Monday after the First Sunday after the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
Posted on December 30, 2019 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 2:25-32 (NKJV)
2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 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. 27 So he came by 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, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”
Devotion
Simeon hails the Child in his arms as the Lord’s salvation in person. This salvation comes by the ministry of a Servant Messiah who is to serve and suffer for the salvation of all peoples, for the Gentiles, as well as the people of Old Testament Israel. Even Jesus’ parents marveled at this revelation, which for the first time speaks of the universal mission of Mary’s Son. Jesus is to be the Servant Messiah who endures substantial and diverse opposition, and goes through severe persecution to His ultimate and universal redeeming triumph.
He will be a sign of God’s present gracious working, but a sign often spoken against. Men will fail or refuse to see in Him as the Lord’s salvation, and the ways of mankind will divide before Him. Some will stumble at Him in unbelief, and so fall in their unbelief. Others will see the saving arm of the Lord revealed in Him as He suffers and dies for the sins of all. Some will repent and believe, and will rise from their fallen state to find in Him a new life. Verses 29 and 30 are commonly known as Simeon’s song, or the Nunc Dimittis, after the opening words in Latin. It is usually sung in the Post-Communion liturgy where we join this prophet in joyfully declaring that we too have seen and touched our promised Redeemer in the most blessed elements of our Lord’s Holy Communion.
We pray: Almighty Heavenly Father, allow us to see fully Your abundantly gracious love revealed in our Redeemer, and through Your chosen means of grace be comforted and strengthened to boldly confess that reality with Simeon. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
