And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 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. So he came by 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, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)

Seeing The Salvation Of God

The little child Simeon held in his hands was just over a month old. He was still wrapped in the swaddling clothes of His infancy as the baby peered deeply into the aged prophet’s eyes. Simeon was a devout man who lived for a single promise made to him by the heavenly Father and that promise was what he held in his hands. Joseph and Mary had brought the infant Jesus to the temple to be presented with a sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. God had promised Simeon that he would not die before seeing face to face the Messiah or Lord’s Christ. Being filled with the Holy Spirit on the day Jesus was brought to the temple, Simeon blessed God and proclaimed the glory of the Son of God for the child Jesus he held in his hands. He knew his eyes beheld the salvation of God and the hope of redemption for the world.

Simeon was ready to die having seen the Lord’s Christ. There was no doubt in his mind as he rejoiced looking into the face of an infant child that God always keeps His promises whether in the scheme of all humanity or just one promise to an old man. The Lord is God whose word is faithful and true. Simeon saw the child but he recognized the power of God’s word. The word of God was true, faithful, and never failed. He would not live to see how the infant he held in his arms would one day be nailed to a Roman cross. God’s salvation was fulfilled three decades after the death of Simeon when Jesus gave His life to prepare the way of salvation. Following the resurrection of the Lord’s Christ, the church was established ushering in the final eternal plan of redemption as a light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.

Joseph and Mary marveled at Simeon and his words. The aged man of God spoke a prophecy of sorrow for the mother of Jesus who would often have her heart pierced with grief. Mary knew with no uncertainty that her son was the Son of God. She stood at the cross and witnessed the words of Simeon come true as the small baby boy honored by the man of God in the temple was now being honored by the heavenly Father as an obedient Son. Salvation had been prepared by the Lord before time began. The bookends of the life of Jesus were found in the joy Simeon’s face looking upon a baby later framed by the face of sorrow for Mary at the cross. Simeon could only see salvation yet to come but salvation came through the word of God.

The salvation of God is still visible today. From the pages of holy writ, the Lord has revealed to all men the Lord’s Christ from His birth in a stable of Bethlehem to a place called Golgotha outside the city of Jerusalem. The story of Jesus began as Moses penned the words of the book of beginnings and concludes with the revelation of John writing about the victorious Christ riding before His army victorious over Satan. To see the salvation of the Lord is to see the divine Word as the light to reveal God to the world and to express by the providential hand of God the glory of His people Israel. All men can see the salvation of the Lord in Christ. Simeon believed in the promises of God’s word and salvation is found in hearts willing to accept the promises of God as true. The Lord has never failed in His promises. Truth fills the Word with the unmovable promise of the one true God. See the salvation of the Lord. Look unto Jesus Christ.