I. Simeon Vs. 25, 26
A. Just & Devout
B. Waiting For God’s Consolation
1. Israel was under Roman rule at this time
2. They were restricted and oppressed
3. They looked to God for deliverance.
4. How Long Had Simeon waited for this promise?
C. Moved By The Holy Spirit
1. This man was already a seeker of God, and a lover of God
2. He knew to look for the revealing of the Messiah, the Consolation
3. Those who are urged by the Holy Spirit towards God, and who respond, will experience Jesus.
D. God Had Promised That He Would See The Christ
1. Simeon was a seeker of God
2. God promised that he would physically see the Messiah
II. The Event
A. He Came To The Place Where Jesus Would Be Revealed
B. The Revealing Of Jesus Took Place
C. The Promise Was Fulfilled-He Saw The Christ
III. Simeon’s Experience Of The Event
A. He Embraced Jesus
1. Simeon had already embraced the promise of God, & was a true seeker of God
2. He had obeyed the direction of God re. experiencing the revelation of the Christ
3. His obedience led him to actually be able to hold Jesus, & experience the Promise
B. He Blessed God For The Fulfilled Promise
1. He blessed God for keeping His promise to Simeon
2. His spiritual experience was personal, not 2nd hand or simply intellectual
C. He Blessed God For What Jesus Would Do
1. Knowing that God had kept His promise to reveal Jesus to Simeon, Simeon now blessed God for what God would do next.
2. Simeon’s accumulated faith over the span of his life led him to expect that God would continue to be faithful and keep His promises.
D. He Described Jesus
1. Salvation
2. Before the face of all the peoples– Salvation to be available for all mankind
3. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles– Guidance, revelation, truth
4. The glory of Israel- For those in Israel who would believe
5. The falling & rising of many-Though He came to save, many would not believe
6. He would be spoken against– Jews wanted a temporal King, not an eternal King
7. Mary’s soul would be pierced- She’d see the rejection of her son, but later: joy
8. The thoughts of many hearts would be revealed– How one responds to Jesus reveals the intentions of their hearts. For Simeon: joy. For others: rejection
9. What was the difference: PERSPECTIVE– Simeon looked for God’s Salvation