Simeon Holds the Baby Jesus in the Templeby CBPepper
2:35Luke 2:35
( Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Simeon spoke it to Mary when he took the infant Jesus in his arms and blessed Him, declaring the child set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign to be opposed. The sword piercing her soul means deep suffering, sorrow and anguish because of Jesus and His mission, showing His path would meet opposition and His reign would be won through suffering rather than easy triumph. It was fulfilled through her life of sharing His sufferings and separation and fear for Him, and above all at Calvary where she witnessed His agony, humiliation and cruel death as a condemned criminal, fainted under overwhelming grief and was comforted when in His dying agony He gave her a home with John. At the same time His coming, opposition and cross reveal the hidden thoughts and motives of many hearts, making manifest persecutors and revilers and exposing traits of character that trials bring to light. His life and gift also reveal the Father's thoughts of peace toward humanity, showing God hates sin yet loves sinners more strongly than death and withholds nothing needed for salvation, and exposing Satan's false picture of God as selfish and oppressive.
Temple Prophecy and Setting
Simeon spoke the words directly to Mary when he took the infant Saviour in his arms and blessed him, and Mary would realize their truth as she stood by the cross where Jesus hung. The spirit of prophecy was upon him as he spoke, and Joseph and Mary stood by wondering at his words while he blessed them. Anna the prophetess confirmed his testimony concerning Christ with heartfelt thanks and a face lighted with the glory of God, and together Simeon and Anna received Jesus in the temple as the Saviour and testified that he was the promised Messiah.
The saying belongs with the declaration that this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against. It records both piercing suffering and sorrow to Mary's own soul and the revealing of the thoughts of many hearts.
It was spoken when the set time to favor God's people had come, though God could not manifest his glory and power through a corrupt priesthood. Jewish faith had become clouded by departure from God and by leaders bringing in their own traditions and enforcing them as the commandments of God. Pious aged Jews were looking, believing, and praying earnestly for the coming Messiah, trusting God would not leave his people to be a reproach to the heathen. They remembered that he had raised them up a deliverer in past distress when they called upon him, and they learned from the predictions of the prophets that the appointed time for Messiah had arrived. They waited day and night, praying to see the Saviour before they died, longing for a clear revelation of the divine will with doctrine freed from the traditions and needless ceremonies that confused faith, and for the cloud of ignorance and bigotry to be dispelled from the minds of the people. Simeon, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, understood Christ's mission, while the Jewish leaders rejected the light because of pride and selfishness.
Mary's Piercing Sorrow Fulfilled
The sword piercing Mary's own soul is piercing suffering and sorrow and deep anguish in connection with Jesus and his mission. That sorrow would come to her because he would be opposed, and the opposition that brought her grief would also lay open the hidden thoughts and motives of many hearts. His path through the world would not be unobstructed, for the Messiah's reign was to be won through suffering and not by easy triumph. She pondered those words through a life of sharing his sufferings. That sharing included enduring separation from him and remembering the three days when she feared he was lost to her forever, sorrowing over the trials he faced from childhood and youth, and being brought into difficult positions by defending what she knew was right in his conduct.
The sword points especially to her grief at Calvary, where Jesus was offered for the sins of the world. There she witnessed his agony and sorrow and humiliation and death, watching him suffer under abuse heaped upon him. She saw him die the most shameful and cruel death as a condemned criminal suspended between heaven and earth amid taunting and reviling and derision, while Jesus himself was forced to watch her anguish and behold her grief as he suffered and expired. He had wanted her to understand his mission beforehand so that she could endure that hour.
At the cross her heart was pierced with a mother's grief and overwhelming sorrow as she watched him under condemnation, so that she could hardly endure the thought of his crucifixion. Fainting under grief, she needed Mary Magdalene to support her, and the disciples took her away before the nails were driven into his hands and feet. In his dying agony Christ in part lifted her anguish by providing her a home with John. After three days of separation from her, his rising from the tomb turned her sorrow to joy.
Yet that piercing sword cannot kill the soul, for the life is hid with Christ in God, and so it cannot separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The same piercing of soul describes the deep grief parents suffer when their children die in sin and remain finally impenitent and rebellious against God. It also describes the painful burden that pierces a person's own heart as the consequence of sowing doubt, confusing children's faith, and leading people into distrust, in which continuing leads to defeat.
Thoughts of Hearts Revealed
Christ's coming was to lay bare the hidden thoughts and motives of many hearts. His presence and mission, and the opposition raised against Him, would bring to light what was in people. The trials and changed circumstances connected with Him would reveal the inner life that otherwise remained concealed. That same opposition would bring sorrow to Mary in connection with Jesus.
This revealing reached its full manifestation at the cross, where the hearts of persecutors, revilers, and murderers were made manifest. There character-forming attributes were developed and brought to open view. Unbelieving Israel at that time took sides with the first great apostate. Trials still serve this same purpose, exposing traits of character that people have not recognized in themselves and thereby giving opportunity to correct them.
The Saviour's life also reveals the thoughts of hearts in heaven, making known the Father's thoughts of peace toward humanity. His gift exposes as false the picture of God as selfish and oppressive. God hates sin, yet His love for sinners is stronger than death. No truth, mercy, divine help, or resource needed for salvation is withheld, for all heaven's gifts are placed in Christ's hands to show that no love is greater than God's.
Simeon spoke it to Mary when he took the infant Jesus in his arms and blessed Him, declaring the child set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign to be opposed. The sword piercing her soul means deep suffering, sorrow and anguish because of Jesus and His mission, showing His path would meet opposition and His reign would be won through suffering rather than easy triumph. It was fulfilled through her life of sharing His sufferings and separation and fear for Him, and above all at Calvary where she witnessed His agony, humiliation and cruel death as a condemned criminal, fainted under overwhelming grief and was comforted when in His dying agony He gave her a home with John. At the same time His coming, opposition and cross reveal the hidden thoughts and motives of many hearts, making manifest persecutors and revilers and exposing traits of character that trials bring to light. His life and gift also reveal the Father's thoughts of peace toward humanity, showing God hates sin yet loves sinners more strongly than death and withholds nothing needed for salvation, and exposing Satan's false picture of God as selfish and oppressive.
Temple Prophecy and Setting
Simeon spoke the words directly to Mary when he took the infant Saviour in his arms and blessed him, and Mary would realize their truth as she stood by the cross where Jesus hung. The spirit of prophecy was upon him as he spoke, and Joseph and Mary stood by wondering at his words while he blessed them. Anna the prophetess confirmed his testimony concerning Christ with heartfelt thanks and a face lighted with the glory of God, and together Simeon and Anna received Jesus in the temple as the Saviour and testified that he was the promised Messiah.
The saying belongs with the declaration that this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against. It records both piercing suffering and sorrow to Mary's own soul and the revealing of the thoughts of many hearts.
It was spoken when the set time to favor God's people had come, though God could not manifest his glory and power through a corrupt priesthood. Jewish faith had become clouded by departure from God and by leaders bringing in their own traditions and enforcing them as the commandments of God. Pious aged Jews were looking, believing, and praying earnestly for the coming Messiah, trusting God would not leave his people to be a reproach to the heathen. They remembered that he had raised them up a deliverer in past distress when they called upon him, and they learned from the predictions of the prophets that the appointed time for Messiah had arrived. They waited day and night, praying to see the Saviour before they died, longing for a clear revelation of the divine will with doctrine freed from the traditions and needless ceremonies that confused faith, and for the cloud of ignorance and bigotry to be dispelled from the minds of the people. Simeon, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, understood Christ's mission, while the Jewish leaders rejected the light because of pride and selfishness.
Mary's Piercing Sorrow Fulfilled
The sword piercing Mary's own soul is piercing suffering and sorrow and deep anguish in connection with Jesus and his mission. That sorrow would come to her because he would be opposed, and the opposition that brought her grief would also lay open the hidden thoughts and motives of many hearts. His path through the world would not be unobstructed, for the Messiah's reign was to be won through suffering and not by easy triumph. She pondered those words through a life of sharing his sufferings. That sharing included enduring separation from him and remembering the three days when she feared he was lost to her forever, sorrowing over the trials he faced from childhood and youth, and being brought into difficult positions by defending what she knew was right in his conduct.
The sword points especially to her grief at Calvary, where Jesus was offered for the sins of the world. There she witnessed his agony and sorrow and humiliation and death, watching him suffer under abuse heaped upon him. She saw him die the most shameful and cruel death as a condemned criminal suspended between heaven and earth amid taunting and reviling and derision, while Jesus himself was forced to watch her anguish and behold her grief as he suffered and expired. He had wanted her to understand his mission beforehand so that she could endure that hour.
At the cross her heart was pierced with a mother's grief and overwhelming sorrow as she watched him under condemnation, so that she could hardly endure the thought of his crucifixion. Fainting under grief, she needed Mary Magdalene to support her, and the disciples took her away before the nails were driven into his hands and feet. In his dying agony Christ in part lifted her anguish by providing her a home with John. After three days of separation from her, his rising from the tomb turned her sorrow to joy.
Yet that piercing sword cannot kill the soul, for the life is hid with Christ in God, and so it cannot separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The same piercing of soul describes the deep grief parents suffer when their children die in sin and remain finally impenitent and rebellious against God. It also describes the painful burden that pierces a person's own heart as the consequence of sowing doubt, confusing children's faith, and leading people into distrust, in which continuing leads to defeat.
Thoughts of Hearts Revealed
Christ's coming was to lay bare the hidden thoughts and motives of many hearts. His presence and mission, and the opposition raised against Him, would bring to light what was in people. The trials and changed circumstances connected with Him would reveal the inner life that otherwise remained concealed. That same opposition would bring sorrow to Mary in connection with Jesus.
This revealing reached its full manifestation at the cross, where the hearts of persecutors, revilers, and murderers were made manifest. There character-forming attributes were developed and brought to open view. Unbelieving Israel at that time took sides with the first great apostate. Trials still serve this same purpose, exposing traits of character that people have not recognized in themselves and thereby giving opportunity to correct them.
The Saviour's life also reveals the thoughts of hearts in heaven, making known the Father's thoughts of peace toward humanity. His gift exposes as false the picture of God as selfish and oppressive. God hates sin, yet His love for sinners is stronger than death. No truth, mercy, divine help, or resource needed for salvation is withheld, for all heaven's gifts are placed in Christ's hands to show that no love is greater than God's.