Wednesday September 11
Are You Ready to Die?
Luke 2:21-24
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 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. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel." 33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
I just realized as I started writing this blog that today is a day in history we will never forget. Twenty-three years ago, September 11, 2001, America was attacked by Islamic terrorist in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. The day began as a normal day for most Americans as they woke up, dressed and went to work. But before the morning was over, these terrorist attacks would kill 2,977 people from 90 nations. The final number of 2,753 people were killed in New York; 184 people were killed at the Pentagon; and 40 people were killed on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. These dear people woke up that morning never realizing in a few short hours their lives on earth would be over.
The truth is that none of us know when we will die. The big question is always the same for all of us. Am I ready to die? Well today, we have a wonderful story, attached to the Christmas story in Luke 2, that assures us that we can be prepared for death when it comes our way. In this passage of Scripture, our attention is drawn to a man named Simeon, a godly man who was waiting for "the consolation of Israel" (2:25). This verse tells us that the Holy Spirit was upon him. Simeon had been given inner assurance that he would not die until he had actually seen the Lord's Christ (2:26).
Simeon was looking forward to "the consolation of Israel." "The consolation of Israel" means the messianic hope. The phrase was also used among the Jews as a formula of blessing. The name Simeon means "hearing." The Bible says that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). This suggests that Simeon spent much of his time pouring over the prophetic page. Simeon and Anna, like Zacharias and Elizabeth, were a part of the faithful Jewish remnant that eagerly looked for their Messiah (Mal. 3:16).
One of the traditional Jewish prayers is, "May I see the consolation of Israel!" That prayer was answered for Simeon when he saw Jesus Christ in the temple. He was a man who was led by the Spirit of God, taught by the Word of God, and obedient to the will of God; and therefore, he was privileged to see the salvation of God. How important it is for people to see God's salvation, Jesus Christ, before they see death.
The Old Testament Jews revered the Scriptures; nevertheless, the Old Testament was full of unattainable precepts, unfulfilled promises, and unexplained procedures. The apostle Paul later described his own inability to keep the law (Rom. 7). And to what purpose were all of the endless sacrifices and ceremonies of Old Testament religion? And what about the multitude of prophecies that remained unfulfilled? Simeon understood that these seeming deficiencies could be resolved only in the person of Christ (Dan. 9:24-26). Christ was the answer to his incomplete Bible. The Spirit of God made clear to him that he would see Him when He came. He would not die until then. We can imagine how eagerly he scanned the faces of young and old after that (2:27).
Then one day, it happened. He saw a young man and a young woman carrying a Baby. They were coming into the temple to present Him to God. The Holy Spirit urged Simeon: That's Him! He stepped forward boldly. Of course! A Baby! All doubts were swept aside. This was the One of whom all of the prophets had written! And Simeon, “Took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation” (vv. 28-30).
Simeon gazed into the face of a Baby, the face of God manifest in flesh. Instantly, he was ready to die! Death was no longer a devourer but a deliverer. The word depart in the Greek has several meanings, and each of them tells us something about the death of a Christian. It means to release a prisoner, to untie a ship and set sail, to take down a tent (see 2 Cor. 5:1-8), and to unyoke a beast of burden (see Matt. 11:28-30). God's people are not afraid of death because it only frees us from the burdens of this life and leads into the blessings of the next life.
Like Simeon, may our eyes be open to see Jesus today! Have you ever seen Jesus as the only hope for your salvation?
God bless!
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