Lives that Reveal Him – Luke 2:36-38
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare Your power to the next generation” (Ps.71:18). That's what King David (?) said. It was the prayer of a man who saw God active in his life in wonderful ways and did not want to close his eyes in death until he had praised the goodness of God with a thankful life. “When I am old and gray….”
We assume that Simeon was “old and gray” when he saw Jesus, but we can't be sure. However, Anna was in her 80s, perhaps her 90s. That's about all we know of her. She was an old widow who was also waiting for the Messiah, who “never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.” Hers is the perfect picture of a life spent in service to the God who had saved her.
Maybe she had slowed down through the years. But she kept on serving and not in an official capacity for she did not come from Levi, the priestly tribe of Israel. She just served in her humble, unofficial way. She was “always there,” and as such was an encouragement to all who came to the temple. Even if she never said a word to anyone, her life revealed her love for the Lord .
There are many modern-day Annas, somewhat obscure to us, always humble, always “there,” whose attitude toward the Lord and His house show hearts that are filled with love for Him. What a witness they are. When others seem to be so concerned about the time they put in, or wonder what they are going to get out of going to church, such Annas are just there out of love to their Lord, knowing that in the smallest of ways He will bless them.
And God blessed Anna in the greatest way possible – she got to see the Savior. About that she could not be silent, but after she saw Him “she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all.”
The Savior later said, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Lk.6:45). The joy of forgiveness, peace with God, and a present and future that rests in His hands no matter what may come, that wells up in the believing heart and overflows in actions and words of praise.
God grant this New Year that we all would be modern-day Annas. God grant that we always be there to serve and worship Him, to speak of the great things He has done no matter in what state of life we might be. For you see our Lord uses the “unknowns,” real people in real-life situations who live lives that reveal Him.
He Was Named Jesus – Luke 2:21-24
- A week following the first Christmas, the 8 th day to be exact -this was an important day, a day that means so much to the people of God. It was the dawn of a new era the day that God's Son, our new-born Christ came to His temple. For over 1000 years the entire temple service had pointed to Him – the lights, the sacrifices, the incense, the priests, the robes, the worship appointments – all pointed to Christ. Now, at last, the Messiah was here, come to His temple.
It was on the eighth day following His birth, a day that we call New Years, when Mary and Joseph brought Him for circumcision. The ceremony's significance for little children was somewhat akin to baptism for us. It marked God's covenant with His people and made the child God's own. At the same time He Was Named Jesus , that is, “the Savior from sin.” God had come to help His people.
Yes, the Lord had come to His temple. But when He came hardly anybody took note of it. No reception was given; no ceremony was held; no change whatsoever took place in the service of the day. Indeed, the priests and Levites barely knew He was there. Think of it. The Savior, whose birth had been heralded only days earlier by hundreds of angels in the skies, was brought to the place which symbolized His coming and those in charge didn't even see it. The old order of things was passing away; a new day had dawned; and it went unnoticed.
What a tragic shame for this was a true New Year that far surpasses our own today. This was the “New Year” of God's favor.
His people had been unfaithful to Him in the past; they had turned away from Him and gone their own way. They had broken their promise with Him; they had sinned. But rather than cut them off, God showered His grace upon them through the gift of His Son, the Savior. He would rectify the situation and make all things new again so that God could have a people to Himself, a holy people – redeemed, restored, forgiven.
When Jesus came to be named, and circumcised, and presented, the whole matter was about to take place. It was the first step in a long path that would lead to the cross on Calvary and the empty
tomb of Easter. Yes, this was the dawn of a new year in heaven, a year in which you and I, too, in faith are privileged to live.
May the Holy Spirit help you to see how significant this day is for you in the realm of eternity. It is Christ's “coming-out,” the day when the Savior came to His temple as the God-man to fulfill the first steps of the law for you. All the failures and the follies of the past find pardon and forgiveness in Him. And so He was named Jesus for He would save His people from their sins. The “new year” of God's grace had arrived.
Eyes that See Him – Luke 2:25-35
Unknowns - that's what the people of Christmas are, unknowns. All who received the Spirit's revelations in those special days of Christ's birth are hidden in obscurity. Think of it. How much do you really know about the angels, the shepherds, the Wise Men, Joseph, even Mary? And we know almost nothing about Simeon. How old was he? What did he do for a living? Was he priest or lay person? Married or single? Father or grandfather? How did the Spirit communicate with him? Such questions remain unanswered. There are so many unknowns about Christmas and the people that comprise it. They remain obscure to us, hidden from our sight.
But the work of God the Spirit and the gospel shine bright and clear. In every age it is the same. He comes to the unknowns, the fallen children of men, to lift them up and encourage them with the promise of salvation. And those who see it live – eternally.
In the days following Jesus' birth, Mary and Joseph brought the new-born to the bustling city of Jerusalem. Along with hundreds of other parents, they were there to present their child to the Lord and to perform the purification rites as required in God's Law.
While in the temple, an unknown man stepped forward and took the child in his arms. On top of the stress of a trip to the big city in the days following birth, the stress of being in a crowded temple, the stress of needing to be in the right place at the right time, a stranger steps forward and takes their child. What a shock!
But Simeon's eyes of faith saw something in the child, something that only the Spirit had revealed to him. His eyes saw the Savior for whom he had long waited, and that sight made him bold. So focused was he on this child and what the Savior would be for him, that he forgot about everything else – even the likely
reaction of protective parents. Taking Him into his arms, Simeon prayed, “Lord, You are now letting Your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the sight of all people.”
“My eyes have seen Him .” At last, after years of waiting, the climactic hour of Simeon's life had arrived – the Savior had come. No more anguish over his sins. No more angst for his future. No more anxiety about his death. The Savior had arrived to take care of it all. Finally the Fall in Eden would be overcome; Satan's power crushed. Simeon's heart was at rest. Such peace comes to the eye the sees the Savior for what He is – God's ransom for sinners.
Sadly, not all eyes see it and believe. Some men, many men reject it, even speak against Him. Oh, if the world only saw this child as Simeon did, all would be at rest! But because the world is focused on itself and not on Christ, fears and anxieties will remain.
But, dear friend, it need not be that way for you. Don't lose your focus.
As we look back over the past this New Year's Day, do you feel anxious about anything? If we take stock of what has been and where we have come over the past year, we have to admit that there are things we could have done better, especially as Christians. Our sins oppress us. And as we look to the future and what it could hold in store for us, we could feel anxious, wondering if we'll ever measure up to what's needed. Thoughts like these go through many minds that mark the end of another year and the beginning of a new. But it need not be that way, not for eyes the see the Savior for whom He is.
Simeon expresses the peace for which we all yearn – peace with God, made by God in a Savior who takes away our sin, all of it – past, present, and future. In Him our lives are made complete for time and eternity. So He invites, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give rest.”
Yes, dear friend, as obscure as you may be in this world, if your eyes , like Simeon's , see this Child for whom He is, God's peace is yours – peace to put your past to rest; peace to face the next year unafraid.