Simeon’s Song - What Do You See In Jesus? Series

You will always find what you are looking for. Your parents probably told you when you were young, “if you go looking for trouble, it will be sure to find you.” The principle at work is a spiritual one, “your actions will be directed toward the thing you desire most.”

I know a lady loves antiques. Rest assured, she always finds a hidden antique store wherever she goes.

As a youth pastor, I vividly remember this principle at work with teens who were eager to find trouble. At every activity, within minuets of their arrival, the teens looking for trouble would find that one other teen who was also looking for trouble. If there was one teen out of hundreds with liquor, drugs, or just a bad attitude, trouble finds trouble. It was as if they had radar and could filter through a crowd to find the one other person with a desire for trouble.

When a couple is in conflict, you find what you are looking for. If you are looking to find fault with your wife, you will find it! If you are looking to find fault with another church member, you will find it. If you are convinced that someone or a some group of people are snobish, or rude, or greedy, or whatever, you will find examples to support your prejudice.

In counseling people, I like to call this the “Yellow Volkswagon Syndrome.” When I was twelve, my older sister bought a yellow VW beatle. I thought that car was pretty cool. As soon as she got it, I began to notice all the yellow VW’s driving around town. In truth, there was only one more yellow VW than before - my sister’s. But I was tuned in to look for yellow VW’s, and not surprisingly, I found what I was looking for.

You see, you will find what you are looking for.

Now my question to you today is, what are you looking for in Jesus?

Are you seeking the genuine Christ, or are you seeking a Christ of your own making. Perhaps you are not seeking Christ at all. It that is true, you may not know it, but you are seeking a god of your own making.

Today we will learn about an OLD MAN who lived his whole life looking for Christ. That man is SIMEON and we will study his song in our series, “The Songs of Christmas.”

His story is found in Luke 2:22–32 (NIV84)

22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you now dismiss your servant in peace.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles

and for glory to your people Israel."

SIMEON found what his heart was looking for

HE was Looking for the MESSIAH of ISRAEL, and God allowed him this privilege

I. Background.

The background of this final song in our Christmas series is one of the events described by Luke that took place after the Savior’s birth. Luke 2:22 says, “When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him tot he Lord”

Two events took place during this visit to the Temple. The first was Mary’s PURIFICATION, a sacrifice that was required by the Law before she could worship at the Temple. Leviticus 12:2-8 describes the requirement for women to present an offering and a sacrifice for sin before she could worship again in the Temple. This was to take place 40 days after the birth of a boy, and 80 days after the birth of a girl. It is important to note that the couple present an offering of a pair of doves or two young pigeons. Luke mentions this fact to remind Theophilus (and us) that Mary and Joseph were poor enough to present the offering allowed for the poor. It also reminds us that Joseph and Mary were sinners. A sinless Mary would not present this offering since one of the sacrificial birds was presented as a SIN OFFERING. This fact alone unravels the false doctrine that Mary never sinned.