Luke 2:25–35
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss
your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations.”
Luke 2:29–31
The wisdom of the older generation should always be appreciated. We all need elders like Simeon in our lives. They have been through battles that we have yet to endure; they have learned spiritual and practical lessons that we need to grasp; and they can tell us like it is, both the good and the bad, hopefully doing so with wisdom and tact.
Simeon is one of these people. He is a righteous man who has been blessed with special knowledge from the Holy Spirit. Before his death, he will see the long-awaited Christos. Can you imagine the anticipation? I would’ve gotten a bit impatient as each day passed and my body aged!
Then, the day finally arrives. God creates a sovereign intersection. The Holy Spirit moves in Simeon to go to the temple courts on the exact day and time that Jesus is brought there by His parents and presented to the Lord.
The words of Simeon are sometimes referred to as the Nunc Dimittis or Song of Simeon. This is the beginning of the sentence translated from Latin: “Now you dismiss [your servant in peace].” Simeon can indeed die in peace now that God has fulfilled His promise of allowing him to see the Messiah.
Through the Holy Spirit, Simeon declares that Jesus will be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” However, he also shares a sobering message with Mary in particular. Her son will divide the Jewish people (Isaiah 8:14–15), and she, too, will be deeply grieved by what will happen to Jesus. Paul reinforced the discord that will later take place when he said that Christ is “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
Joseph and Mary are amazed by Simeon’s words. Perhaps it is a never-ending cascade of one awe-inspiring moment after another for them. Supernatural occurrences have been happening since before the divine conception of Jesus, and these continue throughout His time on earth. What a humbling yet sobering experience it must be for a godly man like Simeon to share with them. I’m sure there will be many more conversations and times of prayer for Joseph and Mary as they contemplate the future of their Sovereign Son.
Would you like to be described as someone who is full of the Spirit, righteous, and devout, just as Simeon is? Would you willingly wait a long time for a chance at a brief face-to-face encounter with the Messiah? This is almost exactly the story of your life as a believer, but your ending is even better. Like Simeon, we will spend a lifetime doing our best to live a life pleasing to God. And one day, our reward will be to see our Savior face-to-face, but not for a brief encounter—for eternity!