Simeon part two A light of revelation

“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2.27-32)

The meeting with Simeon is part of an episode we refer to as the Presentation at the Temple
Luke tells us the Presentation happens before Jesus is circumcised – traditionally, the church celebrates the Presentation 40 days after Christmas

It’s a bit of a mix-up – in the background are scriptures from Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Nehemiah
Those scriptures refer to two different things
One is purification; the other is the redemption of the firstborn

First, purification: a woman was said to be ritually unclean for seven days after the birth of a son
On the eighth day, the child would be circumcised
Thirty-three days after that, the woman could present herself to be purified:

Any woman, if she is fertilized and bears a male child, shall also be unclean seven days; as at the days of the separation of her period, she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day she shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin. And thirty-three days shall she remain in her unclean blood; she shall not touch anything holy or come into the holy place until the days of her purification are completed. (Leviticus 12.24, LXX)

But Jesus doesn’t have to be brought to the temple for the purification
– it’s the mother who has to be purified
And the sacrifice should be a lamb – only poor families offer two doves or pigeons, yet biblical evidence suggests Jesus’ family are quite well-off

Second, redemption. The firstfruits of the harvest and the firstborn of animals and people had to be offered to the Lord or his priests
However, God had graciously offered a buy-back provision for human offspring:

Consecrate to me every firstborn. … It’s mine! Exo 13.1; see also 22.29
Everything that opens the womb from all flesh, which they offer to the Lord, from human to animal, shall be yours, but the firstborn of people shall be redeemed with a ransom Num 18.15)
Bring … to the house of the Lord, and to the house of our God for the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons (LXX 2Esdras 10.35-36 = Neh 10.36-37).

Let’s skip over the obvious irony, that Jesus doesn’t have to be redeemed, he’s actually the one who’s come to redeem everyone else
Mary and Joseph should redeem their firstborn child by making an offering of five shekels (Lev 27.6; Num 18.16)

Luke doesn’t say that they make this payment – so perhaps that’s not what they’re doing
Perhaps they’ve brought Jesus to the temple to dedicate him to God, rather than buy him back from God

However Luke’s main focus in this incident isn’t on the fulfilment of the law
Luke’s focus is on the prophetic meetings with the prophet and prophetess, Simeon and Anna
In these weeks of Advent, we’re looking at the meeting with Simeon

There are three parts to this episode [as we saw last week]:
1 The introduction: the meeting of Simeon and the Holy Family
2 Simeon’s public prophecy, spoken to everyone on the scene
3 Simeon’s private prophecy, spoken only to Mary

One especially significant thing is that Israel is mentioned in all three parts of the episode:
1 Simeon is waiting for the consolation of Israel
2 Simeon declares the child to be a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel
3 Simeon tells Mary this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel

Today, we’re focusing on the second part
Simeon declares the child to be a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel

This whole incident is designed, both in what is said and done, and the way Luke recounts it, to bring to our minds specific passages from the Hebrew Scriptures; specifically, messianic prophecies from the Book of Isaiah: I have given you as a covenant to a race, as a light to nations (Isa 42.6; see also Isa 9.2, 49.6, 60.1-3)

The really striking thing here is that Simeon doesn’t just talk about Israel
He actually reverses Isa 42.6, the prophecy he cites, so that the nations, the Gentiles, come first

I think these verses tell us, or remind us, of two important things about prophecy
The first is that prophecy isn’t a completely fresh or novel revelation

It’s not someone receiving words directly from God that overturn everything in the Bible
It’s always rooted in Scripture, in the record of what God has said to his people before

But the second thing is, prophecy often does say something fresh and unexpected, because Scripture does say something new when it’s related to our present context
What Simeon clearly does in this passage is to make that application, using words from Isaiah

Simeon takes Jesus in his arms, he blesses God
Then he declares, Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace
We are sentimental people, so we assume he is talking about his own death

We shouldn’t jump to conclusions, because nowhere does this passage say that Simeon is old
Perhaps, Simeon is thanking God for freeing him from this time of waiting which is a kind of slavery

Perhaps, Simeon is declaring the year of Jubilee which is the time of release for all God’s people who have been waiting in bondage
The question is, whether the people around him are alert enough to take the hint – to see the signs

Simeon makes it quite clear that Scripture is his warrant for what he has to say
He says he speaks according to Your word – according to the Word of God

But Simeon has broken through to a deeper understanding of Scripture, a really world-shifting understanding, because my eyes have seen Your salvation

He says this salvation will be a light of revelation to the nations – in other words, the Gentiles
Then he says this will be for the glory of Your people Israel
– Which to a Jewish reader would sound as if he was putting the cart before the horse
– Surely the Jews, God’s chosen people, come first?

What is the salvation Simeon has seen? Simply, the child in his arms
Simeon is talking about Jesus: Jesus is the light of revelation, the glory of Israel
The physical body of Jesus, the body of this tiny baby, is the place where God has chosen to establish his presence on earth

When Moses dedicated tent of meeting, the glory of God filled the place so the priests couldn’t stand there to minister
When Solomon dedicated his temple in Jerusalem, again the glory of God filled the place so the priests couldn’t stand there to minister

As Simeon stands there with the Christ child in his arms, the huge temple buildings that surround them, the new temple buildings erected by Herod the Great, have become almost an irrelevance
– except as a backdrop for some of the events of the drama to come

When Simeon utters his prophecy, why do the Gentiles come first?
Maybe it’s more important for the nations to be enlightened than for Israel for be glorified

Maybe it’s just Luke’s acknowledgement of what actually did happen
The gospel was rejected in the synagogues, but it was heard in the marketplaces

The Jews of Jesus’ time were desperately hoping that God would send his Messiah to them
They just didn’t believe that Jesus was that Messiah
Luke still wants them to understand that he was

If Scripture is the only evidence they’ll accept, he’ll prove it from Scripture
He’ll show them that Jesus is the fulfilment of the prophecies they’ve clung in to for centuries

If they don’t believe him immediately, he’ll go on saying it
He’ll leave his testimony in book form so future generations can go on hearing it

Think of a rock, think of a river; think what happens when a river meets a rock
If the river can’t move the rock, it flows around it

The Word of God is the river, the rock is fixed opinions
If we refuse to allow the Word of God to change our minds, it will flow past us

Let me close with some words from Psalm 45:

Let all your works acknowledge you, O Lord,
and let all your devout bless you.
Your kingdom’s glory they shall relate,
and of your dominion they shall speak,
to make known to the sons of men your dominion
and the glory of the magnificence of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages,
and your dominion is for generation after generation.
Psa 145.10-13 LXX (Psa 144.10-13)

Simeon is righteous and devout
He blesses God and praises him
He waits for God, and when the moment of revelation comes he recognises it and seizes upon it

He proclaims the reign of God, the glory of God, and the kingdom of God to everyone around him
Even though he surely could not have anticipated the incredible way this revelation came to him

This is a time to break our old habits
This is a time to be truly open to what God is doing
There may be lifetime opportunities here we are in danger of missing
– Because we’re so desperate for things to go back to the way they were before

What have you read in the Bible lately?
Is the Word coming alive for you in new ways, in this strange new situation?
What are you hearing? Is it a word of judgement, a word of hope, a word of consolation, a word of revelation?

People around us are waiting to hear from God
Maybe we’re not like Simeon; maybe what we say won’t be remembered for 2,000 years
But perhaps, by the grace of God, what we say might change someone’s world forever

Image from pxhere.com. OT cited from the Septuagint (LXX), edited Pietersma and Wright. NT cited from the New English Standard Bible (1995).

Simeon part one The consolation of Israel

“Don’t come talking to me about the consolation of religion or I shall suspect that you don’t understand.”

— C. S. Lewis

What do you understand by the word consolation?
Maybe you think of giving someone a cuddle and a hanky when they’re upset
Maybe you think of consolation prizes – like a Crackerjack pencil, something you get if you come second, or even last

The other word that appears in some translations of this passage from Luke is comfort
What does that make you think of? Again, drying someone’s tears, especially a child’s
Maybe fabric softener. Maybe whisky (Southern Comfort). Maybe a soft seat. Maybe a nice hotel room

When we read in the Bible about the consolation of Israel, or the comfort of Israel, we aren’t meant to be thinking of pencils or cushions
The consolation of Israel is tidings of comfort and joy – and it isn’t just for one day, and it isn’t just a for a few people, who come to church on Sunday and keep their noses clean in between whiles

We are going to be looking at the episode of Simeon from Luke 2 for the remaining three weeks of Advent
Technically Simeon belongs to the season after Christmas – we meet him when Mary and Joseph present the infant Jesus in the temple
But Simeon tends to be eclipsed at that time of year by the Wise Men (who we also struggle to really understand)

Simeon is a very old man – God has been keeping him alive for this moment
Greeting the Christ child and uttering this prophecy may be literally the last things he does

Today we’re looking at Luke 2.25-28, four verses that introduce Simeon, and take us up to the point where he comes face to face with the Holy Family
Next week we’l look at Luke 2.29-32, the central verses: Simeon’s public prophecy, the words he speaks in the hearing of everyone around them
Finally we’ll look at Luke 2.33-35, the conclusion of the episode: Simeon’s private prophecy, which is spoken only to Mary

The name Simeon means God has heard
This meeting is a sign that God has heard the prayers of his people

Simeon proclaims that the baby in his arms is the one God’s people have waited for
He declares that all the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures will be fulfilled in this child

There are three things to note about Simeon, in order of increasing importance:
– Firstly, he is righteous and devout (not really surprising, I suppose: you would expect any faithful Jew to be righteous and devout)
– Secondly, the Holy Spirit is upon him, and has given him a revelation (this explains why he is in the right place at the right time to meet the Holy Family, in the crowded temple court, with the right words to say)
– Thirdly, Simeon is looking for the consolation of Israel: he’s waiting for a sign

The last one is the bit I want us to focus on:
– What we should understand by Israel
– How exactly God intends to console or comfort Israel through this child

Israel is mentioned three times in this short episode of Simeon, once in each of the three sections we’re going to look at:
v 25 In the introduction, we’re told Simeon was looking for the consolation of Israel
v 32 In the next bit, Simeon’s public prophecy, he quotes Isaiah and says this child is going to be A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,And the glory of Your people Israel
v 34 Finally, in Simeon’s private words to Mary, he tells her this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed

We’ll look at the other two parts in the coming weeks
But what does it mean to say that Simeon was looking for the consolation of Israel?
Why should that be important to us, when we’re not Jewish?
Why was it important to the original readers of Luke’s gospel, who weren’t Jewish either?

The word comfort or consolation comes from the prophet Isaiah
Isa 40:1 LXX Comfort, O comfort my people, says God.

We also find it in the passage from Isaiah that Jesus himself reads in the synagogue at Nazareth:
Isa 61:2-3 LXX The Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to summon the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of retribution, to comfort all who mourn so that to those who mourn for Sion be given glory instead of ashes, oil of joy to those who mourn, a garment of glory instead of a spirit of weariness.

What does Simeon mean by Israel? In the carol we sing, “Born is the King of Israel”
But at the time Jesus is born, there is no state of Israel, there is no king of Israel

Herod the Great is on the throne, but he’s only the ruler of Judea, which is basically southern Palestine, and the Romans are the ones really in charge of the Holy Land

The Jews at that time dream of Israel, but in different ways
Some of them think of Israel in political terms – they are ruled by heathen foreigners, and they’re living as aliens in their own land
They want to rise up against the Romans and take back the land by physical force

Some of them think of Israel in religious terms
They think they are passing through a time of spiritual exile, of estrangement from God
They think the nation is being punished for its sins and its unfaithfulness to God
When the time is right and the people turn their hearts back to God, he will act decisively to save them from their enemies

If you ask what the consolation of Israel means, you can answer in either of those terms
Either God consoles Israel by giving them victory over their enemies
Of God consoles Israel by reconciling his people to himself, by announcing that he has forgiven them, restoring the kingdom and the land

Into this mix steps Jesus, who is far more than either the political or religious view alone would allow
Consolation is more than human consolation, and Israel is far more than an ancient people or an ancestral homeland, just as Jesus is more than just the physical descendant of David

The consolation of Israel is consolation through Israel
It’s not just consolation for Jews – it’s for the nations, in other words the Gentiles, all those people Israel traditionally regarded as enemies

It’s not just for a physical territory, it’s for the whole creation, that groans in captivity until God acts to free it

That means for us, we can’t take a limited human view of this consolation
It’s not a substitute for something better – it isn’t a booby prize for life’s losers
It isn’t a substitute for other things we wanted in this life and didn’t get, like bigger cars, nicer houses, better jobs, or more exotic holidays

We can’t take a selfish view of this consolation either
It isn’t consolation for a few chosen people – it’s consolation through Jesus Christ, for the whole world
God isn’t giving us a secret to keep ourselves – he’s giving us life-changing news to share
He isn’t giving us a hanky to dry our own tears – he’s giving us a hanky to dry everyone’s tears

Do you know someone who is hurting? I bet you do
Do you know someone who is struggling? I’m sure you do
Do you know someone who is wounded? I know you do
Who do you know who is looking for consolation in the wrong places? We all do

The hurting, the struggling, the wounded, the misguided and the misled: they all need to know Jesus
Be like Simeon: tell them about Jesus, if it’s the last thing you do

OT Scriptures quoted from A New English Translation of the Septuagint, ed. Pietersma and Wright. NT Scriptures quoted from the New American Standard Bible. Image found at pxhere.com.