Simeon- A Portrait of Patience
Intro. Allow me if you will to recreate for you, retell if you will a story about a man. A man who is often overlooked in the Christmas story. If you were to break down his character, give him a portrait, he would be the portrait of patience. He waited his entire life for one gift, that gift was Jesus Christ. His story is found in Luke 2:1-38. This story has the fingerprint of God all over it. Make no mistake, this story is not about this man or this character, it is all about Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah. We can learn and see some things in this man’s life, but the point of Luke 2 is simply, Jesus is the Messiah. If you would like to follow along as I retell this man’s story, please do so in Luke 2:1-38.
Turn into Simeon
Everyday the walk gets a little longer and a little harder for me. I am getting old you know. My knees aren’t what they used to be. I am starting to get a little arthritis in my hands. My hair is, well let’s call it the color of wisdom. Okay, so I’m graying a bit. Still, getting older isn’t that bad. It just makes my walk to the temple a little more difficult. I remember the days when I could just run through the streets without even thinking about it. I would run past the markets and every once in a while, accidentally knock over a cart of food. I could get around pretty well in my youth, but these days I somber slowly to where I need to be. The walk to the temple is more often than not a chore. I love to go to the temple; in fact I go there every week to worship God. The walk is not very fun though. But the other day as I walked toward the temple it was different. There was something different about my walk there. I was excited, in fact I felt like a kid again. I couldn’t run or jump to the temple, but I walked more quickly toward it than I had in a while. What was it that made that day so different for me? The difference was that the Spirit of God was urging me on toward the temple. Deep from inside my soul, the Spirit was telling me to make my way to the temple. I didn’t know for sure why God wanted me there on this day, I had my guesses. But I had already been there that week to worship. Yet, for some reason God wanted me at the temple that day. So I walked as briskly as I could to get there. I made my way through the crowded streets of Jerusalem until I rounded the corner and there it was the temple. My pace quickened as I made my way through the Golden Gate. I walked through the Beautiful Gate and into the Court of Women not knowing what or who I was looking for at all. I looked as if I was struck by the temple’s beauty the way I was looking around the temple. People bumped into me as they passed by and I still didn’t know what I was doing there. Then I noticed a couple as they entered in through the Beautiful Gate. No one else noticed them because they looked just like everyone else. They were walking through the Court of Women and headed toward the place of the temple where he could make sacrifices. That’s when the Spirit pushed me forward. I knew in my heart what was happening, this was it. All my life I had waited for this moment. As quickly as I could, I made my way over to them. I pushed my way through the thick crowd toward that couple. Then I finally reached them. And when I got to the couple I looked at the child and I reached out my arms to hold the baby.
How foolish of me. You’re probably wondering how I got here and who I am. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Simeon. I spend a lot of my time in the temple. No I am not a priest or even a prophet. I am just a normal man who is very devoted to his God. I have been devoted to God no matter what the people around me have done. So many times our people, the Jews, fall away from God. A lot of times we were out right disobedient toward God. Yet, I have still done my best to live my life according to God’s Spirit within me. God has had an open line of communication with me through His Holy Spirit. In fact it was a while back, my memory fails me in my age, when God’s Spirit spoke to me and told me something incredible. The Spirit of God made a promise to me and that promise was that I would not see death until I had seen the Messiah. That promise was amazing to me because I have wanted nothing more than to see God’s Anointed One come to earth. You see, just like most other Jews, I was waiting for the consolation of Israel. I was waiting for the comfort of Israel. This comfort was going to come through the Messiah. He was going to save His people and that was going to be our comfort. And now, because of this promise from God Himself, I knew that I was going to get the chance to see Him. All of the Jewish people have been waiting for this moment, for the Messiah to come, but God had promised me that I would see Him before I died. I don’t think that I am more holy than anyone else. I don’t even think that I am more righteous than any other Jewish person. But for some reason, God has spoken to me through His Spirit and allowed me, through a promise, to see the Messiah. I had waited years to hear news of the coming Messiah, but I hadn’t heard anything for a while. The reason was because God had been quiet in Israel for the last couple hundred years.
It was a couple months ago that I had been in the temple worshiping. I had gone through my rituals and had prayed to God in heaven. I guess I can’t lie to you, there was a part of me that wondered if God’s promise to me would come true. Would I really get to see the Messiah or was it too good to be true? After all, I am getting older every day. As I was leaving the temple that day I overheard a conversation. The thing I noticed about it was that they were saying things like Messiah and Bethlehem. This caught my attention quickly. So I invited myself into the conversation and asked what they were talking about. They told me some incredible news. The news around town was that the Messiah had been born. I immediately inquired, “Where?” They told me in the town of Bethlehem. “When” I asked? They told me that it was just a couple days ago according to the report they had heard. My question now was, ‘How did they get to Bethlehem? Why now?” Then I remembered the census that had taken place a few days ago. Caesar had required that everyone return to their home town to register. So the Messiah’s father must be a man from Bethlehem. This is how the prophecy about the Messiah being from the city of David was fulfilled. I began to get very excited. If the reports were true, prophecies were being fulfilled during my lifetime in front of my very eyes. Not only that, but they were being fulfilled just five miles down the road. It was truly an exciting time for me. I wish that you could feel the excitement that I have. The emotions of what was happening completely overwhelmed me. If only you could feel completely overwhelmed by the coming Messiah as well.
The men continued talking about some shepherds who saw the Messiah already. The shepherds said that while the couple was there for the census, the time came for the mother to have the child. That is how the child, the Messiah, ended up being born in Bethlehem. Suddenly God’s plan was becoming clear to me. It was all coming together. Then the men told me about the angels the shepherds had seen. “Angels” I asked? The shepherds were watching their sheep at night when all of a sudden the night disappeared and the glory of God shone around them. They were terrified at the sight. Then an angel appeared before them and said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Then the night sky lit up as an entire company of angels appeared. The glory of the Lord was shining down upon them. And the angels praised God by saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” The shepherds left immediately to go and see if what the angels had said was true. And sure enough, they found a father and a mother with a baby lying in a manger. Bethlehem didn’t seem like a likely choice of a town for the arrival of a king. There was nothing there. The population was small. It was a run down, poor town. Most people wouldn’t think that the Messiah could be born there. Most of them have forgotten about the amazing king in Jewish history who was from Bethlehem; David. Now two kings had come from that poor and small community. And the news of this latest king was being spread all over the region by some poor local shepherds.
As I listened to these reports, my soul was completely overwhelmed. My heart was pounding in my chest as I began to realize what was happening. I became like a child as I walked home. I felt joyous inside. I went home rejoicing and praising God. Why? Because the time had come, history was coming to a climax in my lifetime. God had sent the Messiah. This baby was the Messiah, the Anointed One from God. He had finally arrived.
At home I continued with my daily schedule. For about six weeks I did the things I always did. Only this time I did it with a little extra enthusiasm. For six weeks I heard nothing but rumors. I heard people talking about how the Messiah had finally come, and was it true or not. People had so many questions. Everyday I wondered to myself, is it really true? I wondered what God was doing in the world. One morning after about six long weeks of waiting for some sort of a sign from God, I woke up and began my day. It was a day just like every other day. The only difference was that I felt the Spirit of God tugging at me. The Spirit was urging me to go to the temple. I realized that I was supposed to go, but I didn’t understand why. I had already been to the temple that week. The Spirit inside of me just said to go. So I followed. As I walked, my mind began racing with thoughts and ideas as to what I was going to see when I got to the temple. Was I really going there for the reason I thought I was? Was I finally going to get to see the Messiah? I followed the Spirit’s leading all the way into the temple. I followed Him all the way to that glorious building. I walked through the Beautiful Gate and into the Court of Women. And that is where I began looking around. What was it that God wanted me to see? And that is when I saw the couple. No one really noticed them, but I did. God was pointing them out to me. They were walking toward the area where sacrifices would be taking place. Then I noticed the child with them. He looked to me to be about six weeks old, which is about how long it had been since I first heard the news. I also noticed that they had a couple pigeons with them for a sacrifice. It was obvious to me that they were poor and that the pigeons were all they could afford for the sacrifice of purification. After a woman had a baby, she was to wait in her house for 40 days before going into public. 80 days if she had a girl. So I knew they were here to offer a sacrifice for her purification and to offer their son to the service of God. It looked as if they were here following the Law. That’s when I felt the Spirit urge me forward. I began walking toward them. I made my way through the crowd and when I go to them, I just looked at them. Then I reached out my arms and took hold of the baby. You should have seen the look on their faces when a strange man came up and just took their baby like that. Just holding him for the first time I knew, this was Him. He was the Messiah. He had finally come. My old, tired, arthritic arms and hands were holding the Son of the creator of the universe. I was holding God’s Son in my arms, the Consolation of Israel. That’s when I said, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel”. Maybe I was saying something that only I understood, but His parents looked at me almost in shock at what I was saying. Yes it’s true; the Messiah was also for the Gentiles, not just God’s people. We can’t keep Him to ourselves. He is too good of a gift. We have to share Him with the world. Then I warned His mother, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too”.
As I finished speaking, even Anna the prophetess came up and was giving witness to this boy. She was giving thanks to God for Him in front of everyone. Anyone who would listen she was telling them that the redemption of Israel had come. And there He was, that little boy only six weeks old. I didn’t want to let go of Him. I wanted to hold Him forever. I remembered from prophecy what His name would be, but I asked them anyway. What is His name? They told me, “Immanuel”. How appropriate, the Consolation of Israel, God’s Anointed One, the Savior of the world had the name that means, God with us. This baby is the One. Jesus is truly the Messiah.
Turn back into Stan
Isn’t it amazing? A little boy born to be the Messiah, the Savior of the world. I pray that you would have a proper perspective on this holiday. It’s not just about friends, family, food and gifts. It’s entirely about Jesus Christ and His birth. The best part about His birth didn’t happen at His birth though. You see, Jesus was born to die. About thirty three years after His birth, Jesus accomplished what He came here for. He died for you and for me and then He rose again three days later. He defeated Satan, He defeated death and because of that we have the opportunity to live forever with Him. Let’s all stand together and sing one of our closing songs.
