Simeon

Joy Expanded

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous 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. And he came in 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, 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

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel.”

Luke 2:25-32 ESV

Simeon, a righteous and devout man, was in tune with the Holy Spirit.

Simeon was also waiting.

Waiting for the consolation of Israel.

Waiting to see the Messiah with his own eyes.

Waiting, apparently for some time.

God told Simeon he would not die before seeing Jesus. We don’t know when Simeon heard this promise, but from the way he reacts to seeing Jesus, it seems like it was a long time. The first words he says over Jesus are about dying in peace.

Finally! The promised One is here! I’ve seen Him. Now, I can die. 

Think about that. How long do you think he’d been waiting? And how joyous he must have felt to hold this baby and know, at last, salvation has come.

Perhaps after lingering so long near the end of his life, looking for Jesus, Simeon was relieved, and ready to let go and enter into eternity.

Why did God reveal to Simeon that he would see Jesus before he died? Surely many Jewish people at that time were praying for and longing for their Messiah. What was it about Simeon’s faith and pursuit of God that singled him out? Some combination of desire and dedication?

We are not told the reason, but we do know Simeon must have cultivated his relationship with God consistently to have become so sensitive to God’s voice. And he must have been certain of God’s promise to keep looking for the Messiah year after year, even as he kept wondering when and how he would see Him.

Somehow, despite the long wait, Simeon stayed attentive to the voice of God. We are told “the Holy Spirit was upon him” the day he came to the temple and saw Jesus.

During those years of waiting, watching, and hoping, Simeon not only maintained his faith, he grew in faith. Why do I say this?

Simeon saw not just the salvation of his own people, the Jews, he also saw God’s grace for the Gentiles, everyone who was not Jewish. This would not have been the attitude of many Jewish people at the time. Commonly, Gentiles were seen as unclean, contaminating those who are holy, as outsiders, not chosen by God, even as enemies of God’s people. Rome and its harsh rule were a case in point.

Yet Simeon speaks of a revelation for all people, a redemption that goes beyond Israel to the whole world. Maybe those long years of watching for the Messiah gave Simeon time to change and grow. If Simeon studied the scriptures, meditated on them, heard them read on Sabbath days, if Simeon listened to God’s promises over and over, they would have shaped his heart and mind. He would have seen God’s love, not just for His chosen people, but for all humanity. He would know that God’s great plan of redemption applied to all creation, not just to a few, special and chosen as they were. 

Because Simeon stayed open to God, seeking His face and His leading, even when the fulfillment of His promise lingered, Simeon was transformed in the process. This gave him a perspective beyond most others.

“A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people, Israel.”

Luke 2:32 ESV

Light for revelation to the Gentiles, this happened literally when the Magi came following the light of His star. And it happens still when we who are not Jews respond to the spiritual light of Jesus’ salvation. 

Sometimes we wait a long time to see something God has promised. Does God reveal truth to us early on, so we have time to grow into all the goodness of it? So we can be transformed in our thoughts and feelings to experience the truer, fuller nature of the gift God is sending? Maybe.

We don’t know the reasons or even the timing of when God revealed to Simeon that he would see Christ before he died. We just know Simeon was able to keep his heart open and aware as he waited. If he experienced disappointment and discouragement along the way, Simeon didn’t give in to despair and choose to distance himself from God.

Instead, he stayed close and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. And he was eventually rewarded with the opportunity to hold Jesus in his arms and look on him with his own eyes. Joy to the world! 

Consider and Comment Below:

Are you waiting? Longing?

How do you turn your heart back to God after times of disappointment, when it takes longer than you thought it would?

As you wait, what has changed inside you?

As you look for and listen for the Holy Spirit, how have you grown in faith?

Have you experienced the joy of seeing a promise come true?