Simeon Holds the Baby Jesus in the Templeby CBPepper
2:31Luke 2:31
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
God made ready His salvation openly before the face of all peoples to see, and that salvation is Jesus Himself as the infant Saviour. It was prepared not for Israel alone but for both Jews and Gentiles, for the nations and the world. That salvation is a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. The words were spoken by Simeon in the Jerusalem temple at the presentation of Jesus to the Lord about forty days after His birth, when he came by the Spirit, took the infant in his arms and blessed God. Understanding of the infant as that salvation was given by the Holy Spirit to humble and faithful servants like Simeon and Anna, while it was withheld from the proud priests and rulers whose pride kept them from recognizing Him.
Temple Presentation Setting
The verse belongs to the presentation of Jesus to the Lord in Jerusalem about forty days after His birth. His parents brought Him to do for Him after the custom of the law, in obedience to the Jewish law, after His circumcision. As humanity's substitute He conformed to that law in every particular. At that presentation His mother brought the poor person's offering of a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons instead of a lamb. Those offerings represented Christ Himself as the lamb without blemish and without spot, free from physical deformity and strong and healthy in body. He lived in conformity to nature's laws physically as well as spiritually, as an example of what God designed all humanity to be through obedience to His laws.
The words were spoken by Simeon in the temple in Jerusalem. He was a just and devout man waiting for the consolation of Israel, with the Holy Ghost upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. Coming by the Spirit into the temple, he took the infant up in his arms and blessed God.
When Jesus was presented at the temple, Simeon and Anna received Him as the Saviour and promised Messiah. They testified to His divinity in the Jerusalem temple, joining the other early witnesses in Judea who proclaimed who He was. God preserved their lives so they could have the joyful privilege of giving this testimony. This was at a time when faithful Jews were waiting for the Messiah, whom they expected as the Saviour. They believed His coming would reveal God's will clearly and free their faith from human traditions and needless ceremonies.
Salvation Prepared for All
The salvation God prepared and made ready openly before the face of all peoples to see is Jesus Himself, the infant Saviour held in Simeon's arms, the divinely commissioned Saviour embodied in the newborn Christ. Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God because his own eyes had seen that salvation in the promised Saviour. That prepared salvation is for all, not for Israel alone, bringing redemption to both Jews and Gentiles, to the nations and to the world. It was made ready for Gentiles as well as Israel, for the world to see.
The words that follow describe that salvation as a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. Simeon's declaration identifies Jesus as God's salvation made ready in sight of all peoples, leading directly to His role as light for the Gentiles and glory for Israel.
Knowledge of the infant as that salvation was given to humble and faithful servants like Simeon and Anna, while it was withheld from the proud and selfish priests. Divine illumination and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit enabled Simeon to understand who Christ was and what He had come to do. He recognized the infant Jesus by the soft heavenly light on His face. By contrast the priests and rulers and Jewish teachers did not recognize Christ because pride and refusal of light kept them from Him, since they did not search the Scriptures beginning at Moses and the prophets nor trace out the types and shadows and prophecies concerning His mission.
Satan, who was following those who had charge of the infant Saviour and watching for one come to dispute his control of the world, heard the aged prophet's proclamation in the temple and knew one had come to earth to challenge his authority. The truth of God's salvation held as an infant in Simeon's arms was realized by Mary as she stood by the cross on which Christ hung, because the time of its fulfillment had come in His crucifixion. Simeon's prophecy welcoming the Messiah belongs to the reappearance of the spirit of prophecy at the close of the Jewish dispensation to usher in the Messiah after it had nearly disappeared because of corruption, through which God opened to prophets the first advent of Christ to suffer for sinners and His second appearing in glory to destroy His enemies and complete the redemption of His people.
God made ready His salvation openly before the face of all peoples to see, and that salvation is Jesus Himself as the infant Saviour. It was prepared not for Israel alone but for both Jews and Gentiles, for the nations and the world. That salvation is a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. The words were spoken by Simeon in the Jerusalem temple at the presentation of Jesus to the Lord about forty days after His birth, when he came by the Spirit, took the infant in his arms and blessed God. Understanding of the infant as that salvation was given by the Holy Spirit to humble and faithful servants like Simeon and Anna, while it was withheld from the proud priests and rulers whose pride kept them from recognizing Him.
Temple Presentation Setting
The verse belongs to the presentation of Jesus to the Lord in Jerusalem about forty days after His birth. His parents brought Him to do for Him after the custom of the law, in obedience to the Jewish law, after His circumcision. As humanity's substitute He conformed to that law in every particular. At that presentation His mother brought the poor person's offering of a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons instead of a lamb. Those offerings represented Christ Himself as the lamb without blemish and without spot, free from physical deformity and strong and healthy in body. He lived in conformity to nature's laws physically as well as spiritually, as an example of what God designed all humanity to be through obedience to His laws.
The words were spoken by Simeon in the temple in Jerusalem. He was a just and devout man waiting for the consolation of Israel, with the Holy Ghost upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. Coming by the Spirit into the temple, he took the infant up in his arms and blessed God.
When Jesus was presented at the temple, Simeon and Anna received Him as the Saviour and promised Messiah. They testified to His divinity in the Jerusalem temple, joining the other early witnesses in Judea who proclaimed who He was. God preserved their lives so they could have the joyful privilege of giving this testimony. This was at a time when faithful Jews were waiting for the Messiah, whom they expected as the Saviour. They believed His coming would reveal God's will clearly and free their faith from human traditions and needless ceremonies.
Salvation Prepared for All
The salvation God prepared and made ready openly before the face of all peoples to see is Jesus Himself, the infant Saviour held in Simeon's arms, the divinely commissioned Saviour embodied in the newborn Christ. Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God because his own eyes had seen that salvation in the promised Saviour. That prepared salvation is for all, not for Israel alone, bringing redemption to both Jews and Gentiles, to the nations and to the world. It was made ready for Gentiles as well as Israel, for the world to see.
The words that follow describe that salvation as a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. Simeon's declaration identifies Jesus as God's salvation made ready in sight of all peoples, leading directly to His role as light for the Gentiles and glory for Israel.
Knowledge of the infant as that salvation was given to humble and faithful servants like Simeon and Anna, while it was withheld from the proud and selfish priests. Divine illumination and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit enabled Simeon to understand who Christ was and what He had come to do. He recognized the infant Jesus by the soft heavenly light on His face. By contrast the priests and rulers and Jewish teachers did not recognize Christ because pride and refusal of light kept them from Him, since they did not search the Scriptures beginning at Moses and the prophets nor trace out the types and shadows and prophecies concerning His mission.
Satan, who was following those who had charge of the infant Saviour and watching for one come to dispute his control of the world, heard the aged prophet's proclamation in the temple and knew one had come to earth to challenge his authority. The truth of God's salvation held as an infant in Simeon's arms was realized by Mary as she stood by the cross on which Christ hung, because the time of its fulfillment had come in His crucifixion. Simeon's prophecy welcoming the Messiah belongs to the reappearance of the spirit of prophecy at the close of the Jewish dispensation to usher in the Messiah after it had nearly disappeared because of corruption, through which God opened to prophets the first advent of Christ to suffer for sinners and His second appearing in glory to destroy His enemies and complete the redemption of His people.