Simeon Holds the Baby Jesus in the Templeby CBPepper
2:29Luke 2:29
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
At Christ's presentation in Jerusalem about forty days after His birth in obedience to the law, the aged, just and devout Simeon, upon whom the Holy Spirit rested, came by the Spirit into the temple and took the child Jesus into his arms to bless God. He declared himself ready to depart this life in peace because God had kept the word revealed to him that he would not die before seeing the Lord's Anointed, and his eyes had now beheld in the infant Jesus God's promised salvation. That salvation was made ready before all peoples as the Redeemer for all, a light for the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. He recognized the Messiah at once by divine illumination through the soft heavenly light on the child's face, a revelation granted to humble servants while the proud priests and rulers, blinded under Satan's guidance, failed to know Him because they did not search Moses, the prophets, the types and the prophecies. His Spirit-led words mark the return of the prophetic gift to usher in the Messiah, and they remain the language of every faithful servant who can rest in peace once God-given work is finished.
Setting and Speaker
Luke 2:29 belongs to the presentation of Christ to the Lord in Jerusalem about forty days after His birth, when Joseph and Mary brought Him in obedience to Jewish law, and as humanity's substitute He conformed to the law in every particular. It was spoken in the temple when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him after the custom of the law, and Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God. That dedication was at the Temple in Jerusalem, with Mary kneeling and holding the swaddled child while Joseph stood behind her before the broad temple entrance with its tall columns and stone steps.
The speaker was the aged Simeon, a just and devout true servant of God waiting for the consolation of Israel, with the Holy Ghost upon him. He came by the Spirit into the temple at that time, and with Anna he testified to the divinity of Jesus. His utterance was part of his Spirit-led prophecy over Jesus as the promised Messiah, declaring Him a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. The aged prophet spoke it while holding the infant Jesus in his arms, and Satan heard the words while following those who had charge of the infant Saviour.
At that presentation the offerings presented for His mother were required to be without blemish because they represented Christ. Jesus Himself was free from physical deformity, strong and healthy in body. Throughout His life He lived in conformity to nature's laws, physically as well as spiritually an example of what obedience makes humanity to be.
Promise Fulfilled in Christ
To depart in peace according to God's word means to be ready to die in peace because God has kept His word. It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ, and with his own eyes he had now seen the infant Jesus, the promised divine Savior and God's salvation. He declared that he could now die in peace because, as God had promised, he had seen the promised Christ.
Holding the infant joyfully in his arms, he recognized Him at once as the Promised One and Messiah. He knew Him by the soft, heavenly light on His face and by divine illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God had preserved his life so that he could recognize Him and testify to Him.
The salvation he had seen was prepared before the face of all people. The infant Jesus is God's salvation and the promised Redeemer for all, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.
That recognition was a revelation given to humble servants and hidden from the proud and selfish priests and rulers. While Simeon understood who Christ was through divine illumination by the Holy Spirit, the priests and rulers, unwilling to receive light, remained in darkness. They did not recognize Christ because they did not search beginning at Moses and the prophets nor carefully study the types, shadows, and prophecies concerning His mission, but read God's Word without understanding while the prince of darkness blinded them to Jesus as Messiah and led them under Satan's guidance into darkness and unbelief.
The words were heard by Satan while he was following those who had charge of the infant Saviour, and they declared that one had come to earth to dispute his authority. They express the hope of aged, faithful Jews who longed to see the Messiah and Savior before they died. They trusted that God would come to His people and dispel the ignorance and confusion caused by corrupt leadership and human traditions.
Prophecy and Life Application
Simeon's words belong to his Spirit-led prophecy over Jesus as the promised Messiah. He was a just and devout man waiting for the consolation of Israel, who came by the Spirit into the temple and declared Jesus to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. That prophecy marked the reappearance of the spirit of prophecy at the close of the Jewish dispensation to usher in the Messiah, after the gift had nearly disappeared for centuries because of corruption in the church.
To depart in peace according to God's word is the language of a servant ready to finish life in peace once God-given work is done. It means being satisfied and at rest, with peace and calmness of mind, after completing precious writings setting forth Christ's works, life, miracles and teachings, seeing nothing else ahead except that work. It expresses the hope of completing those writings on Christ's works before leaving California.
At Christ's presentation in Jerusalem about forty days after His birth in obedience to the law, the aged, just and devout Simeon, upon whom the Holy Spirit rested, came by the Spirit into the temple and took the child Jesus into his arms to bless God. He declared himself ready to depart this life in peace because God had kept the word revealed to him that he would not die before seeing the Lord's Anointed, and his eyes had now beheld in the infant Jesus God's promised salvation. That salvation was made ready before all peoples as the Redeemer for all, a light for the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. He recognized the Messiah at once by divine illumination through the soft heavenly light on the child's face, a revelation granted to humble servants while the proud priests and rulers, blinded under Satan's guidance, failed to know Him because they did not search Moses, the prophets, the types and the prophecies. His Spirit-led words mark the return of the prophetic gift to usher in the Messiah, and they remain the language of every faithful servant who can rest in peace once God-given work is finished.
Setting and Speaker
Luke 2:29 belongs to the presentation of Christ to the Lord in Jerusalem about forty days after His birth, when Joseph and Mary brought Him in obedience to Jewish law, and as humanity's substitute He conformed to the law in every particular. It was spoken in the temple when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him after the custom of the law, and Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God. That dedication was at the Temple in Jerusalem, with Mary kneeling and holding the swaddled child while Joseph stood behind her before the broad temple entrance with its tall columns and stone steps.
The speaker was the aged Simeon, a just and devout true servant of God waiting for the consolation of Israel, with the Holy Ghost upon him. He came by the Spirit into the temple at that time, and with Anna he testified to the divinity of Jesus. His utterance was part of his Spirit-led prophecy over Jesus as the promised Messiah, declaring Him a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. The aged prophet spoke it while holding the infant Jesus in his arms, and Satan heard the words while following those who had charge of the infant Saviour.
At that presentation the offerings presented for His mother were required to be without blemish because they represented Christ. Jesus Himself was free from physical deformity, strong and healthy in body. Throughout His life He lived in conformity to nature's laws, physically as well as spiritually an example of what obedience makes humanity to be.
Promise Fulfilled in Christ
To depart in peace according to God's word means to be ready to die in peace because God has kept His word. It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ, and with his own eyes he had now seen the infant Jesus, the promised divine Savior and God's salvation. He declared that he could now die in peace because, as God had promised, he had seen the promised Christ.
Holding the infant joyfully in his arms, he recognized Him at once as the Promised One and Messiah. He knew Him by the soft, heavenly light on His face and by divine illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God had preserved his life so that he could recognize Him and testify to Him.
The salvation he had seen was prepared before the face of all people. The infant Jesus is God's salvation and the promised Redeemer for all, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.
That recognition was a revelation given to humble servants and hidden from the proud and selfish priests and rulers. While Simeon understood who Christ was through divine illumination by the Holy Spirit, the priests and rulers, unwilling to receive light, remained in darkness. They did not recognize Christ because they did not search beginning at Moses and the prophets nor carefully study the types, shadows, and prophecies concerning His mission, but read God's Word without understanding while the prince of darkness blinded them to Jesus as Messiah and led them under Satan's guidance into darkness and unbelief.
The words were heard by Satan while he was following those who had charge of the infant Saviour, and they declared that one had come to earth to dispute his authority. They express the hope of aged, faithful Jews who longed to see the Messiah and Savior before they died. They trusted that God would come to His people and dispel the ignorance and confusion caused by corrupt leadership and human traditions.
Prophecy and Life Application
Simeon's words belong to his Spirit-led prophecy over Jesus as the promised Messiah. He was a just and devout man waiting for the consolation of Israel, who came by the Spirit into the temple and declared Jesus to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. That prophecy marked the reappearance of the spirit of prophecy at the close of the Jewish dispensation to usher in the Messiah, after the gift had nearly disappeared for centuries because of corruption in the church.
To depart in peace according to God's word is the language of a servant ready to finish life in peace once God-given work is done. It means being satisfied and at rest, with peace and calmness of mind, after completing precious writings setting forth Christ's works, life, miracles and teachings, seeing nothing else ahead except that work. It expresses the hope of completing those writings on Christ's works before leaving California.