Advent: Simeon’s Song (Luke 2:22-35)

(4) We see, finally, in verse 27 that Simeon took Jesus in his arms. Simeon embraced the object of his prayers in a personal way. It is wonderful to see that this man, Simeon, who was probably not a priest but what we might call a layman, took up this babe and blessed Him in a way that Jesus Himself would one day do with other infants. It is important is to see that Simeon's faith and waiting led him to hold on to object of his faith: Jesus. Oh, my dear friend, knock and door will be opened. Seek and you will find. Don’t be satisfied with a Christianity that has all of the form of religion but denies the power thereof. Reach out today and take hold of Christ! Embrace Him as the object of your desire! Nothing else will satisfy you but a deep abiding relationship with Jesus Christ!

Mr. Street was the janitor of our school when I was a boy. He was a strange character in the eyes of this little boy. He had no teeth and no dentures and the combination of no teeth and a lot of practice allowed him to spit farther than anyone I have ever known. That was significant to me for some reason. Mr. Street's world was a world of trash and picking up after dirty little kids. But, if you looked closely at Mr. Street, and listened beyond his odd exterior, you would see that as he made his way around the schoolyard with his trash bag and "pick-em-up stick" you could see his flabby lips moving. You could hear him singing hymns to God. Mr. Street was a man whose odd exterior and trashy work was transformed into an opportunity to walk with God.

We need some odd people today. We need some Simeons and some Mr. Streets. We need men and women and boys and girls who, though they live among the moral trash of this world, go about their lives singing the Songs of Christmas to the Lord.

That's the lesson of Simeon: we come to rest in the Lord and experience His power in living when we are led by the Spirit of God.

There Is a Lesson in Simeon’s Song (vv. 29-32—The Canticle of Simeon)

As with the other Songs of Christmas, this Song of Simeon, called the Nunc Dimittis from the opening words in Latin is a spontaneous Spirit-induced Song of Praise and Prophecy delivered with Power and Poetry of the soul!

The lesson here is that in Jesus alone can we find out eternal rest.

(1) The first movement in this Song is a key. Simeon declared—and I use William Hendrickson's translation—"Now, Sovereign Master, thou art releasing thy servant." We must prepare for our eternal rest by turning to Jesus. Christ is needed, and then one can die. This passage is speaking about preparation for death. Simeon's hope is in the coming of Christ and in His appearance—only then could Simeon die.

You are not ready to die until you've embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. You may be ready to graduate, you may be ready to buy your first home, you may be ready to retire, you may be ready to do many things—but, friend, without Jesus you are not ready to die. Jesus came to pay the penalty of Simeon's sins and yours. Turn to Him in confession of your sins and repentance from them and surrender to Jesus Christ as the resurrected and living Lord of life. Jesus said, "Whoever believes in Me will not perish but have eternal life."