Living Like Simeon In The Last Days

Living Like Simeon in the Last Days

Luke 2:25-32; Mark 24:36-42

There is an old fable in which three apprentice devils were talking to Satan. The first one said, “I will tell people there is no God.” Satan replied, “That will not fool many, because they know there is a God.” The second devil said, “I will tell them there is no hell.” Satan said, “You will never fool many that way, because they know there is a hell.” The third said, “I will tell people there is no hurry.” Satan said, “Go, and you will ruin millions.”

That fable still strikes a nerve. It speaks to the danger of spiritual procrastination. Many know the truth— they believe in God. They believe Jesus is coming again. But they live as if there’s no urgency to be ready—as if eternity can wait. As if there’s still plenty of time. When Jesus told His disciples, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later” (John 13:33), they were deeply troubled. For three years they had walked with Him, witnessed His miracles, heard Him teach with authority, and glimpsed His divine identity. And now, Christ spoke of going away—to suffer, to die—and they couldn’t come with Him… not yet.

Sensing their confusion and sorrow, Jesus gave them this unshakable promise:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”

— John 14:1–3 (KJV)

What a hope! Christ is preparing a place for us—and He will return to take us home.

But it’s been over 2,000 years. And though many still scoff, the faithful still wait. In our youth, the return of Christ can seem like a distant thought. Life stretches out before us, full of dreams and plans. But as time passes—as our bodies slow down, and the world grows darker—our spiritual vision sharpens. We begin to see, more than ever, how much this world groans for redemption, how ripe it is for judgment, and how near His return may truly be. Just as the early church cried out, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20), so do we. We long to be with Him—and to be found ready.

Though we do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), we do know what God requires of us: ‘Be ye holy; for I am holy’ (1 Peter 1:16). To be ready for His return means not merely knowing about holiness but living it out daily—moment by moment, thought by thought, choice by choice. This is not a call to panic—it’s a call to prepare. So, today we’re going to ask the question: What does it mean to be ready to meet Jesus? And more importantly: Are we truly living in a way that reflects the urgency and beauty of His return? Let’s open our hearts to God's Word and let the Spirit prepare us for that glorious day.

Simeon’s Life: A Model of Faithful Readiness

If we’re wondering what it truly looks like to live ready for Christ’s appearing, we need look no further than Simeon—an ordinary man who lived with extraordinary expectation. While some scholars have speculated about Simeon’s identity—suggesting he may have been the successor to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, or even Gamaliel the elder —Luke offers us none of that. No priestly credentials. No ties to the Sanhedrin. No religious pedigree. Instead, Luke paints a simple yet profound picture: Simeon was a righteous and devout man, filled with the Holy Spirit, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25).

I believe Luke intentionally leaves Simeon’s background obscure—not to downplay his importance, but to highlight something greater: that anyone—regardless of title or status—can live a life ready to meet the Lord. Simeon’s greatness didn’t come from his position, but from his posture before God. He listened, he watched, and he waited. And because he walked in the Spirit, the Lord revealed to him a personal promise—that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah (Luke 2:26). For years, perhaps decades, Simeon clung to that promise. Anchored in the hope spoken through Isaiah—“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1) and “I will heal them and guide them and restore comfort to Israel” (Isaiah 57:18)—Simeon lived with holy anticipation, trusting that God's Word would come to pass.

Hearing that Simeon was devout and righteous naturally causes us to reflect on our own lives—and all the ways we fall short of God's call to holiness. It's tempting to excuse our spiritual complacency by pointing to our sinful nature, which, as Paul says, “desires what is contrary to the Spirit” (Galatians 5:17), or to the influence of “the prince of this world” (John 12:31), who entices us with self-gratification, moral compromise, and the shifting sands of relativism. But deep down, we know better. We carry the weight of respectable sins—those attitudes and actions we’ve grown too comfortable with: gossip that passes as concern, impatience we blame on stress, and greed we disguise as ambition. And when we look in the mirror, clothed in what Isaiah called “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), we sometimes wonder if true holiness is even possible for people like us. Legalism whispers shame. The enemy says we’ll never be worthy. And the goal of Christlikeness can feel discouragingly out of reach.