SRSimeon

The old year goes out, and the new year comes in. Sometimes you might see, on a poster or on
a TV commercial, the old year represented by an elderly man with a long flowing beard, and the new
year represented by a baby, and on this night – tonight – the two meet. And it's nifty – maybe even
providential – that when we come to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, that is exactly the scene that we
find!

Beginning at verse 21, the stage is set for the fourth great song at the beginning of the Gospel
of Luke: first was Mary's Magnificat; then came Zacharias' Benedictus, then came the Gloria which
the angels sang to the shepherds. Now we have come to the "Nunc Dimittis," which means, "Dismiss
me now," the song of Simeon.

We know very little about Simeon. Like the archangel Gabriel, he appears out of nowhere, he
delivers his message, and we never hear from him again. If it were not for Luke, carefully compiling
accounts of Jesus, and getting eyewitness information -- probably directly from Mary in this case -- we
would never know about Simeon. So let's examine his message the way we would study the last tiger,
or the last whale: this is the sole remaining relic of the life of a holy man of God.

v. 21 ~ Jesus came to earth, and identified with humankind. He developed as an embryo, and then as
a fetus, and then He was born -- and immediately His destiny as the Lamb of God began to be
foreshadowed. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes as a baby, just as His body would be wrapped in a
death-shroud as a Man. He was placed on the wood of the manger, just as He was going to be placed on
the wood of the cross. As a baby He received, along with gold and frankincense, a gift of myrrh – just
as His dead body would be anointed with myrrh later ~ like the song says, "Its bitter perfume /
breathes a life of gathering gloom."

And here in v. 21, the blood of Christ was shed for the first time: it was required for all Hebrew
males to be circumcised eight days after birth. This was the way it had been ever since Abraham:
circumcision was the required sign of the old covenant.

And on that occasion, He was formally named "Jesus" – Yah-shua (God saves).

v. 22-24 ~ Then there was a time of waiting. The Law of Moses commanded that firstborn sons, after
they had reached 30 days, were to be presented in the Temple, and the family was to pay a small tax ~
Numbers 18:16 sets it at 5 shekels, about the amount the average field-worker would earn in five
hours. The Law also commanded, in Leviticus 12, that 40 days after giving birth, the mother should
offer a lamb and a young pigeon to be sacrificed as a sin-offering, or, if she could not afford a lamb,
then two doves.

And so Mary and Joseph stayed in Jerusalem, or close by, for over a month, until it was time to
present Jesus in the temple. They were doing everything by the book; the ceremonies were going
like clockwork.

Until Simeon comes in! Simeon was a man devoted to the Law of the Lord.

v. 25 ~ "Simeon" ~ His name means, "He Heard." He was "waiting for the consolation of Israel.

And Israel needed consolation! Israel was miserable. Israel was bursting with frustration. The
nation of Israel had collectively arrived at a point at which its goal was not to triumph, not to shine
the light, but to survive, and to not let the light be blown out. A hundred and sixty years before this,
they had fought a war against foreigners who had threatened to force them to be like the nations
around them, and they had won – only to have their own leaders willfully become like foreign kings.
The nation of Israel was hoping for a Savior.

There had been a time in the life of Israel, the man named Israel, Jacob (after whom the
nation of Israel was named), when he had hoped for his son Joseph to come back to him alive
and well, and for his hopes for his favorite son to come true. But Joseph's brothers had brought
back Joseph's torn, bloodied coat, and Jacob was in despair – it looked like Joseph wasn't
coming back. It looked like there would never be any consolation for Israel.

In the same way, in the days of Simeon, the nation's hope – their belief that through them all
nations would be blessed – was fading.

And we are in the same sort of boat today: Charles Lindbergh said,

"Spiritual truth is more essential to a nation than mortar to its cities' walls. For when the actions of a
people are unguided by these truths, it is only a matter of time before the walls themselves collapse."

Historians can look back and find records of early Senators conducting three-hour prayer
services, and using the Capital Building in Washington, D.C. as a meeting-house for church-
services. It's not as if there were no problems in those days, or no unbelievers, but there is a trend in
America away from anchored faith – there is "faith" the same way there is a meal at a smorgasbord: a
person simply picks and chooses what he likes and leaves what he doesn't want. The criteria for
acceptance of a belief should be whether or not it is true, but it is becoming, more and more, whether
or not something is convenient, or appealing, or profitable. There is nothing as convenient or
appealing or profitable as the Gospel in the long run, but it will not always seem convenient or
appealing or profitable in this life. In this life, we are looking for consolation – we are looking for what
Simeon was looking for: we are looking for the Messiah to come.

And here, right here, we're in Simeon's shoes on another level. The church is not shining its
light as it should. We need to express more Christ-like character. We need to show more forgiveness.
When we stumble, even if we were stumbling in the right direction, we should be ready to admit we've
stumbled. Simeon knew that neither the nation in general, nor the Temple in particular, was doing
its job as perfectly as it should. He was waiting for someone who would do the job perfectly. He was
waiting for the Consolation of Israel.

Back in Genesis, it had looked to Jacob as if his son Joseph was dead. The beautiful coat, once
one piece, was torn in pieces. When Jacob saw it, he tore his own clothes, and mourned, and refused
to be comforted. He said, "I will go down to my grave, to my son, in mourning." That was how Jacob
wept, and kept on weeping.

But then, one day, he heard the news: "Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land
of Egypt!" And when Israel believed the message, he said, "It is enough. I will go and see him before I
die." So Israel traveled to Egypt, and in Genesis 46 he met Joseph, and they finally embraced, and
Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive."

And that was the Consolation of Israel.

v. 26 ~ Simeon, too, had heard good news from the Holy Spirit: He would see the Messiah.

v. 27-28a ~ Again: the ceremonies are going like clockwork. And suddenly, this old man comes in
and takes the baby!

28b ~ He "blessed God" = praised God. Instead of asking God to bless his country, he blessed God first.
The fulfillment of our purpose to glorify God and enjoy Him forever is, itself, a blessing. You can't truly
bless God without being blessed -- without finding yourself changed into a little bit more of the person
God wants you to become.

29 ~ "According to Thy Word" – like Mary.

30-32 ~ a light to the nations ~ good news for us Gentiles!

33 ~ A mixture of joy and wonder. (Not quite fear -- but close.)

34 ~ Combined with a warning: Fireworks!

Fireworks falling close to you!

Fall & Rise: three levels of fulfillment:

Humility & exaltation

Death & resurrection

Baptism & rising to new life

A Sign to be Spoken Against:

I Cor. 1:24-25 ~ "We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the
Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God,
and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is
stronger than men."

When it would have been sensible for Israel to not believe Joseph's brothers – for he had seen
Joseph's torn coat with his own eyes – he believed! When it would have been easy for Simeon to give
up, he kept on looking for consolation, looking for a reason for things. And by being submissive to the
Spirit, and by believing the Word he was given, he found what he was looking for.

v. 35 ~ It would not be an easy road for Mary: she would grieve at the Crucifixion, and she, too, would
have to hope for her son to return when she was, in the future, going to see his torn robe, she was
going to even see her son die and experience a sword of grief.

And it's at just such points of crisis that the hearts of many are revealed – it's then that the
strength of our resolutions is tested and proven.

Are you willing to wait for the Consolation of Israel?

Are you willing to hear the Spirit calling you to work for His kingdom, and move according to His
leading?

Are you willing to walk by faith and not by sight?

We are on the verge of a new year. Simeon was glad to see the Old Covenant passing away, and the
Bringer of the New Testament come. His thoughts were focused on the fulfillment of God's promises.

As the year 2002 begins, where are the thoughts of your heart focused? What are you hoping
to hear in the coming year? Simeon could have heard almost anything that day: the sound of money
changing hands, the cries of the animals, the noise of ordinary daily life. But instead he heard a little
baby – and recognized Him as the Consolation of Israel. May we all hear and recognize that message
in the coming week, and in the coming year, and always have the message of Consolation: Jesus is
alive, and He has the keys of death and hell!

It's New Years' Eve -- a time for resolutions. But it's been said (by Horace Mann), "I never
heard anything about the resolutions of the Apostles, but I have heard a great deal about the Acts of
the Apostles." God wants action! Simeon heard the Holy Spirit's promise – but he did not only hear.
He took Jesus in His arms; he embraced Jesus.

Today, you can do more than hear the offer; you can embrace Jesus. You may have walked
into this building at war with God, having never personally signed the peace treaty of baptism. But
you can depart from here with the assurance of peace.

[Recommended Invitation Hymn: His Way With Thee]