Tuesday, January 4, 2010
Eleventh Christmas Day
Luke 2:28-32 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
SIMEON: A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
What was Simeon's Christmas like? (It came on the 40th day of Christmas when all the seasonal decorations were already down!) Too late for him to rejoice? Not hardly. Seeing the Child, He praised God saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
Now that is a Christmas celebration! In reaction to the love of God that he saw in Jesus, Simeon simply overflowed with praise. He praised the LORD for keeping His promise to send Jesus into the world. He praised the LORD for allowing him to live until the event had taken place. He praised the LORD that everything had happened just as it had been foretold.
He also confessed his faith in Jesus, talking of this Child as the bringer of salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to the people of Israel. To Simeon, Jesus was not just an ordinary Baby. He was the Son of God, sent to fix the relationship between man and God that had been ruined by sin.
The best Christmas celebrations are those like Simeon's, which upon seeing the Child praise God for His faithfulness and then confess to all, "Yes, He is the Savior and the Light of the whole world!" This kind of celebration doesn't need cookies or gift-wrapping, it only needs the Spirit -- Whom God has given us!
