Introduction
Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882) was an English biologist, widely known for his views on evolutionary biology.
When he was dying of heart disease, Darwin confided to a friend, “I am not the least afraid to die, but I am not sure what awaits me after death.”
Darwin had knowledge—but not peace.
He had theories—but not assurance.
He had curiosity—but not comfort.
His wife, Emma, was a devout Christian who constantly prayed for him.
Darwin died on April 19, 1882, but without the certainty for which he longed.
Human knowledge alone cannot bring peace.
Simeon was a man who faced death with peace, not because of what he knew or had done, but because of what he had seen.
Simeon held a baby in his arms and said, “Now I can die in peace.”
Not because life was easy.
Not because he had accomplished great things.
Not because he had proposed grand theories.
But because God kept his promise.
Let us read Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis, Simeon’s song of salvation, and learn that peace in death comes not from our grip on God, but from God’s grip on his promise.
Scripture
Though I will focus on Luke 2:29-32 for today’s exposition, let’s begin reading in Luke 2:25 for the sake of context:
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 him 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.”
Lesson
Simeon’s song of salvation in Luke 2:29-32 teaches us that peace in death comes not from our grip on God, but from God’s grip on his promise.
Let’s use the following outline:
1. God’s Promise Grants His Peace (2:29)
2. God’s Promise Satisfies Our Souls (2:30)
3. God’s Promise Envisions All Peoples (2:31-32)
I. God’s Promise Grants His Peace (2:29)
First, notice that God’s promise grants his peace.
You know the story of Jesus’ birth.
His mother, Mary, and her fiancé, Joseph, traveled from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea to register for the census of Caesar Augustus.
While they were in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to her firstborn child, a boy.
Eight days after his birth, the boy was circumcised and given the name of “Jesus,” in accordance with the name given by the angel to Joseph before the baby was conceived in Mary’s womb (Luke 2:21).
Forty days after giving birth, Mary, along with Joseph and Jesus, went to the temple in Jerusalem for her purification and Jesus' presentation to the Lord, as it is written in the Mosaic Law (2:22-24).
While they were in the temple precincts, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus met a godly man named Simeon (2:25a).
This is the only place in Scripture where this Simeon is mentioned.
His name means “God has heard” (cf. Genesis 29:33).
Actually, Simeon was a common name.
Several people in the Bible were named Simeon, such as one of Jacob’s twelve sons (Genesis 34:25), an ancestor of Jesus (Luke 3:30), one of the teachers in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1), and one of Jesus’ apostles, Simon Peter, whose Hebrew name was Simeon (Acts 15:14).
Luke said that this Simeon was “righteous and devout” (2:25a).
This is a wonderful description of Simeon’s character, rich with meaning.
To say that Simeon was “righteous” means that he, like Abraham (Genesis 15:6), had righteousness imputed, or credited, to him (cf. 1:6; 14:14; Matthew 13:49; 25:46; Acts 10:22; Romans 1:17).
And to say that Simeon was “devout” means that he was “reverent toward God.” It conveys the idea of being careful to obey and honor God, leading an exemplary life before him and others.
To be “righteous and devout” simply means that Simeon was justified and sanctified.
Wouldn’t that be an outstanding epitaph to put on your tombstone?
“Righteous and devout.”
That will only be true when you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and live your life carefully, obeying and honoring God to lead an exemplary life before him and others.
Luke goes on to tell us that Simeon was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (2:25b).
“Consolation” means “comfort.”
Simeon cared deeply about his people, the people of God, Israel.
His concern was heightened by the distressing circumstances in which his nation found itself at that time, chafing under the brutal occupation of the hated Roman Empire.
This oppression caused the people of Israel to long even more for the deliverance that was promised to them by God in the Old Testament.
This Old Testament promise was embodied in the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one sent by God to deliver his people from oppression.
But the promised Deliverer would deliver his people from the oppression of sin rather than from the oppression of Rome.
The deliverance would be spiritual rather than political.
He would be the consolation of Israel.
The prophet Isaiah, in particular, emphasized the Messiah’s role as the consolation of Israel.
In Isaiah 40:1, he wrote, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”
In verse 10, Isaiah identified the one who would bring comfort, that is, consolation, “Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
And in many other passages, Isaiah emphasized that God would comfort his people (cf. 49:8-13; 51:3, 12; 52:9; 54:11; 57:18; 66:10-13).
Many years after his birth, at the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus actually identified himself as the consolation of Israel by quoting from Isaiah.
Other prophets, such as Jeremiah (31:13), Ezekiel (14:22-23), and Zechariah (1:17), also spoke of God’s promise of consolation and comfort for his people.
Simeon’s expectation was consistent with the Old Testament promise that God would send the consolation of Israel through the coming Christ.
Furthermore, Luke also said that the Holy Spirit was upon him (2:25c).
Luke then said in verse 26 that it had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
We are not told when or how the Holy Spirit revealed this to Simeon.
Nevertheless, this revelation to Simeon must have encouraged him tremendously, as he knew that he would see the consolation of Israel before he died.
Then, forty days after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary brought him to the temple precincts.
And Simeon came “in the Spirit” into the temple, and when Mary and Joseph brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law (2:27), Simeon met Jesus.
Luke does not give us details about the meeting.
Nor does he tell us how Simeon knew that Jesus was the promised Deliverer, the Christ, the consolation of Israel.
Presumably, the Holy Spirit directed Simeon to Jesus.
Having met Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in the temple precincts, Simeon took Jesus up in his arms and blessed God (2:28).
He must have been overcome with joy as he realized that God’s promise was indeed coming true.
Deliverance was now coming to Israel, and he was holding the consolation of Israel, the promised Deliverer, the Christ, in his arms.
Then, Simeon broke out in a song of praise.
The first thing Simeon said was in verse 29, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word.”
Simeon was now ready to die.
He could die in peace because he had seen the consolation of Israel.
Simeon did not say, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace because I have lived a righteous life.”
No.
Simeon rested in the reliability of God.
He grounded his peace in the faithfulness of God’s infallible and inerrant word.
He said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word.”
God’s word, God’s promise, is what grants peace.
A story is told about a pastor who died with his Bible open on his chest.
In the margin next to this verse, he had written, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”
Later, however, as the pastor came to a more accurate understanding, he crossed out the middle sentence, so that it read, “God said it. That settles it.”
God’s promise does not depend upon our faith.
Instead, our faith depends upon God’s promise.
That was Simeon’s theology.
He completely trusted that God would fulfill his promise.
Peace does not come from the strength of our faith but from the character of God.
Whatever God says will take place.
I read somewhere just this week that R. C. Sproul once said that the greatest weakness of the modern church was its failure to take God at his word.
Friends, peace does not come from how you feel.
Peace comes from God’s promise.
Take God at his word.
God’s promise grants peace.
II. God’s Promise Satisfies Our Souls (2:30)
Second, God’s promise satisfies our souls.
Simeon was holding the six-week-old Jesus in his arms.
I am sure he looked at the child with wonder, joy, and delight.
I imagine Jesus looked at Simeon, perhaps with a smile on his face.
Then Simeon said to God in verse 30, “…for my eyes have seen your salvation.”
Simeon saw a precious baby in his arms—and he confessed a Savior.
Simeon was holding his Savior in his arms.
Surely, he was overcome with emotion.
God’s promise was in Simeon’s arms.
Simeon was literally holding, looking at, and cradling his Savior in his arms.
Simeon did not see salvation as a process to work his way to heaven.
Simeon did not believe that he had to be a good person to earn his salvation.
Simeon did not believe that he had to obey God’s law to be saved.
Simeon did not believe that he had to be more good than bad to be saved.
No.
Simeon saw salvation as a Person.
Simeon saw Jesus as his Savior.
The story is told of a woman who was dying.
Her pastor went to visit her to comfort her as she was about to enter eternity.
He asked her how she was doing.
She said to him, “Pastor, I am not afraid. I see Jesus—not with my physical eyes, but with the eye of faith. And he is enough.”
She could sing with the hymn writer:
My faith has found a resting place—
from guilt my soul is freed;
I trust the ever-living One—
His wounds for me shall plead.
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea;
it is enough that Jesus died,
and that He died for me.
Enough for me that Jesus saves—
this ends my fear and doubt;
a sinful soul I come to Him—
He’ll never cast me out.
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea;
it is enough that Jesus died,
and that He died for me.
Simeon could sing that song too.
Every believer can sing that song.
Jesus is enough.
Friends, God’s promise of Jesus satisfies our souls.
III. God’s Promise Envisions All Peoples (2:31-32)
And third, God’s promise envisions all peoples.
Simeon was a student of Scripture.
He knew the word of God.
He understood the promise that God had given Abram in Genesis 12:3, “… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
He understood that God’s promise envisions salvation for all the peoples of the earth.
So, Simeon went on to say to God about Jesus in verses 31-32, “…that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
Simeon knew that the precious baby he was holding in his arms would bring salvation to some from all the peoples of the earth.
Simeon saw the whole sweep of redemptive history in his arms.
God’s eternal decree to save a people for himself through a redeemer was in his arms.
Jesus was a light for the nations.
Jesus was the glory of God’s covenant people, Israel.
Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Moses, Abram, David, and the prophets.
Simeon was holding the Savior of the world in his arms.
We now live some two thousand years after Simeon held Jesus in his arms.
We can affirm that the salvation Jesus brought has changed lives all over the world and continues to change them.
Let me tell you one story about how God’s promise is for all peoples.
This story is about a girl who was eight-years-old.
She really, really wanted a pet, but her parents were not so keen.
Her parents were happy to learn that the girl was allergic to dogs, and her Dad was allergic to cats.
So, the girl settled on getting a bird.
The girl set aside money each week from her allowance to save up to buy a bird.
That made the Dad happy because he knew it would take her several years to save enough money to buy a bird and, hopefully, by then, she would forget about it and not get one.
About a year after the girl started saving money for her bird, she heard that one of the college students in her church, Luke Brown, was graduating.
Luke had decided to serve for one year as a missionary in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
He was going to share the good news about Jesus with the students at the university in Tashkent.
Tashkent is the Islamic capital of Central Asia in terms of both numbers and influence.
About 85% of the people in Uzbekistan are Muslims.
While in Tashkent, Luke did a great job of writing letters to the church and his other supporters about what he was doing.
In one of his letters, he asked for Bibles.
At this point, the eight-year-old girl had saved $7 over the previous year.
She decided to give all her savings—the entire $7—to Luke so he could buy Bibles and tell the students in Tashkent about Jesus.
She was willing to give her money to tell people about Jesus rather than get a bird.
Well, the Dad was pleased that his daughter had a heart for Jesus and people who did not know about him.
(Secretly, he was even more pleased that she would have to start saving all over again for a bird!)
However, a few weeks later, one of the ladies in the church who knew about the girl’s desire for a bird met someone who needed to give away a bird, a cage, and all the appropriate accessories.
So, the girl received her bird, even though she now had no money saved because a month earlier, she had given all her savings to help Luke buy Bibles to tell the students about Jesus.
Now, that is a sweet story.
But how does that illustrate that God’s promise is for all peoples?
Well, let me tell you the rest of the story.
I use an app called Operation World to help me pray daily for one country.
A week ago, on Sunday, the country I was to pray for was Uzbekistan.
I read the following:
Uzbek believers continue to increase despite great opposition. The prospect of retribution from three sides—the government, local Muslim leaders, and the community (family and neighbors)—has not halted growth.
The following sentence, however, caught my attention and stunned me:
There are now probably more than 10,000 Uzbek believers, where there were possibly none a generation ago (italics mine).
As I read that, I realized Luke had gone to Uzbekistan a generation ago.
A generation ago, Luke was telling students about Jesus.
A generation ago, an eight-year-old girl gave her entire $7 savings to Luke so he could tell Uzbeks about Jesus.
Today, there are probably more than 10,000 Uzbek believers.
Friends, every prayer you pray, every dollar you give, every gospel truth you share is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to [God’s people] people Israel.”
This is what Simeon saw when he held Jesus in his arms.
Simeon understood that God’s promise envisions all peoples.
By the way, that eight-year-old girl is now one of your supported missionaries.
She and her husband are telling students about Jesus in Bogota, Colombia.
Conclusion
Simeon’s song of salvation has been a wonderful hymn for the church throughout the centuries.
It is a song for every believer who has seen Jesus by faith.
When you see Jesus by faith, you can live with courage.
When you see Jesus by faith, you can die in peace.
When you see Jesus by faith, you know that God keeps his promises.
When you see Jesus by faith, you know that God satisfies your soul.
When you see Jesus by faith, you know that God envisions the good news for all peoples.
And one day, like Simeon, you too will see Jesus—no longer by faith, but by sight. Amen.
