As we begin a new year, let’s take a look at two characters in the New Testament who appear only once, and that very briefly, in the narrative of the life of Jesus. These two are an elderly gentleman and an elderly lady, Simeon and Anna, who each had insight into who the infant Jesus was when they met Him. Let’s take a look at who these two were, and their special encounters with Jesus.
As our Scripture begins, Joseph and Mary had brought the newborn Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the Law. As they were leaving the Temple, a very elderly gentleman approached them and requested to hold the Baby. This man, Simeon, was a devout follower of the Lord God. He loved the Lord, believing and obeying His Word. As he would go to the Temple to pray, he probably frequently prayed that God would send His promised Messiah to the people. Because of his devotion to the Lord, Simeon had received a special message from God that the coming of the long-awaited Messiah would happen soon, and that he would not die until he had seen Him (vs. 25-26).
The Scriptures do not indicate exactly how long ago this promise had been made to Simeon, but now he was an elderly man, so it could have been many years earlier. However, Simeon did not give up the hope that he would get to lay his eyes upon the promised Messiah. Now, on this day, he heard the Holy Spirit speaking to his heart, compelling him to go to the Temple (vs. 27). As he stood there, watching the many people coming and going, the Holy Spirit somehow indicated that the Babe in this one couple’s arms was the One.
As Simeon took the Baby Jesus into his arms, he gave a short prayer of praise and thanks to God. This brief song is known as the Nunc Dimittis, from the first two words of the Latin translation. He thanked God for keeping His promise to him, and that now he can die in peace, as he saw God’s Promised One, the One who would bring salvation to the world, the One who would be the Light, not only to the people of Israel, but also to the Gentiles, all other nations, as well (vs. 29-32).
What a blessing this must have been to Simeon, to finally hold in his arms the One who would redeem from their sins all who would come to Him! In order to have received that promise God had made specifically to him, Simeon needed to be listening and alert to God each and every day. He was not told in advance exactly what day this would happen for him. Simeon needed to keep in communion and fellowship with God each day, waiting in hopeful anticipation. And he needed to be ready to act when the word came. He couldn’t say to himself that he was feeling his age, and didn’t want to make the hike to the Temple that particular day. If he had, he would have missed the only chance he would have to see the Savior. No, Simeon was listening and ready to act.
Following his prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God, Simeon spoke directly to the Virgin Mary, Jesus’s mother. He told her that Jesus was going to bring about the fall and the rising of many, and many would be against Him. He also told her that she would experience grief, as well (vs. 34-35). The Virgin Mary would, indeed, experience great personal grief as she would watch her Son, Jesus, be crucified.
With Jesus, there is no neutral ground. People either joyfully accept Him, or totally reject Him. To all those who reject Jesus, He is a stone of stumbling (I Peter 2:8). Today, many are turned away by the un-Christian like conduct of some who claim to be Christians. Though there were some in Israel who accepted Jesus, He was “spoken against” by the vast majority (vs. 34). They rejected, hated, and crucified Jesus, their Messiah.
As our Scripture passage concludes, Luke mentions another elderly person who recognized the Baby Jesus as the promised Messiah, and gave praise and thanks to God, and that is the prophetess Anna (vs. 36-38). She was an 84 year old widow, whose husband had died after 7 years of marriage, undoubtedly many years earlier. Anna spent her days in Temple, in prayer and fasting. She, too, was actively awaiting the coming Messiah, and the Holy Spirit revealed to her, in addition to Simeon, that this Baby was the Promised One.
Both Anna and Simeon believed God and His Word. They were actively awaiting the Messiah, and were ready to act upon His Word when the Holy Spirit revealed to them that He was there. Had they slacked off, and not been actively listening for His Word, they would have missed this great opportunity. Let us always be ready and waiting upon God in His Word.
No comments:
Post a Comment