Waiting For Jesus Series

Simeon - Waiting for Jesus

Luke 2:21-35

December 27, 2020

Have you ever heard about a famous person who was coming to town and you wanted to get their autograph. Maybe if it was an athlete, you put on their jersey and you hoped to see them in real life. Then you have to wait and wait in line to see that person and get their autograph, maybe have a picture taken with them or just shake their hand.

Well, that’s kind of like what it was like for the last person we’re going to talk about in our series on the Characters involved in the first Christmas. This was a person who waited and waited to see Jesus. While Jesus obviously is not a celebrity, this man was waiting to meet him. So, let’s look at the story which is only found in the gospel of Luke. In chapter 2, beginning in verse 21 --

21 And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law,

28 he took Jesus up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And His father and mother marveled at what was said about Him.

34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed

35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” - Luke 2:22-35

Simeon was promised to see not just any superstar, but it would be the Son of God. The difference was the fact that Simeon didn’t know when this would occur. He just knew that he had been promised by God he would see Jesus before he died.

So, let’s look at little more of the back story.

Before we meet Simeon, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into the temple according to what the law commanded. Remember, Mary and Joseph are Jewish and are faithfully following the law.

Since Luke is writing primarily to a Gentile audience, you will notice in verses 22-24 that he kind of explains what is happening, so that everyone will in a sense be on the same page.

Luke brings in Leviticus 12 which is the Law of God which Mary and Joseph are obeying. What they are doing is kind of like what we do in dedicating children to God. This may be the closest thing we can relate to concerning this event, but what is happening in this text is more involved than our traditional baby dedication.

Let me give you a quick overview of what is happening according to Leviticus 12.

The Law stated that parents were to present their child to the Lord. This presentation was to be after the mother’s purification, which would be seven days after birth. On the 8th day a male child would be circumcised and named. Luke tells us this in verse 21.

According to the Law, following the 8th day the mother, Mary, was to continue for 33 more days to be purified before she could enter the Temple or touch anything holy.

When that time period ends, the parents were to bring a lamb or two turtle doves or two young pigeons, if they couldn’t afford a lamb. One sacrifice was a burnt offering and the other was a sin offering. This would occur 41 days after the birth of Jesus and that’s what we saw in 22-24.