The child Jesus was consecrated in the temple that day, and he would grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. He would mature to manhood that as fully God and fully man, he might live life righteously, die sacrificially, and resurrect victoriously that we too, like Simeon, may say one day, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,” for we have peace with God forever through faith in Jesus Christ. And for this gift of God’s grace let us give thanks and rejoice.
Tag Archives: Simeon
Of All Peoples
He who said that he came to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15) did, in perfect obedience to the Law of God, not only as an adult but as an infant, as we see in our passage today. According to the law, as the firstborn male, he was to be presented to the Lord, harking back to the Egyptian captivity and God’s preservation of Israel’s firstborn sons by the blood of the lamb. Jesus’ presentation also included his mother’s ceremonial purification, following childbirth, and a required sacrifice of a lamb or “a pair of turtledoves, or two you young pigeons” (2:24), the offering of a family of meager means. It is a humble yet beautiful picture of covenant faithfulness, obedience, and the early blessings of a godly home.
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 