When Simeon saw Jesus he took Him in his arms and praised God. One day, his parents, Joseph and Mary, took him up to the Temple to present him to God. The late New Testament scholar Raymond Brown wrote: Lukes idea is that complete acceptance of the word of God, complete understanding of who Jesus is, and complete discipleship is not yet possible. How old was Simeon when he saw Jesus in the temple? Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! This season of uncleanness was terminated by the offering of a sacrifice (a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering). God gave her a job to do and she is doing it. Simon is one Latinised version of the name, the others being Simeon or Symeon. There were many details concerning the incarnation about which he was not at all clear, but of the fact that the Lord would come he was positive. Mary at the Cana wedding sensed, maybe with the Holy Spirits nudging, that perhaps this was the time for Jesus to reveall him self in a big way. . This lesson is about Simeon, an old man, who had a special hope fulfilled by God. Bauxite mining would threaten birds, plants, and clean water. This button displays the currently selected search type. The earth-shaking miracles and wonders are . Simeon gets very personal here with Mary telling her that she will suffer greatly by the suffering of her son. In which christian text are the teachings of jesus recorded? Anna belonged to the tribe of Asher. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. Luke records that Jesus' parents "marveled at what was said about him" ( Luke 2:33 ). 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace (2 Peter 3:10-14). Let a man be confronted with Christ as a supernatural person, one born without a human father, brought into the world through the womb of a virgin, as the apparatus of redemption, and he will reveal his own hearts condition by his attitude toward this supernatural Christ. (We know that the eighth day after birth is the first of the following 33 days because the account also says that after the birth of a daughter a mother waits twice as long, specifically 14 + 66 = 80 days.) He was a good man and very religious. 19 Feb, 2021 He has written over thirty books, including The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest, both of which were selected as top Biblical studies works by Christianity Today. In Davids time the yearly service of the highpriest priests was divided in 24 houses, each makng the service in the temple in Jerusalem for half a month. The redemptive offerings, the Day of Atonement, the Passover, all spoke to them of the coming Christ. Simeon had long searched the Scriptures and prayed and waited for the coming of the Messiah in fulfillment of prophecy. See Alfred Plummer, Luke, International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1905), p. 71. It seems that Luke wants to make this scene very personal for Simeon and Anna. 3 Pilgrimage Paths from Galilee to Jerusalem, Dating the Oldest New Testament Christian Manuscripts, The Bethesda Pool, Site of One of Jesus Miracles. Simeon ( Greek: ) at the Temple is the "just and devout" man of Jerusalem who, according to Luke 2:25-35, met Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as they entered the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses on the 40th day from Jesus' birth, i. e. the presentation of Jesus at the Temple . I like to think it was the shepherds. So what? The Book of Luke records just two narratives about Jesus ' childhood: His dedication (Luke 2:21- 40) and His time at the temple when He was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-52). If these shepherds were in charge of In the biblical Joseph narrative, when Joseph, having settled in Egypt, asks his brothers to bring Benjamin to him, he takes Simeon hostage to ensure that they return. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce this material in any format provided that you do not alter the content in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It was Mary and Josephs job to bring up Jesus the Son of Man, as Jesus often referred to himself, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to be a responsible adult in the Jewish culture. In verse 32 he stated that the Lord Jesus was to be, first, a light for revelation to the Gentiles; and second, for glory to your people Israel. May Almighty God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit and Christianity be our guiding lights, our safety nets and our inspiration for loving happiness with Almighty God! Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, What impresses me about Simeon is the powerful mingling of righteousness, Spirit-empowerment, and faith to take God at His Word. Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Simeon. Did he marry? (The same Spirit told him to go to the Temple that day, too.) When that Child came into the world, he brought nothing but a soul. Plus, even before Mary was with the Apostles during Christs ressurecction, she also (quite a few years before) told Jesus friends (Apostles) to do what he tells them at the wedding in Cana! Seven Signs Changing water into wine at Cana in John 2:1-11 the first of the signs Healing the royal officials son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54. The doctors of the Law may have been dead spiritually, but these remnant people, who saw the reality contained in the Law and the Prophets, were alive to what God was doing. Simeon got it and he saw it! He could not be as he did not fulfill the requirements, i.e. The Spirit rested upon Samson, and he did marvelous exploits. Gospel account The episode is described in Luke 2:4152. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:25-35 ESV). The jewish year in ancient Israel times began in spring, the month of Nisan ,which is about our March/April . Want to learn some-more about his research? Simeon does not know that years later Paul will write these words: "11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands- 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. She spread the Only after years of pondering the message in her heart does she become a true follower of Jesus. Museo Civico, Recanati, Italy/Scala/Art Resource, NY. It's interesting to compare Mary's 40 days of . And that is what we are going to examine today: what did Simeon see when he looked into the face of the Messiah. God is going global! The pairing of Simeon and Anna reflects Lukes penchant for male-female parallelism when he writes about the recipients of divine blessing and salvation. Simeon lived in Jerusalem. Global Relief Fund | Earthquake Relief Efforts in Turkey and Syria. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. Simeon, a right living and very devout man of faith, was frequently in the Temple meditating, and in a constant state of anticipation of the most significant foretold event in the Jewish faith the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. My soul magnifies the Lord; my spirit has found joy in God, who is my Saviour, because he has looked graciously upon the lowliness of his handmaid. was saying and revelling himself at this age God had her back on this one! Adding to what David said, Two important points, to say the least: 1. That hope motivated the righteous in Simeons day to hold on to the things of God despite the terrible events happening round about them. The Holy Spirit was in him. Jesus mouthing off to his mother in public after they have been frantic after losing him in a larger metropolitan area for three days. In this way Luke both prepares for and signals one of his major themes in the Gospel of Luke and in Actsthe least, the last and the lost are becoming the most, the first and the found with Jesus coming. He knew that although He had come to His own people they would reject Him, and the gospel would be preached to the Gentiles (John 1:11; Acts 28:28). You and I, who live in the light of the second coming of Christ, have the same glorious word of assurance. He saw this baby as the reason for his godliness. If it starts, you get to keep the vehicle." The Spirit rested upon Moses, and his face shone like that. This is clear. 8:14). Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. The nunc dimittis of Simeon emphasizes the end of a long vigil of waiting. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace. Blessedness and peace were his portion. Simeon declared the Child to be the glory of thy people Israel. That an Israelite should first mention Christ as the means of enlightening the heathen and then emphasize the glory of Israel was an unusual order in pre-Christian times and thinking. Simeon accepted the Baby Jesus as the Christ of God. Their patient waiting is now being fulfilled as Simeon and Anna both converge in temple area and meet the Messiah face to face. "For a sign that is opposed." We often picture Jesus taking little children in his arms, and we sing, I would like to have been with him then , but this thought of another receiving Jesus into his arms is much less familiar to us. "Well," she said, "I have good news. MY SHOPPING CART. Mary and Joseph search for him frantically for three days. Just ponder that for a moment with me: God appointed the future execution of son. All men will not accept Jesus. The jewish month has only about 29 days .please google the theme here and you will find all detailed informations for what I wrote here. Anna was the prophetess who saw Jesus when he was presented in the temple by his parents. husband passed away seven years after her wedding. This apparatus was prepared by God for the salvation of all people. When that old man went out of the world he took nothing but a soul. There were three characteristics of Simeons Spirit-controlled life: The Spirit-controlled life is a life which is endued with the Spirit, taught of the Spirit and led by the Spirit. I think one of the things Mary was pondering in her heart must have related to the Shepherds visit What an act of faith that was! Notice how the text describes him. I said that I had not. Simeon takes the Child Jesus in his arms and blesses God in order to present it to the Lord. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Mary was the first to have the good news announced to her, but Anna is the first woman to understand fully and proclaim the good news. Granted it is glorious and attractive, but it is not safe. Simeon represented himself as a sentinel whom his master had placed in an elevated position and charged to look for the appearance of the Star. In Hebrew Simeon means: hearing or listening. Home / / how old was simeon when he saw jesus. Copyright College Park Church - Indianapolis, Indiana. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would die before he saw the By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. He did not know just when He would come, but as his hair whitened and his limbs became enfeebled, these were signs to him that the Lords coming was very near. Why does Gary Soto's work seem autobiographical? Simeon at the Temple is a figure in the Gospel of Luke. Luke portrays the rise of a form of Judaism that would rely on the testimony of women as well as men, and that would empower them once again to fulfill roles like Miriam of old. We have a drawing for $15,000 cash!" Story: Tell the story of Jesus being presented at the temple based on Luke 2:21-40. a. Jesus' Circumcision: Mary and Joseph took God's Son when He was 8 days old and had Him circumcised. As Christians, we should be known for our absolute honesty, our truthfulness, our dependability and our moral integrity. And who better to give it to than a man who would fully appreciate it. He is at peace and his heart is filled with hope because he knows that God has fulfilled His promise. Simeon was a part of the group of brothers who sold Joseph into slavery and then lied to Jacob, saying that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal ( Genesis 37 ). Copy. Do you see the gospel for the beauty that it is? There is no great incentive to holy living than to believe, to live and to labour in the conviction that the Lord Jesus is coming again look up 1 John 3:3. He sees the Christ child with his own eyes and finds fulfillment. And nobodys recognizing John the Baptists testimony to knowing who Jesus wasfrom the womb! Who are we to really imply something different for the amazing Simeon and his song??!!! 30 The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. Mary startles when Gabriel and God the Father appear in her home and interrupt her prayers. So we know from this that Jesus was 7 + 33 = 40 days old at the time of this ceremony. Clearly, Luke is not painting an idealized portrait of Mary or Joseph. It was the day of the year when all the candles, that were used in the church during the coming year, were brought into church and a blessing was said over them so it was the Festival Day (or mass) of the Candles. Hey, if the Holy Spirit tells Simeon he will not die till he sees the Messiah, and if hes been waiting his entire life perhaps, and hes faithful and in the temple and he comes and serves as that second witness ~ that may be Gods total will for his lifes ending, different from Annas, but just as powerful. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. I mean not just a chuckle, but a hearty laugh. Is there a difference between Simon and Simeon? Let me first give you my thesis, and then try to show you three ways that I see this in the text. He prayed, "God, You kept Your promise, and I have As Joseph and Mary marveled at the things spoken of their Child by Simeon, they were blessed by him, and heard Gods purpose for the Child. Praised God and spoke of Jesus' future. This account is reminder to all of us that this day is not just about time with family or wonderful expressions of love.