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 2:28–32
This prophecy of Simeon is so beautiful, and this story is truly amazing.
Jesus has been born and Mary and Joseph are coming to the temple after the time of her purification, bringing their Son for circumcision. Upon their arrival, they meet an elderly man. He takes the Baby from them, looks up to heaven, and begins to praise the Lord.
Who Was Simeon?
But who was this man? Luke declares that Simeon was just and devout. He was a true believer. He was waiting for the Consolation of Israel. Simeon was a man who longed for the fulfillment of the promises of God. The Scriptures declare that “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” (Luke 2:25–26). God had told Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the salvation of God.
Salvation Is the Great Theme of Scripture
Salvation is the great theme of Scripture. But salvation implies deliverance from something. Jesus, our great Deliverer, came to rescue all people from the consequences of sin. He came to deliver all people from difficulties, dangers, disease, and ultimately, from death.
This promise of deliverance goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When God created man, His desire was for relationship, harmony, and communion. In the cool of the day, the Lord would come to the garden to meet with Adam and Eve. But something happened. The serpent entered in. Sin came into our world, and fellowship with God was broken.
Redemption and Restoration
But from that very moment, God’s intention was redemption and restoration. All the way back in Genesis 3, we read about the One who was to crush the head of the serpent.
Let this well-known Christmas carol be a wonderful reminder of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf.
God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day,
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Comfort and Joy
Christ came to bring us rest. He came to deliver us from Satan’s power. May these truths bring peace and comfort in the days ahead. And may we who know Jesus share these tidings of comfort and joy with all those around us who are dismayed or have gone astray.
If you are in the Orange County area, you are welcome to join us either in person or LIVE online at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on Christmas Eve. Our services are at 6 PM and 8 PM. For more information, go to cccm.com or live.cccm.com. May God richly bless you and yours this Christmas.