I have seen your salvation

The preacher  talked to us about a man named Simeon, from the story of everything that was surrounding the birth of Jesus.  Simeon is described as a devout man, one of the good guys.  Scripture tells us the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that in his lifetime he would see the Messiah.

I've tried to imagine how a revelation like that would make someone feel.  The preacher described him as "longing."   He lived in hopeful anticipation of the promised Messiah.  It was also the work of the Holy Spirit that directed Simeon to the temple on the day the earthly parents of Jesus had taken him there.  When that meeting happened, Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God.  The following from Luke 2, is known as Simeon's song.

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

Now Simeon, already described in the Bible as a righteous and devout man of God, having been promised that he would not die before the Messiah came, has now held the baby, beheld the baby, and comes away praising God, with a song because God has kept his promise.

By his very eyes he has seen the salvation of the Lord, a salvation which God prepared for all nations to see, the shining light for revealing salvation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel.

Simeon now knew he could die in peace. His days of longing to see the Messiah were over. He didn't have to face the possibility of dying before this promise of God had been fulfilled. 

All of this causes me to wonder how much we actually long to see the Messiah.  Do we feel the necessity of holding and beholding Jesus before we face death?  There is just such a description of what is accomplished by the life that seeks Jesus, supplied to us in Simeon's song.

For those who have longed for Jesus, and have met Jesus in the good news of the Gospel, there is a release for us at the end of our journey.  We can face death with peace. And yes, this is the same peace we experience when there is "peace on earth, good will toward men."

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