I just realized as I started writing this blog that today is
a day in history we will never forget. Twenty-three years ago, September 11,
2001, America was attacked by Islamic terrorist in New York, Washington D.C.,
and Pennsylvania. The day began as a normal day for most Americans as they woke
up, dressed and went to work. But before the morning was over, these terrorist
attacks would kill 2,977 people from 90 nations. The final number of 2,753
people were killed in New York; 184 people were killed at the Pentagon; and 40
people were killed on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. These dear people woke up that
morning never realizing in a few short hours their lives on earth would be
over.
The truth is that none of us know when we will die. The big
question is always the same for all of us. Am I ready to die? Well today, we
have a wonderful story, attached to the Christmas story in Luke 2, that assures
us that we can be prepared for death when it comes our way. In this passage of Scripture,
our attention is drawn to a man named Simeon, a godly man who was waiting for "the
consolation of Israel" (2:25). This verse tells us that the Holy
Spirit was upon him. Simeon had been given inner assurance that he would not
die until he had actually seen the Lord's Christ (2:26).
Simeon was looking forward to "the consolation of
Israel." "The consolation of Israel" means the messianic hope. The
phrase was also used among the Jews as a formula of blessing. The name Simeon
means "hearing." The Bible says that "faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). This suggests
that Simeon spent much of his time pouring over the prophetic page. Simeon and
Anna, like Zacharias and Elizabeth, were a part of the faithful Jewish remnant
that eagerly looked for their Messiah (Mal. 3:16).
One of the traditional Jewish prayers is, "May I see
the consolation of Israel!" That prayer was answered for Simeon when he
saw Jesus Christ in the temple. He was a man who was led by the Spirit of God,
taught by the Word of God, and obedient to the will of God; and therefore, he
was privileged to see the salvation of God. How important it is for people to
see God's salvation, Jesus Christ, before they see death.
The Old Testament Jews revered the Scriptures;
nevertheless, the Old Testament was full of unattainable precepts, unfulfilled
promises, and unexplained procedures. The apostle Paul later described his own
inability to keep the law (Rom. 7). And to what purpose were all of the endless
sacrifices and ceremonies of Old Testament religion? And what about the
multitude of prophecies that remained unfulfilled? Simeon understood that these
seeming deficiencies could be resolved only in the person of Christ (Dan.
9:24-26). Christ was the answer to his incomplete Bible. The Spirit of God made
clear to him that he would see Him when He came. He would not die until then.
We can imagine how eagerly he scanned the faces of young and old after that
(2:27).
Then one day, it happened. He saw a young man and a young
woman carrying a Baby. They were coming into the temple to present Him to God.
The Holy Spirit urged Simeon: That's Him! He stepped forward boldly. Of course!
A Baby! All doubts were swept aside. This was the One of whom all of the
prophets had written!
Simeon gazed into the face of a Baby, the face of God
manifest in flesh. Instantly, he was ready to die! Death was no longer a
devourer but a deliverer. The word depart in the Greek has several meanings,
and each of them tells us something about the death of a Christian. It means to
release a prisoner, to untie a ship and set sail, to take down a tent (see 2
Cor. 5:1-8), and to unyoke a beast of burden (see Matt. 11:28-30). God's people
are not afraid of death because it only frees us from the burdens of this life
and leads into the blessings of the next life.
Like Simeon, may our eyes be open to see Jesus today! Have
you ever seen Jesus as the only hope for your salvation?
God bless!
