Luke 2:21-40
Sermon preached at Barclay Church, Edinburgh by Rev D. Graham Leitch

1 December 2002

Christmas is approaching!! At Christmas the focus of Christians is naturally upon Mary and Joseph and their first born. Our attention is on him.He is the one of whom the angel commanded “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Our focus is on Mary’s child. But we’re familiar with the shepherds and the wise men too, as they make their way to visit the infant prince who is heaven’s eternal king.

CHRIST’S PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
Less well known, in the unfolding drama of his birth, however, is the lovely story of Jesus’ presentation in the temple. This was a part of the ritual for every Jewish family following God’s gift to them of a first-born child. Jesus was taken by Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem, to its temple, to be dedicated to the Lord.

Two other figures feature in the story read to us. And both of them are old!! This is one of the reasons why I love this story so much. Christmas is so often thought about and is seen by so many as a children’s festival. But the two people in this story are elderly - an old man, Simeon, and a woman in her eighty’s. Not so uncommon now but, at that time, a quite prodigious old age!!

Although it’s already been read to us, listen again to what happened - Luke 2 and follow from v.25:

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
33 The child's father and mother marvelled at what was said about him.34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

Simeon sees Mary’ child. And looking up to God in joyful exhilaration Simeon declares:

“Mine eyes have seen thy salvation”

A WONDERFUL PICTURE!
What I would like you to see this morning is this wonderful picture of Simeon - there are tears of joy rolling down his face. A nd he gently takes Mary’s child in his arms. He is lost for words! He adores the Lord’s Christ, the eternal Son made flesh, heaven’s love come down, he worships and adores SALVATION.

It’s an immensely emotional picture, but also an immensely instructive one. As we dwell on it God Spirit can surely speak to us and bring to us a moment of like revelation and joy today. And this may be true if we are young but can still be true if we are old. Because no-one is too old to have the eyes of their heart opened to the wonder (and glory, the beauty and power) of Jesus, Mary’s son!

It’s possible to be old in age, wise in the ways of the world, and experienced in the life of the church yet to lack the most important thing. How? Because the knowledge of God and His salvation!! One part can be the most important part of a thing! the indispensable part. So that its absence can make the rest useless. So it is, in religion with what he here calls salvation.

“Mine eyes have seen thy salvation”

SIMEON - A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
As we turn to the story of Christ’s presentation in the temple we’re going to look at Simeon’s experience of him.

But first let’s look at Simeon himself. If you go into Smith’s or Waterstone’s this year you will probably find prominently displayed the biographies of Will Young, Gareth Gates.The are artificially produced, engineered and manipulated “stars” of today. The profit to their publishers will undoubtedly far outweigh the profit to their readers.
But the biography of Simeon though short is full. Notice what Luke tells us (2:25):
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him...”
The language of the verse (v.25) half conceals and half reveals the practical goodness and spiritual integrity of the man. We could do worse than try to be like him:

He was “righteous” - here the word righteous means sometbing like just or fair. In his dealings with others he was always honest and fair. His behaviour was never capricious. In his home and family life, in his business practice and judgments he was neither prejudiced nor bigoted but fair. He was, as they used to say “straight as a die.” He showed no “side.’ He was the kind of person whose opinions others would respect.

Someone has described a good example as “a language and argument everybody understands” - can you, like Simeon, be that in your daily life and dealings? “A good example is a language and argument everybody understands” We could do worse than try to be like Simeon!!

If “righteous”in this case describes his dealings with his fellows, “devout” sums up his dealings with God. He was not merely religious, Luke says, but “devout” - he certainly valued “the outward and visible signs” of religion - he was a man who had inhabited the temple for many years. He valued “the outward and visible signs” of religion but by themselves they were nothing to him.

He possessed the corresponding“the inward and spiritual graces”- his religion wasn’t merely one of inherited custom and outward form - it was personal. His faith was a reality to Him - over the years the invisible world had perhaps become more real to him than earth itself!!

As a devout man, Simeon was genuinely “open to God” - it is when we are open to God and as we open ourselves up to God in all his mercy, grace, kindness and love, that we’ll find God speaking with us and coming to US just as He came, in the temple that day, to Simeon.

So much for Simeon himself- who Simeon was.

Next, consider what Simeon saw: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant (now lettest thy servant depart) in peace.For my eyes have seen your salvation...”

“mine eyes” he says, “have seen thy salvation”

WHAT SIMEON SAW
What was it old Simeon’s dim eyes saw? They saw, in Christ, Luke records, God’s salvation!! Now the temple in Jerusalem was generally a busy place - thronged with folk going about their business - personal, commercial and religious. And doubtless many others saw Mary and Joseph with their new-born child making their way through the courts of the temple that day - but that was all they saw. Just another young peasant woman with her husband bringing their poor offering to redeem their first born child. Just one more couple coming to perform their duty as obedient Jews. And so the rest passed to an fro, seeing yet unseeing, and feeling no interest in so common a scene...

Is it not a parable of our Christmas in the 21st century? - the markets and the malls thronged with noise and business while Mary and Joseph are ignored and their babe - the eternal Son of God - lies unnoticed in his crib or in Mary’s arms.

Just so, as Mary and Joseph, cradling their new-born child, pressed through the crush, the very people who brushed shoulders with them were unaware of what was happening. Unaware that salvation had come to them and that, in the arms of Mary, salvation was at that very moment, passing them by!!

But what the bright eyes of youth in the courtyard of the temple failed to notice, the dim eyes of old age recognised and saw. And seeing, Simeon’s heart beat faster!! Simeon’s great dream was realised and the promises given him fulfilled! The day of days had come!! A great warmth surely flooded Simeon’s soul as the tears flooded his watching wondering eyes. Simeon surely felt his heart would burst that day...

“Lord now lettest they servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.....”

CHRIST HIS SALVATION
It was more than a revelation of God Simeon saw wrapped in swaddling clothes before him. To be sure he did see in Mary’s child a REVELATION of God. He saw, moreover, that this revelation was for the sake of the gentiles as much as the Jews. Notice how in(2:32) he calls Mary’s Son a light for REVELATION to the gentiles as well as for the glory of his people - Israel. Yes! he did see in Mary’s child - in this cradled infant a REVELATION of God.

But it was more than the revelation of God; it was more than the love or beauty of God that Simeon saw at that sublime instant - it was SALVATION he saw there!

“mine eyes” he says, “have seen thy salvation”

Now Simeon’s words point us, unambiguously and deliberately, to JESUS CHRIST himself as the source and substance of our SALVATION.

We have recalled already how God instructed Joseph to give Him then name Jesus - meaning “Saviour from God” In the same way a heavenly messenger wakened sleepy shepherds with their news: “Today, in the town of David a SAVIOUR has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!”

“Who is Jesus?” He is more than a Saviour - he is OUR Saviour. He is more than our Saviour - he is, HIMSELF, in his own person and being, OUR SALVATION!!

It is only when we see him in this light that we see him truly at all!! It is only when we see him in this light that we understand His coming.

Simeon saw that day, with the eye of faith, what with the natural eye, others missed - He saw the purpose of God revealed and the mercy of God incarnate - what he beheld that day, in Jesus Christ, was nothing less than God’s SALVATION come down to earth and offered to humankind!!

Simeon was a man who was “righteous and devout.”But notice that it was was neither to his own good character and meritorious behaviour nor to his own spiritual devotion or earnest prayers that he looked for eternal life or he wouldn’t have been looking for what he’d already found.
He was - because he knew, in his honesty, that he had to - He was looking beyond himself for the forgiveness of sins, peace with God and eternal life - He was looking beyond his own efforts to grace; He was looking beyond himself to God....and God hadn’t failed him any more than God has failed us. God had provided!!

Looking at Jesus, Simeon confessed “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation”

Simeon was probably as familiar and attached to the services and sacrifices of the temple as any - the ceremonies and rituals of his religion may well have been as dear to him as anything on earth. But he knew what they were and what they weren’t, and he knew they could never BE his salvation!!

WAITING AND OPEN TO THE SPIRIT
But how did this come about for Simeon? What Simeon saw in the temple that day with the eye of his body and with the eye of faith, he saw because while others were blind and unaware of their need, he was LOOKING - “waiting” is how Luke puts it (25m), “for the consolation of Israel.”

What Simeon saw that day, he saw because he was open to the Spirit - open to God working in his life, leading Him and making himself known. It was, Luke says in 2:27a, because of the Holy Spirit’s working/prompting (“moved by the Spirit”) that Simeon was led to him that day!!

And if we are looking - open to God and ready to be led by the Spirit this Christmas, then shall we not be led to see, in Christ, SALVATION too!! I pray that it may be so for this one and that one amongst us this year.

That somehow - looking again at Jesus Christ (and singing the words of the well-known carols) the veil of the old familiarity may be torn it two, so to reveal the mystery, the glory and the wonder of Mary’s child that we too may say (with bated breath and leaping heart and song of praise) as Simeon did:

“mine eyes have seen thy salvation!”

SIMEON TOOK JESUS IN HIS ARMS
But next in our passage today, notice not only what Simeon saw but pay attention to what Simeon did!! He didn’t admire SALVATION from a distance! When Mary and Joseph came in and Simeon saw them, notice (2:28a) what the aged man did - “he took him in his arms” He didn’t merely approach and observe Jesus as the shepherds may have done, or even bow down and worship GOD’S SALVATION like the wise men - No!!:

“When Simeon saw the child .........he took him in his arms!”

This is a very lovely picture - charming - but also eloquent! As Mary and Joseph make their way into the temple, the most precious of gifts lies in their arms - and Mary, as if to protect him from danger, holds Jesus to herself. Passing into the inner courts the rush, bustle and noise of the outer courts is muffled now, and the path clear. Then, from the shadows Simeon emerges and approaches with the gentle features of his face irradiating joy as he observes JESUS.

“mine eyes have seen thy salvation!”

Overcoming his speechless wonder he turns to Mary admiring, daring to ask:“Can I take him?” And Mary releases the treasure of her young life and in his old age Simeon beamed! D’you not think it was something like that? I do!

A MAGNIFICENT PICTURE OF FAITH!
What a magnificent picture of faith. I can scarce think of a better illustration in the whole of the Bible. Search it form cover to cover and you may not discover as tender and beautiful and compelling picture as this!

The sinful heart, the hesitant spirit, the stumbling life looks at Jesus Christ the perfect Son of God - he sees there, in His perfection a perfection his himself desires; in his sufferings and death for sins not his own the pardon of God won, declared and extended to a broken world; in his rising the promise and hope of eternal life.

And we dare to whisper “Can I take him? I, even I?!!”” And heaven smiles and answers “Yes!”

And so Simeon, reached out and took God’s SALVATION, in the person of Jesus, to himself. Holding, cherishing, possessing it as His own.

This Christmas as the message of peace by Jesus Christ and forgiveness of sins is proclaimed, as the news of the hope of heaven and eternal life rings out, and as Christ is held out to the world as its salvation, to those who dare to ask “Can I take him!” heaven answers YES!

And though the hands which held him to to Simeon in his old age belonged to Mary, the hands which hold him out to you in yours, belong to God!!

AMEN

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