away his sin.
Simeon was also "devout" which means he was sanctified. He took the word of God serious and he was defined by God, accordingly. In fact, in v.25 "He was waiting for the consolation of Israel." This means he was looking for the help or comfort of Israel. Luke uses the Greek word "paraklesis," which means he had a hope in the coming of the Messiah who would suffer the penalty that our sinfulness created. He was anticipating the fulfillment of everything promised to Abraham and to David.
In v.25 we read, "And the Holy Spirit was on him." In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon people, and when He did, through the anointed the recipient was given a special responsibility. Most often it had to do with speaking for God. Simeon was not a priest. He was just one righteous, devout man with an accurate theology believing in the literal prophecies of the Old Testament being fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah.
In v.26 we learn that sometime in the past the Spirit of God revealed to Simeon that he wouldn't see death before he had seen the coming of Messiah. He was convinced Messiah would come before he died. He lived in constant expectancy of that promise.
In v.27, we learn that "Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required." It is clear the Spirit was leading Simeon. Everything is coming to its climax, forty days after the birth of the Lord Jesus. God providentially had named Simeon "God has heard," and, God, by His Spirit, providentially prompts his heart and he decides to go into the Temple courts at the exact moment Mary and Jospeh brought the Lord Jesus into the Temple courts. Joseph and Mary didn't know anything about Simeon.
Mary and Jospeh were there to do that which was required by the law. According to v.28, Simeon took the Lord Jesus into his arms, "and praised God." He knew in that moment that in his arms was the Messiah.
According to v.29-30 Simeon breaks out into a song of satisfaction. So firm is his theology that he recognizes the Messiah was this forty day old baby. So firm was his conviction, as a result, he is ready to die. The waiting was over, the watching was over. Simeon had prepared his heart and soul for this the arrival of the Lord God.
Like Simeon, we await the coming of the Lord. Like Simeon, we need to live on our tiptoes, wide-eyed and waiting for the one who would come to save His people. In 2 Timothy 4:8, we read, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
To love His appearing means to live in the light of His coming, to live as if He were coming today. It means we set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth.
