Wonder - Day 25
The wonder of heaven & earth colliding
Luke 2:25-35
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Here again we have someone who has been waiting, his whole life, for something beyond special. In fact, he’s even been told that he most certainly wouldn’t die until he received that which he had been promised.
I’ve often wondered how Simeon knew that the baby Mary and Joseph held in their hands was the promise he’d been waiting for. Did God tell him? Was there a light shining on the baby that only Simeon could see? Whatever it was, Simeon knew that the promise had been fulfilled and immediately took the child in his arms and praised God.
Now, if you’ve ever been a first-time parent, you know how protective you were. No one could even come close to your baby unless they were fully healthy, and they disinfected their hands, probably twice. Even then, you somehow knew in your heart of hearts that no one would care for your child as well as you, so you were hesitant to let anyone else hold them.
But Simeon wasn’t just anyone, he was a man of God who had something different about Him. That difference was the Spirit of God resting on Him. I believe people were drawn to Simeon, and for him to pick up the baby would have been an incredible honor. But then came the words he spoke over the child; “salvation, light, nations, glory for Israel.” This was a mountain top moment for Mary and Joseph for sure. New parents love when others gloat over their children, but this was next level. Simeon was confirming everything they had been told in the promise leading up to Jesus’ birth.
But then came some unexpected words. Remember, the people of this time had a different understanding of who the Messiah was and what he would do, so to hear that he’d cause man in Israel to fall wasn’t quiet what they were expecting. Then, there would be opposition? Why? The Messiah was coming to free us, who wouldn’t want that? But that last line, that was the line that would haunt Mary until that fateful day on a hill called Calgary, “a sword will pierce your very soul.”
A moment that started with joy and praise, ended with more questions than answers. Mary and Joseph couldn’t have known what all Simeon meant, all they could do is continue to be faithful and put one foot in front of the other, doing their best to raise Jesus each and every day in the best way they knew how. And because that would never be enough, because our human efforts never are, they had to lean on the promise that God would be with them every step of this journey; during the good times, and the bad, when it felt like He was with them and when it didn’t. That was a truth they’d need help remembering, just like you and I do every day.
QUESTIONS
Luke 2:25-35
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Here again we have someone who has been waiting, his whole life, for something beyond special. In fact, he’s even been told that he most certainly wouldn’t die until he received that which he had been promised.
I’ve often wondered how Simeon knew that the baby Mary and Joseph held in their hands was the promise he’d been waiting for. Did God tell him? Was there a light shining on the baby that only Simeon could see? Whatever it was, Simeon knew that the promise had been fulfilled and immediately took the child in his arms and praised God.
Now, if you’ve ever been a first-time parent, you know how protective you were. No one could even come close to your baby unless they were fully healthy, and they disinfected their hands, probably twice. Even then, you somehow knew in your heart of hearts that no one would care for your child as well as you, so you were hesitant to let anyone else hold them.
But Simeon wasn’t just anyone, he was a man of God who had something different about Him. That difference was the Spirit of God resting on Him. I believe people were drawn to Simeon, and for him to pick up the baby would have been an incredible honor. But then came the words he spoke over the child; “salvation, light, nations, glory for Israel.” This was a mountain top moment for Mary and Joseph for sure. New parents love when others gloat over their children, but this was next level. Simeon was confirming everything they had been told in the promise leading up to Jesus’ birth.
But then came some unexpected words. Remember, the people of this time had a different understanding of who the Messiah was and what he would do, so to hear that he’d cause man in Israel to fall wasn’t quiet what they were expecting. Then, there would be opposition? Why? The Messiah was coming to free us, who wouldn’t want that? But that last line, that was the line that would haunt Mary until that fateful day on a hill called Calgary, “a sword will pierce your very soul.”
A moment that started with joy and praise, ended with more questions than answers. Mary and Joseph couldn’t have known what all Simeon meant, all they could do is continue to be faithful and put one foot in front of the other, doing their best to raise Jesus each and every day in the best way they knew how. And because that would never be enough, because our human efforts never are, they had to lean on the promise that God would be with them every step of this journey; during the good times, and the bad, when it felt like He was with them and when it didn’t. That was a truth they’d need help remembering, just like you and I do every day.
QUESTIONS
- Have you ever meant someone who you just knew was a person of God? What was it about them that led you to that conclusion?
- How do you think Mary received the more difficult words Simeon had to say about her child? Do you think she took them in, put them aside, or ignored them altogether?
- What helps you remember that God is with you even during the difficult seasons of life?
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