Luke 2:22-38

²² And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ 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. 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 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, 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     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵ (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶ And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, ³⁷ and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Waiting…

In the 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted a famous experiment that has come to be known as “The Marshmallow Test.” Groups of 4-years olds were given a marshmallow and told that if they waited 20 minutes before eating it, they would receive another. If they ate it, they would not get any more marshmallows.

Some kids could wait and others could not. The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (as determined by surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the SATs. I imagine if this were to be given today, the child would pull their phone out of their pocket and order a bag of marshmallows through UberEats (but that’s a different discussion). 

How would you have done on the marshmallow test? Are you willing to wait or do you want your marshmallow right now? I’m pretty sure I would have been sent home for not only eating my marshmallow, but taking the other kids’ marshmallows as well. I’m not really good at waiting for anything (getting better). It seems as the Christmas season approaches, I have a heightened sense of the chaos and thus I must labor for patience. All my years in retail and restaurants have helped me a little. When I have to stand in line at the busy store I feel the craziness of the world and that makes this season difficult at times. Waiting can be very stressful for me—even waiting for Christmas. How are you at waiting for Christmas? Or for peace? For joy? For quiet? I think this helps us think about our song today and the man who proclaimed it.

Simeon is a relatively obscure character in the Christmas story. The Bible says that Simeon was a righteous and devout man. He has some things to teach us about waiting, as he had been waiting for something important for a long, long time. Although he was very old, he hung in there for one reason: he believed the word that God had told him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ—the Messiah of Israel! It was a dark time in Israel. There had been no new revelation from God through his prophets in over 400 years. Not exactly the context for optimism, apart from the Holy Spirit. But although Simeon’s body was failing, his faith grew stronger, because the hope that was in him was greater than the hopelessness around him. Day after day, month after month, year after year, Simeon watched and waited. He must have known the prophecies—known what to look for OR he simply trusted the word that came from God, trusted God. I imagine he would go to the temple whenever couples brought their sons to be dedicated, and he would pray: “Is it this one, Lord? Is it that one?” He was waiting for Christmas every day, for years. In a sense – he experienced winter without Christmas for a long time.

The main takeaway is that this passage teaches us that faithful, obedient waiting is not wasted time but holy ground. God forms His people and fulfills His promises in the long, quiet spaces of patience. At Christmas we remember that God always keeps His word in His time, and the arrival of Jesus is the proof that our waiting in hope is never in vain. The main takeaway therefore is to become a people who wait well, anchored in God’s promises, obedient to His Word, and attentive to His Spirit, so that our worship, witness, and hope shine brightly in a hurried and impatient world.

A Presentation to the Lord in the Temple (Luke 2:22-24)

Before we are introduced to Simeon, we learn that Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into the temple in accordance with the Law. Remember, Mary and Joseph are Jewish and are faithful in obedience to the Law.

Since Luke is writing primarily to a Gentile audience, you will notice in verses 22-24 that he includes some clarifying details to explain what is happening and why. Luke brings in Leviticus 12 which is the Law of God that Mary and Joseph are obeying in this moment. In our churches today we may associate this presentation with the dedication of children. This may be the closest thing we can relate to concerning this event, but what is happening in this text is more involved than our traditional baby dedication here at Grace Church.

Here is a quick synopsis of Leviticus 12. The Law stated that parents were to present their child to the Lord. This presentation was to be after the mother’s purification, which would be seven days after birth. On the eight day the child would be circumcised and named. Luke tells us this in verse 21. According to the Law, following the eighth day she was to continue for thirty-three more days before she could enter the Temple or anything holy. The parents were to bring a lamb or two turtle doves or two young pigeons if they cannot afford a lamb. One sacrifice was a burnt offering and the other sacrifice was a sin offering that the priest would make in atonement for the mother. This presentation in the temple is forty-one days following the birth of Jesus.

Why is this significant? The Apostle Paul said this to the Galatians about Jesus’ birth: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5, ESV). Paul tells us specifically that Jesus was born under the Law, meaning that his life on earth was bound to the details of the Law. For example, every year Jesus and his disciples would celebrate Passover in Jerusalem as prescribed by the Law. But also, Jesus will redeem those under the Law by ratifying the New Covenant through his blood, so we can be adopted as sons. Mary and Joseph are simply obeying the Law in this moment.

Interesting the note that Luke gives us: Think back to the Law.A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons: Leviticus 12 commands that at the birth of a son a lamb be offered as part of the purification and dedication ceremony. Yet it allowed for two birds to be offered if the family could not afford to present a lamb. The offering of the two pigeons instead of the lamb and the pigeon was technically called The Offering of the Poor…we see that it was into an ordinary home that Jesus was born. Isaiah 53: “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.” This also suggests that this all happened before the wise men came from the east (Matthew 2:1-12). Mary and Joseph would not have returned to Jerusalem after being warned by the angel (Matthew 2:13), and they would not have offered only two birds after receiving the rich gifts from the wise men (Matthew 2:11).

Mary and Joseph’s obedience to the Law of God is astounding. Never once do they think they are beside the Law or above the Law even though the Messiah has been born. No, they continue to obey the Law. We also must obey the standards of God as written in his Word and not waver from what he requires of his adopted children. How obedient are you to the truth of God’s Word? – Confessing faith, being baptized as a believer, becoming a member to Grace Church, evangelizing those around you, teaching/discipling those around you are all commands from God’s word in accordance with being obedient to God.

Now that we have a little background that explains the actions of Mary and Joseph in the temple as they present Jesus to the Lord, we are ready to be introduced to Simeon, a man with a very special promise from the Lord.

A Promise Made Is Fulfilled (Luke 2:25-35)

We are introduced to the man with the following promise “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (2:26). That is a strong promise, and who knows how long Simeon waited for this revelation. This promise was revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit. The promise made to Simeon affirms the reality of the Messiah’s coming. Just as the Old Testament spoke of the Messiah’s coming, the Holy Spirit has promised Simeon that he will see the Messiah in his lifetime. For Simeon, that time comes when Mary and Joseph present Jesus in the temple.

When studying Scripture, there is a temptation to help God with the details of a story or person that we think he left out. We spend too much time on the what some call, “the white space” that is, the space between the lines on the page of Scripture. As we seek to learn about who Simeon is, we want to understand this man from what the inspired words on the page tell us and nothing else.

First, we learn that Simeon was a righteous and devout man. He was one that lived his life according to the Law of God. We might say that Simeon was a good guy. But his goodness is not what secured this promise. Second, Simeon was a man that was waiting for the coming Messiah, the comfort of Israel (Isaiah 4:1-2). Third, we learn that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, the one who is waiting for the Messiah. The Scriptures do not tell us Simeon was a priest or what party or sect he belonged to—that information is not important to the story. This is the first and last time we see Simeon mentioned in the pages of Scripture.

I cannot help but think about the patience of Simeon as he waits for the fulfillment of the promise that he will see the Messiah. This point is important—that long before the Messiah is born, the Holy Spirit makes a promise to Simeon that he will see the Messiah in his lifetime. Imagine if we had the same promise today?

Yes, we know that Scripture teaches us that Jesus will return, as promised by the angels. If you are like me and know Jesus as your Savior, you cannot wait for this moment. But what if you knew that he would return in your lifetime? Well, I guess he could, but we don’t know the exact time of his return. You see, Simeon was promised that he would see the Messiah in his lifetime. The only thing Simeon did not know, was when. Today as we live for the Lord, we have a promise that one day we will see Jesus face-to-face (1 John 3:2). Until that time, may we continue to walk with him fulfilling the mission he has called us to complete (Matthew 28).

Next, we see Simeon in a very powerful and intimate moment. The providence of God, through the Holy Spirit’s presence in Simeon’s life, brings Simeon into the temple as Mary and Joseph present Jesus, his Messiah! There is no indication that others are present at this moment, but with Simeon’s own eyes he finally sees the promised Messiah.

Well, what does one do in that moment? Simeon takes his Messiah in his arms (imagine this, the Son of God cradled in another’s arms) and blesses God. Simeon then utters a powerful psalm. The psalm and what Simeon says to Mary are truly profound (vss. 34-35).

First, Simeon says that he is ready to die since the Lord’s promise has been fulfilled. The term “now” speaks to the truth that the Messiah has come. Second, Simeon offers praise to God that salvation is now available for all people, both Jew and Gentile because the Messiah has come. Third, Simeon tells Mary that Jesus will suffer, and she will suffer because of him, but this is necessary for the redemption of sin.

After Simeon speaks these words his voice goes silent. We hear nothing more from Simeon following his contact with the Messiah in the temple on that day. Scripture does not reveal how old Simeon was or when he died, what the Scripture tells us is that Simeon sees the Messiah in his lifetime which is proof the Messiah had come to redeem us from our sin.

It was an odd assignment to preach on Zechariah’s song, because though his story began before the songs that were preached over the last two weeks (Elizabeth’s Song and Mary’s Song, Luke 1:39-56), his own song comes after. Aside from the grand moment of Mary’s visit, the narrative of Zechariah’s life has been in suspended animation since Gabriel’s final words were left ringing in his ears, “these things… will be fulfilled in their time” (v. 20). 

Light for revelation to Gentiles and glory to Israel (vs 32)

The amazing thing about Simeon’s prophecy is that it shows that this light is for the Gentiles also. The salvation of Jesus began with Israel but was always to be extended beyond Israel.

I read a poet’s expression of Simeon’s heart: “I fear no sin, I dread no death; I have lived long enough, I have my life; I have longed enough, I have my love; I have seen long enough, I have my light; I have served enough, I have my saint; I have sorrowed enough, I have my joy;
Sweet babe, let this psalm serve as a lullaby to thee, and for a funeral for me. Oh, sleep in my arms, and let me sleep in thy peace.”

(33-35) A promise and a warning from Simeon. “And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

We can imagine their combination of joy and surprise to see how God has touched the hearts of others with an understanding of their Son. No matter how well you know Jesus, there is something special about seeing someone else come to know Him. Simeon proclaims that this child is called “For the fall and rising of many.” This would be shown in the way that Peter repented, but Judas despaired; in that one thief blasphemed, the other believed. Jesus is like a magnet that is attractive to some, but others are repelled from Him. “And a sign which will be spoken against.” Sign is literally “a target that people shoot at.” Jesus would be the target of great evil. “A sword will pierce through your own soul also.” It was important for Mary to know that mothering the Messiah would not be all sweetness and light. It was both a great privilege and a great burden. Possibly no other human agonized as much over Jesus’ rejection and suffering as His mother did. This was not only because of the natural love of a mother, but also because His rejection was her rejection. Wonderfully, His vindication was hers also as we heard a couple weeks ago in her song: God was Savior for Mary, just like us, by faith.

Another Character in the Story

Side note: This is not Simeon’s song, but I want to point out another character here. In verses 36-38, we read – “³⁶ And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, ³⁷ and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

We don’t know in what capacity Anna was a prophetess. Perhaps it was in the way that she brought forth this specific word about Jesus – giving thanks to God and speaking about the redemption that was found in the Messiah to all who looked for it. She did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayer night and day. This godly woman served God with total devotion. Anna’s close walk with God was shown by her love for Jesus, and her desire to tell others about Jesus. In these short verses, we can see Anna was a remarkable woman. As a widow she knew pain and loss but had not become bitter toward God. As an elderly woman she had not lost hope in His promises. Perhaps it was because she was a woman of worship and a woman of prayer. May we also be people known for our worship and prayer.

Waiting on the Lord is doing eternal things

The prophet said, “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength….”

We all have things we want so badly we can hardly stand it—things like healthy relationships, the end of pain and suffering, a restoration of normal—whatever that is for you. The waiting seems like torture. And the question we all ask is, Is it worth the wait? OR Is Jesus worthy of your waiting? 

We fail to comprehend how much joyful obedience, hope, perseverance, and trust with the Holy Spirit count with God as an act of faith. Have hope that God is at work, in spite of the circumstances, God will reward you, and it will be worth the wait, whether the thing you wait for is actually a part of God’s loving, wisdom-filled plan for you. The wait is a means of grace to draw you closer to your greatest need and treasure – Christ. The question is what will you do while you’re waiting?

Simeon was faithful, while waiting – God was worth it. As he sees God move and fulfill the promise in his life, Simeon responds with a beautiful song to highlight the work of Christ, the comfort of Christ, and the eternal impact of Christ for all peoples. Waiting on the Lord brought Simeon joy in the fulfillment, but Simeon had peace in his waiting and worship of God – would this describe you as you wait upon the Lord?

Let me close with this, Simeon held Jesus and thanked God for allowing him to see the child that would reveal God’s true nature to his people. Simeon’s attitude was, “I’m ready to die. You can take me home now. It’s been worth the wait.” Simeon made some prophetic statements, both good news and bad, in verses 34–35. The Bible says that Joseph and Mary “marveled at what was said.”

This morning, I know that some of you have come because it is tradition to come sit in church, sing some songs, and treasure the nostalgia in your heart. Some of you love Jesus and know that this gathering realigns your affections to Christ. Some of you were dragged here, you have no interest in Jesus (He has interest in you…)

As we respond to God’s word in song as we close, I pray that each of us can pause for a moment and think on our motivation for celebrating Christmas. May Jesus be at the center. From our delight in Him, may we enjoy every good gift from our Heavenly Father. Good food, good desserts, good drinks, good music, laughter, tears, an increase in trust in our Good God…from His work in our hearts, would we continue to serve Him with joy and peace that comes from Jesus our King. This is for our good and the glory of God.