Luke 2:25

Luke 2:25

The Bible says in Luke 2:25, "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him." In the book of Luke we are still in the time when Jesus was a baby. Joseph and Mary had brought Him to Jerusalem to be circumcised. In the providence of God there are no coincidences. Instead, there are countless circumstances arranged by God in order to perform His will in the lives of His believers. Simeon was one of those believers. God has special blessings in store for those who trust in Him.

We are told several things about Simeon. We are told that he was just and devout. To be just means to be righteous. "The just shall live by faith." Righteousness and faith are intertwined. A person is viewed as being just by God because of his faith. If you have faith in God, then you are somebody important. God has His eye on you. He is guiding you and bringing into your life the things that need to be there. Simeon had faith and therefore he was just. He was also devout. A person who is devout is dedicated to God because they have respect and reverence for God. Right now people have a free choice to show respect for God or not. Of course, the day will come when they will give an answer as to what they have done with their choice. A person who is devout will have their priorities in order. God is first and everything else is secondary to their service to God. A devout person dedicates what they do to God because they reverence Him at all times. It’s a rare thing to meet people in this world whom you could honestly describe as being just and devout in the way that Simeon is here described. You will meet people in this world who are hard-working. You will meet people who are intelligent and well-educated. You will meet people who are ambitious. You will meet people who are competitive, and others who are materialistic. You will meet people who are religious in a certain sense, but you will meet very few people of whom you will be able to say that they are both just and devout.

In Luke 2:25 we are also told that Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel. The word that is translated consolation comes from a Greek word that means comforter, or one who is called alongside as a companion. Simeon needed comfort in the face of the sorrows and difficulties of life. But Simeon was willing to wait upon God knowing that what God had promised, God would fulfill. If you have faith, then you can wait. The measure of your faith is the measure of your ability to wait upon God. Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was waiting for the Messiah. Faced with the troubles of his nation as they were subjugated under the iron authority of the Roman Empire, Simeon placed His hope for deliverance in the promises of God concerning a messiah who would be sent to save the people.

Before God gave the Messiah, God gave something else to Simeon as a consolation. God gave Simeon the Holy Spirit. Verse 25 says that the Holy Spirit was upon him. Luke 2:26 says, "And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ." In this verse we see that the Holy Spirit revealed something important to Simeon about the Christ. Then in Luke 2:27 we see one more thing about the Holy Spirit and Simeon. It says, "And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law." This verse says that Simeon came by the Spirit into the temple. That means that he was led by the Spirit and somehow directed by the Spirit or drawn by the Spirit to the temple on the exact day that Mary and Joseph were there with the baby Jesus.

The connection between Simeon and the Holy Spirit cannot be ignored. Three important things were said about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, He revealed something to Simeon about the Christ, and He led Simeon. The first thing to look at is the fact that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon. In other words, there was a close personal connection between Simeon and the Holy Spirit. God is a Spirit. Jesus said that those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth. One of the problems with the world is that there are too many people who do not have this kind of spiritual connection with God. There are too many people who are physical and material in nature only. All of us are like that until the Holy Spirit comes unto us and we have a spiritual awakening and rebirth through faith in Jesus. Jesus spoke of this in John 3:6 when He said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit."

First, we are told about the close connection between the Holy Spirit and Simeon. Secondly, we are told that the Holy Spirit revealed something to Simeon about the Christ. The Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself. The work of the Holy Spirit is to speak about and reveal the Christ. No one can come to Christ until God draws them to Christ. Be careful to avoid pressure tactics in witnessing. God wants us to witness about the truth that is in Christ, but only the Holy Spirit can draw someone to believe in Him. Unless the Spirit does this work in someone’s heart, the words that are repeated and the prayers that are spoken with unthinking repetition, could never result in the salvation of their souls. The Spirit alone can enlighten someone’s mind about the truth that Jesus is the Savior.

The Holy Spirit revealed something to Simeon. He taught Simeon a spiritual truth. The things of God are revealed by the Spirit. There are wonderful things to know about God and His great love and the reality of Jesus crucified and risen from the dead, but a person can be awakened to these truths only by the Spirit. The Bible is a spiritual book. The writing of it was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and no one can properly understand the Bible unless they are assisted by the Holy Spirit. That’s why false religious cults that use the Bible use it falsely. They do not have the Holy Spirit to open their understanding to the true significance of what they are reading and studying. Therefore, they interpret it incorrectly. Simeon did not have this problem because things were revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.

After having his understanding enlightened, Simeon was then led by the Spirit. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." Perhaps the most important principle in the Christian life is being led by the Spirit of God. That’s the law of the Spirit. We are no longer under law, because we are under grace; but there is a law of the Spirit. And that law says that the children of God are led by the Spirit of God. You cannot serve God unless you are led by His Spirit. You cannot do the work of God unless you are led by His Spirit. If you are not led by God’s Spirit then that means you are led by your own will, and there may be nothing worse for a Christian than to go somewhere or do something by his own will. Jesus said, "Not my will, but thine be done." The number one reason that there is no spiritual vitality in some churches is because the Spirit of God is not leading what’s going on. The number one reason that some Christians do not have an effective testimony in the world is because they have not learned the importance of being led by God’s Spirit.

Simeon was an old man and was led by God’s Spirit, and he went into the temple and saw the child Jesus, and the Bible says in Luke 2:28-32, "Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God and said, Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word: for mine eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." It had been promised to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. God determines when we die. Life is a precious gift from God, but life on earth is of course temporary. If you believe, you do not have to fear death, not only because of the promise of eternal life, but also because nothing will take your life away until God permits. There are things that God wishes to see accomplished in your life. You have been put here for a purpose, and until that purpose is fulfilled, you will live.

One of the purposes for Simeon before he died was to see the Lord’s Christ. Notice in Luke 2:30 Jesus is called God’s salvation. Jesus not only gives salvation from sin, He is salvation. If you wish to be saved and inherit salvation, there is nowhere to go but to Jesus. There is no church, no shrine, no holy place or person who can give you salvation: only Jesus, because He is salvation. Jesus is salvation for all the world. The Bible says in Luke 2:31 that Jesus was prepared "for all people." Luke 2:32 says that Jesus is a "light to lighten the Gentiles," and the glory of God’s people Israel. Sometimes the Bible divides all the world into two groups: Jews and Gentiles. Everyone in the world is either a Jew or a Gentile; but for every person in bother groups, Jews and Gentiles, Jesus was prepared by God to be their salvation.

Joseph and Mary also had contact with Simeon when he saw the baby Jesus and spoke of the salvation of God that was centered in the person of the Christ. Luke 2:33-35 says, "And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; Yea a sword shall pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Jesus would eventually die for the sins of the world. That’s why He is God’s salvation. No one will ever suffer what Christ suffered when He bore the punishment for all of the sins of mankind. Even though the 12 disciples forsook Jesus in the hour of crisis, there would be a handful of faithful ones who would suffer as they watched Him dying there on the hill of Golgotha, not the least of which would be Mary who bore Him in her womb and loved Him not only as her Savior but also as only a mother can love her child.

Simeon spoke of the future and he said to Mary, "A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also." The world does not know how much a parent can suffer because of what happens to their children. It’s a part of life. Life ends with death, and some people are going to die before their time. In the normal course of life, the parents go first and then the children some years later; but for some families it will be the parents who will place flowers on the grave of their beloved children. Simeon said that when it happened for Mary it would be as though a sword had pierced her soul. The greatest suffering that any human can experience is the suffering of soul felt by a parent when they see some tragedy befall their son or daughter. But there is a purpose for all things. If someone dies before their time, then somehow it fits into the circle of what must be. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Because of His untimely and tragic death, millions will enjoy the bliss of heaven instead of the tortures of hell. The power of God can turn a tragedy into a blessing if you have faith and if you look for it.

Simeon was not the only one in the temple who recognized the Christ in the person of the baby Jesus that day. Luke 2:36-38 says, "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Simeon saw the Christ and prophesied about Him and so did Anna. Both male and female saw the Christ and spoke forth the word of God concerning the Christ. The greatest equal-opportunity organization ever known to the earth is the army of God’s believers. God is not a respecter of persons. He gives gifts to all who believe, and He invites all to serve Him. None are excluded from the service to God our Savior.

Anna served God and so did Simeon. When people seek the truth, they find it. The truth cries out in the streets. It’s everywhere to be discovered. Why are there so many who remain alienated from the truth? If they would draw close to God, He would draw close to them. People too often find excuses as well as distractions to keep from coming to God. Anna was 84 years old and she had been a widow for fifty or sixty years, but she still served God. Some people become hardened against God, especially when they suffer some tragedy. Anna’s husband died when she was a young bride, but she used her new circumstance as an opportunity to serve God once her tears dried. Look for the hand of God in what befalls you, and it may surprise you what blessings He has planned.

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