Day 16 – Satisfied In Christ
“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. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
~ Luke 2:25-32
Simeon, like so many other of the other expectant Jewish people, is eagerly awaiting the coming of the Messiah. Almost no one that we see in Scripture knew the time that the Messiah would come, but Simeon had at least a small idea. God had promised him that he would be able to see Jesus somewhere during the span of his life.
Imagine the anticipation that Simeon had as he waited to see the Messiah face to face. On any day and at any moment he could find himself face to face with the Savior of the world. With all the watching and waiting, the day had finally come.
This is one of those moments in Scripture that I wish I could see with my own two eyes. What would Simeon’s face look like? Would there be tears of joy? What would be Mary’s reaction? There’s so many details of this story that I wish I could soak in.
However, the picture we see painted in Luke 2 is one of complete contentment. Years of waiting and anticipation have led to a scene of exhilaration. Right there in the middle of the temple, Simeon gladly rejoices over the infant King in his arms.
It is in this song that we see the universal scope of the gospel of grace that we now see in the person of Jesus. It is a gospel that is great news for all people – both Jew and Gentile. This gospel will bring salvation to all those who trust in Him regardless of skin tone or nationality.
“The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.” ~ Isaiah 52:10
It is this gospel that Simeon has put His hope entirely in. Now that he has been able to see – and hold – the Savior Himself, Simeon is completely satisfied. He’s so content that he’s ready to leave this world knowing that Christ had come.
He was so wrapped up in the coming Christ that upon His arrival, Simeon knew that nothing else better would ever come his way. There was a total resting on and abiding in the Messiah that his entire life was wrapped up in Him. Contentment personified is seen in Simeon and his song.
In this Advent season, may that be the song of our hearts as well. May we have such a hope, abiding in and resting on Christ that we can truly say he is all we need. As a busy season ramps up and distractions abound, may we say Christ is enough.
Prayer
Take time to seek the Lord and ask for the strength to find Him as you everything during this and every other time of the year.
Post by DRITCH9
I am a speaker and author from Raleigh, NC. I was born without arms but I do not allow that to define me - I use my disability to empower and give hope to others.
