Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
It is not often that Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. But when it does, it means a few things:
Different people I have met during the week have asked me about my plans for Christmas Day and I told them that I have to work! Aww! But this gives me opportunity to explain my work and ask them if they plan to go to church as part of their Christmas celebrations, etc.
But it means also that many of us are probably sitting here with enlarged Christmas food bellies, and thinking about fasting or beginning a new diet tomorrow. Right?
But most importantly it means we have two opportunities to worship the Lord as we gather with His people around the Word.
And we do that this afternoon as we bring to an end our Advent series. Chapter 8 of the Westminster Confession of Faith is about the person and work of Jesus Christ. And we have used these articles and this season to focus on who the Lord Jesus is and what He came to do as a call to faith and praise and joyful obedience and hope.
Well, today we do this as we consider the meeting of Simeon and His Saviour. It is just over a month since the birth of the Lord Jesus. We know this because v22 mentions the time for purification, which was about 40 days after the birth of a son. And there are some very beautiful and very important and very significant truthes contained in this account.
Let’s see them then as we consider THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IN SIMEON’S MEETING WITH CHRIST And we will do this as we make a few comments about Simeon THE MAN, before looking at THE MEETING between Simeon and His Saviour, and then, finally, as we consider Simeon’s SERMON.
I. So first of all, Simeon the man, from vv25-26.
A. And the first thing we learn about Simeon was that he was “RIGHTEOUS AND DEVOUT.”
1. And that first word, “RIGHTEOUS,” tells us that Simeon believed in Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter whether you lived in OT times or in NT times, the only way to be saved is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And even though we find Simeon in a NT book, because he is before the cross, he is an OT believer. So Simeon believed in Jesus by looking forward to the coming Christ. Art. 6 of our Westminster Chapter explains that OT saints believed in Jesus Christ by trusting in the one who all the “promise, types, and sacrifices” pointed forward to.
a. And we see this as we are told here that Simeon was “waiting for the CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL.” “Consolation of Israel” is a direct reference to the Promised Messiah. Isaiah the prophet spoke of one who would come to comfort or console his people. So we could paraphrase these words to say that Simeon was waiting for the Messiah to come and bring comfort to Israel.
This is why Simeon was righteous in the eyes of God; God declared him righteous because he trusted in Jesus Christ alone and not his own efforts.
2. The second word, “DEVOUT,” reveals that because Simeon knew that he was a child of God, he strived to obey the law of God. Simeon lived a life of thankful obedience in response to God’s mercy and grace.
B. It is hardly surprising then that the next thing we read about Simeon is that “the HOLY SPIRIT was upon him.”
1. And this is because all human beings begin life with a God-hating nature. We don’t have time today to prove this truth but it is the plain teaching of the Bible. What it means though is that the Holy Spirit must first give us a new nature before we will believe in and love the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus talks about this in John 3. This we might call the ‘ordinary’ work of the Holy Spirit, then, even though it is actually an extraordinary thing! But it is the work that the Holy Spirit does in every believer.
2. But the Holy Spirit was also at work in Simeon in an extraordinary way. And this is because Simeon received direct revelation from the Holy Spirit. We read, “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” What a precious gift of the Lord to Simeon. So many generations of Jews had lived, wondering when Messiah would come. But Simeon was told that he would not die until he had seen God’s Messiah.
3. And the extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit continues as we see in v27 that it is the Holy Spirit who prompted him to go to the temple on that day.
II. And that brings us in the second place to THE MEETING OF SIMEON AND HIS SAVIOUR, as we see it in v27b and 28a. We read, “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.”
A. It seems reasonable to assume that Simeon did not previously know Joseph and Mary. The Holy Spirit somehow guides Simeon to this couple. And perhaps when Simeon came across Joseph and Mary, he told them what the Spirit had revealed to him and they told Simeon about the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. So, knowing now that this baby is “the Lord’s Christ,” as He is called in v26, Simeon takes Him in his arms and blesses God.
1. I am a fairly recent grandfather. Some of you may have noticed that I am enjoying this very much To see the smile of recognition in my grandson’s eyes and to hold him in my arms is a very wonderful thing; a precious gift of the Lord.
2. Well, that is nothing compared to the precious gift given here to Simeon. By faith, He knows that he holds His Saviour in His arms; he stares down into the face of His Redeemer!
B. But what makes this moment all the more extraordinary is what we read in our Westminster Chapter earlier. For it says this of the Lord Jesus Christ: “He reveals to [all those whom God has chosen unto salvation], in and by the Word, the mysteries of salvation. He effectually persuades them by His Spirit to believe and obey, and governs their hearts by His Word and Spirit.” Simeon is holding a baby who really and truly depends on His mother for His daily food. But this baby is, at the same time, eternal God. This child has drawn Simeon to Himself this day, by His Spirit and through His Word. This child has persuaded Simeon, by His Spirit, to believe in Him, to obey Him. This child governs Simeon’s heart by His Word and Spirit. Isn’t that amazing! This is the wonderful mystery that is the incarnation – God in the flesh!
III. And it brings us next and finally to Simeon’s SERMON, which takes in the rest of these verses.
A. And his sermon begins with vv29-32, which are commonly referred to as the SONG of Simeon, because of the words are in the form of a poem, which is why they are set out on the page as they are. Simeon says, “MY EYES HAVE SEEN YOUR SALVATION.” Simeon’s heart is praising the Lord from a heart that is bursting with adoration and gratitude!
1. Now, we don’t have the baby Jesus in our arms when we sing. But the truth is that we actually know more about who the Lord Jesus is and what He came to do than Simeon, because we have the complete NT. So we also have every reason to sing from a heart that is bursting with adoration and gratitude! And we have no excuse for singing without thinking about what we are singing and without meaning it.
B. Simeon speaks of Jesus as the salvation “prepared in the presence of your peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” That word GENTILES means everyone who is not Jewish. And the amazement of Joseph and Mary that we read about in v33 probably had a lot to do with Simeon’s mention of the Gentiles. The Gentiles were universally hated by the Jews; they were the enemy that Messiah would crush when He came. But this was not the teaching of the OT. Passages like Isaiah 42:6-7 and Isaiah 9:1-2, and others, speak of salvation and the Gentiles. And by the Holy Spirit, Simeon has come to understand this and this becomes a part of his joy and adoration.
1. According to Google, there are 2 billion Christians in the world today. Divide that number by 100, if we take that as an average congregation size, and it means there are 20 million Christmas services today! No wonder Simeon praised God!
C. But Simeon’s joy and adoration is ALSO MIXED WITH GREAT SORROW.
1. In v35 he speaks to Mary about the soul-piercing agonies that she would have to face. More than any mother, she would truly have to ‘let her son go,’ as it were, because of the work He came to do.
a. So she, for example, had to endure that time we are told about in Mark when she came to visit Jesus. And the people said to Him, “”Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”” Now, want He was doing was making an important point about the family of God. But we can imagine the very human hurt that would have caused His mother, Mary, because she did yet not understand what He meant, and she simply wanted to see her son.
b. But most agonizingly of all, she had to see Him rejected and hated and mocked by the Jewish leaders, and then watch as the nails were cruelly driven into His hands and feet and as the spear of the Roman soldier was thrust into His side; she had to see Him die.
2. But in v34 and the last part of v35, Simeon also says, “The child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed … so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” Simeon knew, by the Holy Spirit, that not every one would take hold of Jesus as their Saviour. And this is because there is no neutrality when it comes to the Lord Jesus – you either love Him or you hate Him.
D. Simeon loved Him. So he said “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word.” The Lord had told Him that he would not die until he saw the Lord’s Christ. So now that he has seen the Lord’s Christ, he knows what comes next – death. And Simeon is at peace with that because He has taken hold of Jesus His Saviour.
1. It really is a great blessing to be ready to die. Are you ready to die? Are you ready to face your Creator and Judge should you die this evening? To be sure, you cannot see Jesus with your eyes and take Him in your arms. But have you taken hold of Jesus by faith? Do you know Him as your Saviour and Lord? Do you trust in Him as the God of your salvation?
2. If so, then let me ask you this: The gospel we have heard today needs to be heard by those who will spend eternity in hell unless they repent and believe.
i. You men, have you prayerfully considered whether the Lord is calling you to the ministry here or on the mission field?
ii. Men and women, have you prayerfully considered whether the Lord is calling you to mission work, like that of our dear friends, Janice or Richard?
iii. And will we all tell others the good news that we have heard today?
This is the gospel message from Simeon’s meeting with His Saviour. Amen.