Monday, January 3, 2011
Tenth Christmas Day
Luke 2:25-27a 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. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.
SIMEON: PREPARED FOR CHRISTMAS
Simeon lived in Jerusalem at the time Jesus was born. He was a devout man. He believed in God and he believed in God's promise to send a Savior into the world. He was waiting, we are told, "for the consolation of Israel."
With as much trouble as the Jews of the day faced (both with respect to the conquering Romans and to their own spiritual fall away from the LORD), we might think that Simeon would have lost heart, but God strengthened his faith and prepared him for Christmas in a special way. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Thus He trusted that Christmas was coming -- that the best kind of help was on the way.
Forty days after His birth, Jesus was brought to the temple in Jerusalem. This happened according to the law given in Exodus 13. It was at this time of presentation that Simeon "Moved by the Spirit ... went into the temple courts." Then Simeon saw the Child -- and His Christmas came. The Spirit had prepared his heart and had brought him to where the Baby was.
It reminds us in a certain way of our Christmas, doesn't it? For God also prepared us to see the Holy Child, just as He prepared Simeon. He prepared us during the season of Advent in which we were brought to repent of our sins and see the need we had of a Savior who would rescue us from them. In the days before Christmas we anxiously awaited the Lord's arrival, just as Simeon did, looking with longing toward the manger, hardly able to wait for the glory that would be revealed there.
And then God led us to the Child. By the same Holy Spirit that brought Simeon to the temple, we were led to the manger through the words of Luke 2 and Matthew 1. We were led into our churches where we "saw" this wonder in the making, God made flesh. Thanks be to God that He prepared our hearts and brought us to Jesus' cradle once again this season!
