1/1/23 Simeon’s Song
Simeon’s Song
Luke 2:22-40
Have you ever been really surprised by something and, in response, said the following words: “Wow, I did not see that coming!”
Occasionally things will happen in life that seem so implausible that when they actually do occur, they elicit a response of astonishment.
Here are a few examples that I remember over the years that found me saying: “Wow, I did NOT see that coming!”
On January 28, 1986 I was in 8th grade. It was toward the end of English class and there came an announcement over the school PA system that the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight claiming the lives of all seven crew members aboard. That made me say “Wow, I did NOT see that coming!”
An obvious “Wow, I did NOT see that coming!” moment for those of us who are at least 30 years old would of course be the Terrorist Attacks of September 11th, 2001. Everyone old enough to remember that day remembers what they were doing when they heard the news of what was happening out East.
How about Covid and the way the world’s response to it changed our daily lives for a couple of years…I did NOT see that coming!
Then there are the less serious moments in life that left us saying “Wow, I did not see that coming!”:
On March 16th, 2018 the University of Maryland, Baltimore County men’s basketball team (a #16 seed in the NCAA basketball tournament) defeated the Virginia Cavaliers (a #1 seed in the tournament) Prior to this, a #16 seed had never defeated a #1 seed. As a basketball fan, this definitely made me say “Wow, I did NOT see that coming!”
Brett Farve becoming a Minnesota Viking…I did NOT see that coming!
Julia Roberts marrying Lyle Lovett…I did NOT see that coming!
Then there are some biblical examples of unexpected events:
God speaks to Moses through a burning bush
Balaam interacts with a talking donkey
Jonah goes for a ride IN a fish
Saul, The most-feared Persecutor of Christians, becomes Paul, the foremost evangelist for Jesus the world has ever known
….and the list goes on and on.
Our text for today describes an individual who actually “Saw it coming”, so to speak, in regard to the timing of the coming Messiah – Jesus Christ. His name is Simeon, and we meet him in verse 25 of today’s reading.
But first, let’s set the scene.
Verse 22 mentions “purification rites required by the Law of Moses.” This specifically has to do with Mary. According to Mosaic law, Hebrew women were to go through a time of purification after delivering a baby. The time required of this ceremonial purification would depend on whether the child was a boy or girl.
Since Jesus was a boy, Mary would need to abstain from touching anything sacred or holy for 33 days after the circumcision of her baby, and she would not be allowed to enter the temple for that same amount of time. This sounds strange to us today, but we need to remember that this law, like so many others in the OT, was designed to provide a way for the faithful in Israel to demonstrate their trust in God before other Israelites and to set them apart from the Gentiles.
So, 41 days after Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary obediently take their baby to the Temple to be “Presented to the Lord” (v. 22) or “Consecrated” as we read in verse 23. This would be very similar to a baby dedication here at our church today. It would be a time for the mother and father of the baby to pledge to raise their child in accordance with God’s Word and His Will. It also provides a time for the family of faith (The Church) to pledge to help raise the child in a godly way.
The sacrifice consisting of 2 doves and 2 pigeons mentioned in verse 24 was meant to symbolize that Mary was once again ceremonially clean and she would now be able to participate in temple activities.
While Mary & Joseph are attending the consecration ceremony in the Temple that day, they meet a very interesting man from Jerusalem by the name of Simeon.
Verse 25 describes Simeon as “righteous and devout.” These are strong words by Luke that were rarely used to describe people in scripture. To be ‘righteous’ would mean that Simeon was a man of faith, and to be ‘devout’ would mean that he took his faith seriously.
So often today, we encounter people who describe themselves as Christians, but it’s easy to see that they really don’t take their faith seriously. Pastor and author Kyle Idleman refers to these people as fans of Jesus, as opposed to genuine followers of Jesus.
For example: (And I apologize if this sounds a bit like a Jeff Foxworthy comedy routine – these are certainly not funny issues)
If Sunday morning worship service is the only time of the week you read God’s Word – You are a fan of Jesus, not a follower of Jesus.
If you never pray – You are a fan of Jesus, not a follower of Jesus.
If you don’t consistently show love toward others – You are a fan of Jesus,
If you (And here’s where I may step on some toes) consistently engage in worldly activities on Sunday mornings rather than consistently meeting with other believers – You are a fan of Jesus, not a follower of Jesus.
We are told in scripture that if we can physically come and gather with other believers on a consistent basis, then we need to do it.
Remember, attending worship service isn’t about what you can get out of it, like it’s a theatrical production or a movie or a sporting event. Coming to church regularly is about how you can bless others with your gifts, how you can encourage others, how you can sympathize with others, how you can laugh with others, how you can cry with others, how you can motivate others to remain strong in their faith. You are needed here!
Simeon was a follower of Jesus and scripture says that he was “Waiting for the consolation of Israel.” The phrase “Consolation of Israel” refers to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants that we covered a few weeks ago when we looked at the songs of Mary and Zechariah. Consolation in this context also has to do with the idea of “comfort” or “encouragement.”
Verses 25 & 26 tell us that Simeon was given special insight by God concerning the timeframe in which the long-awaited Messiah would finally arrive. In fact, verse 26 informs us that the Holy Spirit reveals to Simeon that he will not die before seeing the Lord’s Messiah with his own eyes.
We don’t know how old Simeon is when we meet him in this account, but we are given the impression that he is probably an older man. Simeon would have known that, given his advanced age, his time on this earth was running short. The Holy Spirit’s revelation to him regarding the Messiah would have undoubtedly provided him with a great deal of joyful anticipation with every passing day!
Verse 27 describes the Spirit of God nudging Simeon to go to the Temple courts on the same day that Mary and Joseph are there with baby Jesus.
Then, in verse 28, Simeon has found what he has been looking for – The Holy Spirit reveals to him that the child belonging to Mary and Joseph is indeed the long-awaited Messiah.
Simeon takes the baby Jesus in his arms and an outpouring of praise begins to burst forth from his lips – much like the songs of Mary and Zechariah that we covered during Advent.
When is the last time you were so moved by the Spirit that you experienced an outpouring of praise like one of these individuals? I wonder why we don’t see this much anymore….
Maybe it’s because we were raised to value things like order, structure, stoicism, contemplation, etc. – and nothing is inherently wrong with these things. In fact, I am probably much more naturally reserved than many of you. Bursting forth in a song of praise just isn’t something that we normally do – Kind of like unexpected singing in a movie that you didn’t know was a musical when you began watching it! 😊 However, when the Holy Spirit lifts your soul, don’t be afraid to express it, don’t “hide it under a bushel”, so to speak. Let others see the joy that fills your heart just like Mary, Zechariah, and now, Simeon did.
In verse 29, Simeon begins his song with recognizing the sovereignty of God. To be sovereign means to be all powerful, all knowing, and ever-present. These attributes describe the overall nature of God, His “Omni’s.” God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent.
Mary and Zechariah begin their songs in a similar way. Mary begins talking about God’s Glory while Zechariah starts his song “Praise be to the Lord.” When we begin the Lord’s prayer with “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven” we are similarly recognizing God’s complete sovereignty.
After recognizing God’s greatness & power, Simeon recognizes God’s faithfulness. Simeon speaks of the covenant that God made with him – that he would have the opportunity to see the Messiah before he dies. Simeon is now at peace with his impending death.
How many of you are at peace with your impending death?
For some of you, death may be years away. For others of you, God may take you home tomorrow…or later today. I have to admit, there are times that I recoil at the thought of death. There is so much I’d like to do yet while in this body of flesh and blood. I’d like write a book, or play with grandchildren (maybe buy them their first order of Culver’s cheese curds…yum! 😊)
Sometimes, we lose sight of the fact that our home is in another place, another dimension. As Christ followers, we are exiles here; we are living in a foreign land. That is why we have the constant feeling of not “fitting in” with the natives and their way of life.
Some of you attended Geneva Johnson’s funeral here on Thursday. There were tears of sadness but there were also tears of joy. Because Geneva knew Jesus Christ as her personal Lord & Savior, she is now in His presence…. She is home.
Brothers & Sisters, let us not fear death. If you are in Christ, death is simply a doorway to your true home. I remember years ago my family was performing music along with the Valley Tones at the Community Center in Rock Springs. We ended the performance with all of us on stage at the same time singing “I’ll Fly Away.” You know the song: “Some glad morning when this life is o’er, I’ll Fly Away…to a Home on God’s Celestial shore, I’ll Fly Away.”
I remember Richard turning to me when we had finished the song and He said: “I Just Love those lyrics!”
If you notice, there’s no sadness in the words of that song, there’s no mourning, there’s no despair – and that’s for good reason! Death, for the believer, is a doorway to a place that Jesus describes as ‘Paradise’ while speaking to the thief on the cross.
Simeon is at peace…He is ready to go home.
The final two verses of Simeon’s song (Verses 31 & 32) deal with praising God for His plan of salvation. Up to this point, people in earshot of Simeon’s words would have undoubtedly nodded their heads with agreement and affirmation.
These 2 verses, however, would have caused a very different reaction in people. They would have undoubtedly been shocked to hear what was now coming from the wise old sage’s mouth. Simeon was now talking about the Messiah (Their Messiah) as if he would deliver not only the Israelites, but the Gentiles too!?!?!?
They probably thought that Simeon had lost his mind! How could he say that this little Jewish baby would be “A light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Verse 32)
After all, the Messiah was supposed to go to war with the evil Gentile nations and rout those worthless dogs from the entire region. Messiah was not supposed to bring peace and light to these evil people! These words would have represented nothing less than blasphemy to Simeon’s fellow Jews.
Perhaps Simeon would be leaving this world even sooner than he thought (depending on whether anyone in earshot had a weapon on them!) Seriously, these words would not have been taken well.
Simeon was basically revealing what the Holy Spirit had miraculously revealed to him – that the long-awaited Messiah would come to redeem people of “All Nations”, not just the nation of Israel.
Even Mary and Joseph were surprised by the words coming from this devout man. In verse 33, we are told that Mary & Joseph “Marveled” at the words of Simeon. Even they did not grasp the depth and breadth of what their child would someday proclaim and accomplish.
In verses 34 & 35 of our passage for today, Simeon has a message for Mary that will somewhat temper the euphoric atmosphere that had prevailed up to this point. Simeon informs Mary that her child will “Cause the falling and rising of many in Israel” This was a way of telling Mary that her child would be the determiner of people’s destiny. Jesus’ message of the Kingdom would require people to make a decision that would affect their eternal destiny. People would have to make a choice in what they believe and how they would choose to live out their faith.
Anyone here been to Tomah lately? If you are traveling West on the interstate you come upon a split in the road. You are forced to take either I94 toward Eau Claire or I90 towards Lacrosse. A driver must choose one road or the other – you cannot go straight, or you will end up in a cranberry bog…cars were not designed to move very well in a cranberry bog!
When people heard Jesus’ message that one must be born again to inherit eternal life, they were forced to make a decision to accept his teaching or reject it.
2,000 years later, each of us who have heard the gospel message are also forced to make a decision whether to accept it or reject it. If you haven’t accepted the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, you have an opportunity to right now.
You can begin 2023 with the best decision that you will ever make…. better than any flippant New Year’s resolution. New Year’s Resolutions are only as strong as our own willpower (Which, if we’re honest, really isn’t that strong – the typical New Year’s resolution only lasts a week!)
When you give your life to Christ, however, you aren’t dependent upon your own strength any longer, you are dependent upon the strength and power of almighty God. The Holy Spirit will come to live within you, and it will be through His willpower that you will become a new creature – and you will persevere in that new identity through the sustaining power of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”
Verse 35 also refers to a sword piercing Mary’s soul. There is a special bond between a mother and a son, just as there is between a father and a daughter. In my life, I have been blessed to experience both of these special bonds.
Mary would soon begin to realize that her son would be unlike any other son. Her son would begin to distance himself from her at an early age.
Luke 2:49 describes the young boy Jesus as preferring to be away from his mother and in His “Father’s house”, or in other words, the temple. It was here the young Jesus felt at home because he was in the presence of God the Father…His Father.
33 years later, Mary would of course feel the unimaginable pain of losing her firstborn son while watching him die a horrific, agonizing death. Yes, a sword would most definitely pierce Mary’s soul. The burden of being the Messiah’s mother would indeed weigh heavily upon this woman for the rest of her life.
Verses 36-38 introduce us to another interesting character by the name of Anna. The bible doesn’t say much about her except that she was a ‘prophetess’, meaning that God used her to speak His word, perhaps to teach it to others.
Like Simeon, Anna was advanced in age and had been a widow for many years. In verse 37, Luke describes Anna as never leaving the Temple as she “worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”
Anna was a devout woman of faith and she also had been given special insight into the significance of the child currently being held in Simeon’s arms. This child was special. This child was, indeed, the long-awaited Messiah!
Luke’s account tells us that Anna continued to spread the word about Jesus to everyone she came in contact with.
As we wrap up this sermon series on the coming of Jesus Christ, we notice a consistent theme. Every time an individual (Or group of people, such as the shepherds) received information concerning the Christ child – they simply could not stay quiet about it!
Mary bursts forth in praise
Elizabeth bursts forth in praise
Zechariah burst forth in praise
The Heavenly Host of Angels burst forth in praise
The shepherds burst forth in praise
Simeon bursts forth in praise
Anna bursts forth in praise
And we, like all of these individuals, have also been given the insight to understand the significance of the coming of the Messiah – Jesus Christ.
In response to this incredible news, what do you think we also ought to do?
Let’s Pray.