In Luke 2 Jesus is taken to the temple and we see the first person who recognizes him for who he truly is. In verses 25-26 we read, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.”
After seeing Jesus he praised God for being allowed to see God’s salvation. He also points to the fact that Jesus will be a light to reveal God to the Gentiles and be a cause for many in Israel to rise or fall. Certainly, the decision to believe in Christ or reject him made a huge impact on Israel.
Simeon is ready to die now that he has experienced seeing the Christ, but what was so special about it? For centuries the Jews had been looking for the Christ and probably millions had died disappointed that the Christ didn’t come in their lifetime. This man was not only part of a special generation, but he recognized how special it was to be there to see Christ.
Christ is a word that literally translated would mean anointed. Jesus was the special fulfilment of what the Lord had prophesied that there would be one who would be his anointed or chosen one. He was chosen or anointed to be prophet, priest, and king. We may not have been there to see God’s chosen one in person, but we can see him through the scriptures.
There is one more thing Christ has been chosen or anointed to do, judge the world. If we won’t see Christ through the Bible now and anoint him king of our lives, he will come as a judge with a sentence of condemnation and it will be too late. We need to be like Simeon and see Christ before we die, and help others meet him, too.
jp
After seeing Jesus he praised God for being allowed to see God’s salvation. He also points to the fact that Jesus will be a light to reveal God to the Gentiles and be a cause for many in Israel to rise or fall. Certainly, the decision to believe in Christ or reject him made a huge impact on Israel.
Simeon is ready to die now that he has experienced seeing the Christ, but what was so special about it? For centuries the Jews had been looking for the Christ and probably millions had died disappointed that the Christ didn’t come in their lifetime. This man was not only part of a special generation, but he recognized how special it was to be there to see Christ.
Christ is a word that literally translated would mean anointed. Jesus was the special fulfilment of what the Lord had prophesied that there would be one who would be his anointed or chosen one. He was chosen or anointed to be prophet, priest, and king. We may not have been there to see God’s chosen one in person, but we can see him through the scriptures.
There is one more thing Christ has been chosen or anointed to do, judge the world. If we won’t see Christ through the Bible now and anoint him king of our lives, he will come as a judge with a sentence of condemnation and it will be too late. We need to be like Simeon and see Christ before we die, and help others meet him, too.
jp
RSS Feed
