The Biblical Characters Impacted by Jesus Birth 

Simeon

Introduction

Remember the movie The Bucket List? Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman literally had a list of things they wanted to accomplish and things to do and see before they died IE before they kicked the bucket.  At the ages of 80 and 85 the late President George H. W. Bush jumped out of an airplane. When he was 90 years old, he strapped himself to Sgt. First Class Mike Elliot, a member of the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team, jumped out of an airplane near his summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. President Bush as a WW II fighter pilot but made a promise to himself that he would go skydiving if he lived to be ninety.  He had a bucket list and was able to chick off one of them.

How many of you have a bucket list? One person told me that going to the ark and the creation museum was on their bucket list and they were able to check it off when they went to both places with 60 plus ministry not long ago. What’s on your bucket list - skydiving, climbing Mt. Everest, going to a certain city or place on the globe? How about a day without pain? Any other interesting ideas?

The biblical character we are going to study today was impacted by the birth of Jesus and was the first evangelist to be mentioned in the Bible. He was not only the first evangelist but he, as we shall see, had a bucket list. This biblical character who had what today we would call a bucket list was an ordinary man who had desires and aspirations. He even had a profound promise from the LORD. Let’s explore how this man was impacted by the birth of Jesus and how His birth played into the desires and aspirations of this man. Let’s also see if the divine promise was fulfilled.

Simeon

In the first century there was a biblical character named Simeon who had what we call a bucket list today. This ordinary man had his desires and aspirations and the Promise from the LORD fulfilled on one day that seemed to be an ordinary day.

The Bible character we will discuss was a priest of Israel who served in the Temple for many years. His name was Simeon.  Simeon, a Levite, was scheduled to minister in Jerusalem for one week twice a year. Priests were chosen by lot to carry out the daily services at the Temple and to officiate in the Temple on sabbaths, feast days, and for individual private sacrifices. As we shall see, Simeon was not ministering by chance concerning individual sacrifices on that day. The day began as any other ordinary but ended up being a profound day, a very special day. On this special day, he would see, be introduced to and hold the Messiah of Israel in his arms.

Luke 2:21-24

21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

 On the eighth day after Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph either took Him to the synagogue or invited a special trained rabbi called a Moel to perform the ceremonial rite of circumcision on the young boy as required in the Abrahamic Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant. On the same day Mary and Joseph officially named their first-born son, Yeshua, which means Yahweh is salvation.

In Leviticus 12:6-8 an Israelite woman who gave birth to a male child was ceremonially unclean forty days to complete her days of purification. During the forty days she could not touch anything sacred, holy i.e. separated to God. To complete the process of purification she had to offer a lamb and a young pigeon or a turtledove.  If poor, she could bring two turtledoves and two pigeons. From Luke 2:24 we see Mary brought a young pigeon or a turtledove which means they were poor.

In Luke 2:22-24 Mary and Joseph were to present Jesus to the Lord as the firstborn male. All firstborn males among humans and animals belonged to the Lord and  had to be redeemed i.e. bought back from Him by the price of a lamb as we see in Exodus 13:13. 

“But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

Luke 2:25-26  

25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking 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.

 Now we are introduced to Simeon. We don’t know anything about Simeon’s background.  We don’t know what town he was born in. Only one thing mattered to Luke as he wrote this portion of Scripture.   We do know that Simeon was a faithful follower of Yahweh who, unlike those around him, still believed God would work to save His people. He was quite a man of God. He was part of the remnant. He was a godly man that Luke called righteous and devout, but then Luke adds that Simeon was “looking for the consolation of Israel.” This means he was looking for the coming of the Messiah. The consolation of Israel was not just a concept but was a description of the Messiah and what He would do. He would bring comfort and would console the people of Israel who were burdened with sin spiritually and burdened physically by the Romans.

Note also in that same verse that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon. Does anyone see anything in that phrase that might be different from the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers today? Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon some believers to give the divine wisdom and power to do the ministry God called them to do. It was usually not permanent and in Simeon's case it was probably only for that day that he would come face to face with the Consolation of Israel, the Messiah of Isarel, that he had been looking for many years. He would also prophecy   that day concerning Jesus. Today, of course, we have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Simeon was such a blessed man.

Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit. Are you obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit on a consistent basis as you walk with Jesus? Paul says in Galatians 5:18 that if a believer is led by the Holy Spirit, he will not do the deeds of the flesh.

Note that the Tri-unity of God is seen in verses 25- 26. In verse 25 we see the Son who is called the Consolation of Israel and in verse 26 He is called the Messiah. In verse 26 the Father is seen as the Lord’s Messiah and in verses 25, 26, and 27 we see the Holy Spirit.

In verse 26 we see another blessing given to Simeon.  God made a promise to Simeon at some time in the past. The Text does not tell us exactly when this promise was made. It could have been that day but most likely it was days, weeks, months or could have been years before. Regardless of when this profound promise was made, it was going to be put into motion that day. Just think about the implications of that promise. He would live to see the long-awaited Messiah.

I know of three situations in the Bible where life if promises were made concerning life and death. One is of course the promise made to Simeon. The second was to make to Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:5. Here God promised him that he would live 15 more years. The third promise was made in John where Jesus promised Peter in John 21:18 that he would not die until he became an old man. Imagine the scene in the temple that day. An old man, stooped and graying, coming every day to the temple, expecting the Messiah. Religious people probably think he’s an eccentric. They make jokes behind his back. There’s Simeon. He thinks the Messiah is coming today!

Every day he scans the crowd. Every day he thinks to himself, “Is this baby the one?” and every day each child had not been the one.

Do you, as Simeon did, anticipate the coming of the Messiah? Do you think He might come today? Luke called the Messiah the Consolation of Israel. Paul in Titus 2: 12-13 called Him something else and told us how to prepare for His coming.

12 ... instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

Are you looking for and prepared for the blessed hope to appear? Perhaps today!

Luke 2:27-30

27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when

the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the

custom of the Law,

 28 then he took Him into his arms, and

blessed God, and said,

29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in

peace, According to Your word;

30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation…

In this verse Joseph, Mary, and Jesus meet Simeon in either the court of the Gentiles or the Court of the Women to carry out the requirements of the Torah concerning Mary and Jesus that we discussed above. Since Mary as a woman could not go into the Holy Place. Simeon was in the Spirit which probably means the Holy Sprint was upon Him to make a prediction about the young child being the Messiah. 

After meeting the family in the Temple, Simeon took the Messiah in his arms and praised God. The Text does not elaborate on what exactly Simeon was praising the Lord for, but it could have been such things as God keeping His promise about not dying until he saw the Messiah, being able to see Israel’s Hope, the Consolation of Israel, by being able to hold the Messiah in His arms, etc.

Simeon was certainly a contented man as we see in verse 29. God had fulfilled His promise to Simeon that He would not die until he saw the Messiah. Now that he had, he certainly felt that the Lord had released him to depart this world as a contented man in peace. By saying this and his words in verses 30 and 31, he was prophesying what the Messiah would be and do.

How many people leave this world content and in a peaceful state? Stated another way, how many people leave this world without having peace because they do not know where they will spend eternity. If they are lucid, they have no idea what lies ahead in eternity. The solution to those questions is no different today as it was then - having personally experienced the Messiah, the Son of God. As Simeon said in verse 30, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation...” Simeon not only got to physically see the Messiah of Israel, but he also to hold Him in his arms. Whereas Simeon found peace by physically holding the Messiah in his arms. Those who embrace Jesus spiritually will leave this world in peace. This should behoove us to share the good news of the Messiah who died for the salvation Simeon was referring to.

Luke 2:31-33

31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,

  And the glory of Your people Israel 

33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

The word prepared in verse 31 refers to cause to be ready and to put in

readiness. It was God the Father who made ready the time, the place,

and the circumstances in which His salvation referring to Jesus, would

come into the world to being salvation as we see in Galatians 4:4.

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law…

. Note that in verse 31 that this salvation would be in the midst of all people. Whereas the book of Matthew focuses mostly on the nation and people of Israel, the book of Luke focuses the nation of Israel and the Gentiles as seen in verse 32. The Messiah would bring salvation to the Gentiles as seen in Isaiah 52:10 that.

10       The LORD has bared His holy arm

            In the sight of all the nations,

            That all the ends of the earth may
        see

            The salvation of our God.

There are many other verses that show that the Messiah would bring Salvation to the Gentile nations. Even though the Messiah would first come to bring salvation to “the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel” as Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 10:6. Not only will the Messiah bring salvation to the Gentiles nations but, of course, He will bring salvation first to the “Lost Tribe of the House of Israel.”  If salvation was to be brought first to Israel, then why did Luke first quote the verse in Isaiah that refers to the Gentiles? He probably did this because Luke was written and designed to the Gentiles.

Not only would the Messiah be a Light to the Gentiles, but He would also be the Glory of Israel. As the Messiah brings represents the nation as their Savior and their King. He will bring honor and prestige to Himself and to the nation of Israel. As Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, the gospel of the Messiah is to go first to Israel and the Jewish people and then to the Gentiles. 

Can you see Mary turning to Joseph saying something like, “Did you hear what he said? or a Did he really say that?”  Remember what the angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.”  Joseph and Mary were astonished at what Simeon had said and have been churning different things over and over in their minds concerning Jesus for nine months. But more is to come on that visit to the Temple.

After blessing the family, Simeon then had a special word for Mary. It had to do with Jesus and the people of Israel in the second part of verse 34.

“Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—

As we have discussed many times, Simeon using the word behold, he was telling Mary to pay close attention to what he was about to say. Jesus was appointed for the purpose that many in Israel to fall and others would rise. The fall and the rise of many was predicted by Isaiah 700 years before the birth of Jesus.  We see the fall of many in Isarel predicted in Isaiah 8:14-15.

14“Then He shall become a sanctuary;

But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over,

and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15“Many will stumble over them,

Then they will fall and be broken;

They will even be snared and caught.”

Those who reject the Stone, the Messiah, will find it to be a instrument of death and those who trust in the Rock will find it a place of life and security. The bottom line is that the Messiah will bring division to Israel. As Jonah was a sign in his generation to the Ninevites that that destruction would come if they did not repent, Jesus would be a sign to Israel of division and rejection as indicated by the word opposed. People will be obliged to take sides as seen also in verse 35. We see the same thing happening today.  As Jesus provoked opposition two thousand years ago in Israel, He is also doing that today in our midst. People either accept Him or they reject Him.

35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Jesus would not only have a great influence on the nation but also on Mary. A sword would pierce the seat of her emoticons, the soul. The term used for sword her represents a broad, two-edged sword. This figure of speech points to Jesus bringing extreme emotional pain to Mary. Mary saw the rejection, the suffering, and the death of her son. Verse 36 also says “…the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed” refers to the rise and fall of those in the nation.  Jesus’ ministry would expose the hearts of many publicly and privately as they either accept Jesus as the promise Messiah or reject Him as the promise Messiah. Then as today, there is no in between. One either trusts in Jesus as Savior or they don’t.

We should remember daily that Jesus the Messiah can not only bring consolation to Israel but the only way the world can find peace and consolation. He is the Light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. It behooves us to share that good news to Jews and Gentiles.

We know that Jesus’ birth impacted the life of both Joseph’s and Simeon.’ Let us pray that the birth of Jesus will impact each of us every day.

SELAH