If you would turn with me and your Bibles to Luke's Gospel, Luke chapter 2. And while you are turning there, I bring you greetings from the Grace United Reformed Church in Torrance. I had the opportunity to be there this morning and they wanted to make sure I conveyed their greetings to you. And it's my joy and delight to be with you again this evening and to consider God's Word together with you. Luke chapter 2 we're going to begin reading at verse 21 and read through verse 40 but our text this evening is going to be verses 29 to 32 the song of Simeon but to get the context of the passage we'll begin our reading at verse 21 so Luke chapter 2 verse 21 hear now the very word of our God on the eighth day when it was time to circumcise him he was named Jesus the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord, every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the law of Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed, and a sword will pierce your own soul also. There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage and then was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple, but worshipped day and night, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth, And the child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Thus far the reading of God's Word. May He bless it to us. Well, we are still in the Christmas season, even though Christmas itself has passed. And one of the things that we know about Christmas is it is a time of songs. There are many songs that we can't wait to listen to for the season. And even though now the day has passed, we may still continue to listen to them until New Year's at least. And then we might finally put them away. Christmas is one of those unique holidays that seems to carry over beyond the actual day. And that's good for us because this really is a Christmas song that Simeon sings, but really comes after the Christmas event. This really is a post-Christmas song, although I didn't think that sounded as good for the title of the sermon. So we just left it as a Christmas song that Simeon sings. And we want to see what it is about this child, what it is about this song that God's people should be made aware of. What is it about this song? What is it about what is happening that causes Simeon to praise God in this way? And I think if we look at this song and we look at why Simeon is bringing these praises to God, we really see three reasons that he sings praise to God. He is praising God because the wait is over. The wait is over. He praises God not only because the wait is over, but because the Word is true. The wait is over and the Word is true, and finally because the world is saved. That is what causes Simeon to sing this song of praise to the Lord. And in the first place, it's because the wait is over. There is no more waiting for this man. what he has been waiting for has come now who is this simeon it's always interesting we need to pay careful attention to the details that luke gives us luke is a historian luke likes to deal in facts luke says in the beginning of his gospel that he spent a lot of time gathering the facts talking to the witnesses finding out what the lord has to say what happened in the life of jesus what are the important things to convey. So when Luke includes details, they're important. And when he excludes them, it's because we don't need to know, even though we might like to. Well, who is Simeon? Who is he as he is presented to us? We don't know much about him. He doesn't appear in other places in the Bible. This is the one place that he shows up, and we're not given a whole lot of details about him. Oftentimes we think of him as an old man, but we're not really sure that's the case. But what do we know about him? What is made clear about him to us in this passage? And there are really three important things about him as a person that we can take note of. The first is that he was righteous, we're told. He was a righteous man. That simply means he was someone who was concerned with the law of God and faithfully followed the Lord. That he is remembered in the Bible as being a righteous man. One who did what was required of him in the law of the Lord. He's also called a devout man. That points more to he exercised a lot of caution in doing what the Lord told him to do. He was careful to obey the Lord and to follow the customs of the law. He was righteous and he was devout. He was a good man and he was careful about keeping the law of the Lord. If we wanted to be described, it would be a wonderful thing if people could describe us as righteous and devout people. People who were diligent in following the law of God and who were careful to follow what God had said. This is a commendation of Simeon to us, that he is a righteous man. He is a devout man, and he is a man who, we're told, the Holy Spirit was a pawn. Boys and girls, remember the story of Samson? He used to do powerful things, and we were often told that he would really do powerful things when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. I don't think Samson always looked really strong. I think he probably looked like a normal guy, but when the power of the Lord came upon him, he could do wonderful things. And that's kind of how it worked in the Old Testament. Often times people, the Spirit of the Lord would come upon them and then it would depart. It's not really until Pentecost that we see this notion of the Spirit of the Lord coming upon people and dwelling with them. But we're told here that Simeon is a man who had the Holy Spirit upon him. And that signals for us that he is someone special. He is called to do a special thing. He is particularly noteworthy for us. That that's who this man was. He was righteous and devout, and he was a man that the Holy Spirit was upon. And so that should prepare us for What does this man stand for? What is he going to do in this passage? What is it that the Lord has set him apart to do? And we're told that in a particular way, he is waiting. He is waiting. And what is he waiting for? He's waiting for the consolation of Israel, we're told. Now that's not a phrase that we necessarily think of too often. We can understand when it says that he was waiting to see the Lord's Christ, because it had been revealed to him that the Lord's Christ he would see, but what does it mean that he was waiting for the consolation of Israel? How are we to understand that? And I think what we need to understand is that word consolation really could be rendered comfort. That he was waiting for the comfort of Israel. The comfort of Israel that was talked about in Isaiah 40. that famous text that many of us know the beginning of, Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Comfort. This man is waiting for comfort. He is waiting for the comforter of Israel. Now as we know in the life of Jesus, that sets him apart as different than many people in Israel who were not looking for a comforter. They were looking for a conqueror. They wanted someone who would come and drive out the Roman oppressors. That was who they were hoping for. That is who they were looking for. But you see, Simeon is presented differently to us. He is not looking for a conqueror. He is looking for a comforter. Because what he understands, as Isaiah said it forth to us, the comfort comes not from ending warfare amongst warring peoples. It comes from ending the warfare between a holy God and an unholy people. When God speaks tenderly to Jerusalem, what does he say? Your sins have been paid for. Your iniquity has been pardoned. I have paid back double for your sin. See, that doesn't have anything to do with the Roman government. That has to do with the Lord and putting an end to that. And so Simeon is held out for us as someone who is waiting for that Comforter, who understands the Scripture by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, that what he really needs is a Comforter. What he really needs is that one who will come and repair the division that's been made between God and man, who will come and truly bring comfort, who will pay for sins. That's what he's waiting for. That's why when the Holy Spirit leads him to the temple and he sees Christ, his song that he raises is Now I Can Depart in Peace. Now in our translation, it gets lost sort of in the middle in verse 29. Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. Really the now is what's being emphasized. Now I can go, Simeon says. Now, Master, dismiss your servant. He's talking in those terms. Now, I can be dismissed. I can be dismissed from this service because what I've been waiting for has come. My wait is over. The one who I was hoping for is here. The Comforter of Israel has come. Our hard service is done. The warfare is done. The Comforter is here. And that's what I was waiting for. That's what I was waiting for all these days when I served the Lord in righteousness. That's what I was waiting for as I faithfully obeyed the custom of the Lord. Waiting for that day when the final sacrifice would be offered. When the Messiah would come and repair the division between God and his people. That's what I was waiting for. And he says, now I can be dismissed from this service. I can be dismissed from this waiting. I'm ready to depart. I'm ready to depart. That's oftentimes why Simeon is thought of as an old man, Because this is a way of saying, not only is my service over, but I'm ready to die. There is nothing more for me to have to do in this life. I'm ready to depart. And he says, I'm not only just ready to depart. He says, now I'm ready to depart in peace. I'm ready to depart in peace. Because the comforter has come. Because the sins have been paid for. There is now no more warfare. There is peace. And now I'm ready to go. I heard a pastor once in a sermon that I'll never forget talk about the fact that there are many things you can preach to the people of God. There are many things that they experience, but there are many things that not everyone experiences. And so you can talk about certain things and you only speak to one part of the congregation. And you can talk about certain things and that only speaks to another part of the congregation. But he said, you know, the one thing that speaks to everyone in the congregation is when you talk about death. because if the Lord tarries and we live long enough to see the end to this life in death, it's something we all have to face, unless the Lord returns again. And this pastor said, you know, there are only two ways to face death. You can die in your sin, or you can die in the Lord. Those are two radically different ways to die. That doesn't mean that when you confront that last enemy, because death is an enemy, that there will not be worries and doubts. But the one thing that is sure is that if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, like Simeon, you can depart in peace. Not needing to fear God and His wrath against sin because that sin has been paid for. That's what Christ represented to Simeon. I can depart in peace. As one commentator put it, Faith and faith only can enable a man to look death in the face and say, I depart in peace. That's what Simeon is praising. That's what Simeon is thankful for. The wait is over. The one who could bring peace has come. And now there is no fear in death for him. No fear in an end to service. Because he knows that the Lord Jesus Christ has come and worked that peace that he had been waiting for. His wait is over. And that's such an important thing for us to understand because we are in many ways a waiting people. We are a people who are waiting for Christ, not for his first coming, but for his second coming. And this life can be a hard service at times, can feel like a warfare between the flesh and the world and the devil. And it can be difficult. And we need to be reminded in those times that there will come a time when that waiting will be over. Just as Christ came that first time to fulfill the waiting that Simeon was waiting for, He will come again. That our waiting will one day be over. And that whether we face death before He comes or whether we see His glorious coming, we know that we can greet Him in peace because of what Christ has done. His wait was over. Our wait goes on, but our wait will be over one day. And in that day, we too will depart in peace. because the Lord has worked salvation by His hands. So that's what Simeon is praising in the first place. The wait is over. The wait is over. He's also praising God because the Word is true. The wait is over and the Word is true. What was the Word that came to him? The Holy Spirit told him, You will not die until you see the Lord's Christ. You will not die until He comes into the world. He was told that word, told in the text, by the Holy Spirit. Made that known to him. That Word came to Simeon. Now, this is a season of the year where we hear a lot about words that were brought to people in connection with Christ's birth. We hear about stars that pointed the way, angels who told people what was going to happen. Talking to Joseph, Mary, Zechariah, the shepherds, these wonderful words that came. And we read here about the Holy Spirit speaking to Simeon. We don't know how he was told this. Was it a dream? How did he find out? But sometimes we can read things like this and think, wouldn't it be wonderful to get a word from the Holy Spirit? Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a direction like this for our lives, where the Spirit spoke directly to us and told us what was going to happen? It can almost make us a little jealous of people like Simeon. It was made so clear for him. It was laid out so concretely for him what God's promise was for his life. But you see, when we think that way, we neglect the fact that the Holy Spirit speaks to us today through his word. That God does speak directly to his people. Through the word, through the word that's preached, through the sacraments, we see all of this as the Holy Spirit's directing, the Holy Spirit's speaking to his people in clear terms. And one of the reasons that this is brought forth for us so that we might share in this word that comes to Simeon, this direction that the Spirit gave to him, we do become partakers of it as the Spirit relates it to us. The Spirit does speak words to us as he spoke to Simeon, and those words are true. And we need to be diligent to avail ourselves of the speaking of the Spirit, whether it be attending the means of grace faithfully, reading our Bibles, doing things that remind us that the Spirit is still speaking. He is still speaking. He is still bringing a word, and that word is true. That is what Simeon saw, and that is what Simeon rejoices in. My eyes have seen, he sings. My eyes have seen, just as God promised that I would not see death until I saw the Lord's Christ. My eyes have seen. But it's interesting how he finishes that statement. My eyes have seen the Lord's Christ? No, he says, my eyes have seen your salvation. You see, what Simeon realizes is that the Lord has granted him a view of his Christ, and that Christ stands for the salvation of God's people. This also stands as a reminder to us of how great God's grace is to his people. Because what was the promise to Simeon? You will see the Lord's Christ before you die. Wouldn't he certainly have been pleased with even a glimpse of the Lord just to see him far off and to know that it was the Christ? Wouldn't that be a wonderful blessing given to him? But you see how the Lord lavishes grace upon grace. Not only does Simeon see the Christ, but he holds him in his arms as he sings this song. He not only sees, but he touches and feels and knows that this child who he holds in his arms, just as certainly as he is holding him and seeing him and singing to him, he is the Christ who will bring salvation to the world. What a great gift of God to make this known to this saint. And that's why he can sing this wonderful praise and say, my eyes have seen your salvation. To know that the word is true. And if this word is true that the Spirit tells to Simeon, how much does he know those other words are true? He says, my eyes have seen your salvation. Christ is yet a child. He has not lived the perfect life yet. He has not gone to the cross. But Simeon can say these words are true. This is salvation. I don't need to wonder about it. I don't need to wonder whether this is the case. I just wonder whether salvation will be accomplished. Perhaps he's thinking of Malachi 3, verses 1 and 2. Malachi says, See, I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant whom you desire will come, says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? See, that's why we can have confidence in the word of the Lord because who can stand against the will of the Lord? Who can stand against the word of the Lord when his glory has come to the temple as Simeon saw him and held him in the temple of the Lord? he could say who can hold back his hand who can keep him from saving salvation is as surely accomplished as if it had already been done because the Lord has spoken it and his words are true that too is important for us as we are awaiting people to know that the words of God are true that the promises that God has made that he will be with us and never forsake us that those words are true that he is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead those words are true that he is preparing a place for us even now those words are true that he will come again and take us to be with him those words are true and that if we die in this life that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints those words are true it's very important for us it was wonderful for Simeon to see and to sing praise to God because he saw that the wait was over and that the word was true and then finally briefly he saw that the wait was over the word was true and that the world was saved obviously this doesn't mean salvation of the entire world it means that Christ's salvation goes out to the ends of the world goes out to the ends of the earth because look how he concludes that song my eyes have seen your salvation in verse 30 and then in 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people this is simeon's expression of praise that it goes beyond just the local people and it's especially interesting because all along this has been set in an israelite context in the temple of the lord with jewish parents doing what was the custom of the law to do for their children in the temple of the lord in jerusalem with these prophecies that relate to the old testament word but yet this saint can turn and say this is to all the people a light for revelation to the Gentiles. It's interesting with all this discussion of the faith as it's been contained and passed along in the Old Testament when he brings it to completion and he looks at it he says this is in the presence of all people and it's a light to the Gentiles. It's interesting that he doesn't start with the people of Israel he starts with a light that shines out to the Gentiles because he understands who this Christ has come to save, not just the immediate people of God, but it's a salvation that reaches out to the ends of the earth, that the light shines into the darkness. And that is a two-fold effect of the light going out into the darkness is that it shines on people, brings them into the light, and calls them home. It goes out and it brings in. And that's why he can end by saying it's for the glory of Israel. Not just the light of revelation to the Gentiles, but the glory of Israel. And of course, there were many things that were glorious about Israel. Paul points that out in Romans 9, 4 and 5. Theirs is the adoption as sons. Theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised. Amen. That is the wonderful promise. That is really the glory of Israel. They are glorious for many reasons, but the culmination of their glory is that Christ comes from them. He is their glory. He is the true Israel. He is the true King. He has come to bring salvation for His people, and He has come to shine His light into the world that those who are not His people might become His people. It's a great and glorious promise of the Gospel that it can make all peoples of all tribes and tongues and nations one people under the banner of Christ. And that too will be one of the great glories when the Lord comes again and when we see the church assembled, we will see the variety of people that God has called into His kingdom. The world represented in the church, it will be a glorious sight that the Lord has accomplished, that the Lord has come and in the presence of all peoples shined a light for the Gentiles and brought glory to the people of Israel. This is a reason to sing a song of praise to a God who accomplishes marvelous things. May we never forget that that's who Christ came to be, a comforter, He came to be a Savior, and He came to save all people who would turn to Him in faith. May that light continue to go out in this world. May the gospel continue to be preached until that time when the waiting is over and we see those words proven true and we see the Lord's salvation. Amen. Let us pray together. Father in heaven, we thank you for this wonderful song of praise that you have recorded in your scripture. We thank you for the great reminder we have there that your salvation is wonderful, that you lavish grace upon your people and that salvation came in the form of Christ Jesus our Lord. We thank you that we can see him not with our eyes as Simeon did, but with the eyes of faith that are opened by the Holy Spirit, that we share that same Spirit who was upon him and may we take those words of praise upon our lips that glorify our God, that glorify Christ for the salvation he worked and for that great gift of light that has gone out to the world. May the Holy Spirit continue to illuminate him for the lost. May they continue to be gathered in. We ask this in Christ's name. Amen.