SAVIOR REVEALED
Luke 2:25-32
Promises are the hope of our heart. A child’s security depends on a parent’s promise to keep him or her safe. A spouse can live with confidence because of a mate’s promise of fidelity, loyalty and love. Businesses depend on promises from employees, vendors
and clients. Countries remain safe when neighbors keep their
promise to honor their borders.
Unfortunately, hearts and relationships are broken in all of these situations when promises are broken. But God never breaks his promises to us, he fulfills every promise he ever makes.
Psalm 145:13 NIV – The Lord istrustworthy in all hispromises.
When Joshua had defeated all of the nations living in the Promised Land and the people had received their inheritance in the land he
reminded them that God had been faithful to keep his promises.
Joshua 21:45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; everyone came to pass.
Charles Spurgeon – “God never give his children a promise
which he does not intend for them to use.”
PROMISE KEPT :25-28
Character :25a
Simeon – was an old man, who may have been in his 80’s.
There is speculation about who he was, some believe he was
a priest or a member of the Sanhedrin (religious leaders who determined the Jewish law), but scripture does not give us any details about him other than we have here in the text.
Righteous – in his behavior and relationships with other people.
Devout – committed to keep the OT lawin his everyday life.
It means he was careful and cautious to obey God’s law.
These two qualities describe the life of a godly person.
In the sight of God, one is just as important as the other.
Hope :25b
Waiting – throughout his life he kept looking for God to fulfill
his promise to send the promised OT Messiah. He represented
all those who saw that their only hope was in the mercy of God.
Consolation – Gk. comfort or solace. Luke 6:24 Woe to you
who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
The Rabbis called the Messiah the Comforter of Israel.
He would be the one who would bring comfort to the nation.
Leon Morris – “In days when the nation was oppressed men of faith looked all the more intensely for the Deliverer who would solve their problems.”
Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison
to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
. . . to comfort all those who mourn in Zion.
Application
Sin brings sorrow, suffering, trials and tribulation into our lives.
People look for relief from the difficulties and troubles of life.
They will try alcohol, drugs, relationships, sports, work and
many different kinds of things to relieve their suffering.
True comfort comes from being set free from our sins by Christ.
1. It means humbling yourself and admitting you have sinned.
2. It is believing Jesus died in your place for your sins.
3. It is accepting his death alone for your forgiveness.
John Calvin – “The hope of salvation depends on the faith of God’s promises, and particularly on the restoration (forgiveness) promised through Christ.”
Promise :26
Revealed – Gk. to be instructed by God.
Matthew 2:12 The wise men were warned(revealed) in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country.
The Holy Spirit had indicated to Simeon in some specific way
that he would not die until he had personally seen the Messiah.
We don’t know if that was in a dream like God spoke to Joseph
or in some other way, but he clearly knew the promise of God.
Thomas Watson – “The promises are great supports to the faith.”
God gives us promises in his Word so we might trust him more.
The saints in the OT believed the promises of God and based on those promises faithfully walked with him even though they did
not see the promises come to pass in their lifetime.
John MacArthur – “It is significant that even with Messianic
expectation running so high and with many OT prophecies
that spoke of his coming, only a handful of people realized the significance of Christ’s birth. Most of them, including Simeon, received some angelic message or other special revelation to make the fulfillment of the OT prophecies clear.”
Application
Unless God reveals his truth to us we cannot understand it.
From our human perspective and wisdom, we cannot spiritual
truth because our eyes and minds have to be opened by God.
II Corinthians 4:4 The god of this world has blinded the minds
of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel.
1. Pray and ask God to help you understand the truth of Scripture.
2. Read Scripture chapter by chapter to understand the context.
3. Pick a book and read it through one chapter after another.
4. Read good commentaries to help you understand hard verses.
5. Go back and read the chapter again to help understand it.
Timing :27-28
God always keeps his promises to those who faithfully walk with him even though for a time they may seem not to come true.
God lead him by his Spirit to come into the temple at the exact time that Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to be presented to the Lord in order to fulfill the requirements of the OT law.
If he had come too early he may have left and gone home before Jesus was there. If he had come to late he would have missed seeing Jesus. Simeon was directed by God’s Spirit to come at
just the right time to see the promised Messiah.
John Gill – “The Spirit of God knows the things of God . . . and knew the exact time when Jesus would be brought into the temple; and suggested to Simeon, and moved upon him, and influenced and directed him, to go there at that very time.”
Application
God’s timing is always right so we have to be guided by his Spirit
if we are going to do the right thing at the right time.
1. We need to ask for God to clearly guide us in making decisions.
There are times when we make a decision, then ask God to bless it.
2. We then need to listen to what he has to say to us.
That comes from reading God’s Word, prayer and listening
to what the Holy Spirit tells us to do.
3. When God speaks to us wethen have to act on what he says.
BLESSING GIVEN :29-32
Personal peace :29
Depart – Gk. to release or set free.
It is sometimes used as a metaphor of death.
Philippians 1:23 My desire is to depart and be with Christ.
II Timothy 4:6 The time of my departure has come.
Peace – Gk. a tranquil state of a soul.
It is a contentment of heart and mind instead of a troubled soul.
Kent Hughes – “With the baby in his arms, secure in God’s presence, Simeon experienced a profound peace of soul. And
well he should have. After all, he held in his hands the ‘Prince of Peace,’ . . . He was ready to go home to be with his God forever.”
Universal salvation :30-32
Your salvation :30
Salvation – Gk. deliverance or protection.
Here it means deliverance from punishment for your sins.
Salvation from the punishment for our sin comes from God who loves us and sent Jesus to die on the cross for us. We could never
save ourselves from the punishment we deserve for our sins.
The hymn Rock of Agesclearly expresses the truth:
Nothing in my hand I bring simply to the cross I cling.
Hughes – “True peace comes only when we like Simeon, understand that salvation is Jesus Christ plus nothing –
and rest our souls in him alone.” Nothing else will give
us true peace in our heart, mind and soul.
All people :31
The phrase is plural referring to everyone: Gentiles as well as the Jewswhich he explains in the next verse because God loves everyone he created and desires they would be saved.
John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but . . .
Light to Gentiles :32a
Revelation(KJB lighten) – Gk. to disclose the truth.
Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ . . .
It is instruction about divine things which were not known –
especially those things concerning salvation through Christ.
Gentiles are mentioned first because:
1. They lived in spiritual darkness not knowing the truth.
Ephesians 2:1 You were dead in your trespasses ands sins,
in which you once walked, following the course of this world.
2. They are the majority of the world’s population.
Revelation 7:9 I looked and behold, a great multitude that on one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.
Glory to Israel :32b
Hughes – “Christ a light to the Gentiles, is the full realization
of Israel’s glory.” The reason God chose them was that they
would be the people to bring God’s salvation to the world.
John 4:24 Salvation is of (from) the Jews.
Genesis 12:3 In you (through the family of Abraham)
all the families of the earth will be blessed.
CONCLUSION
Fanny Crosby was born in on March 24, 1820 in the town of Brewster, 50 miles north of New York City. When she was six weeks old caught a cold and developed inflammation of the eyes.
The treatment damaged her eyes and caused her to become blind.
She began writing poetry when she was 8 years-old and went on
to become one of the most prolific hymn writers in history, writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs. Sometimes she would write the words and the music would be added later. Other times she would hear a piece of music and write words to it.
That was the case for the hymn Blessed Assurance. The music
was written by Mrs. Joseph Knapp, an amateur musician, and a close friend. One day when Mrs. Knapp played the melody for Fanny she asked, “What does this tune say?” Fanny responded immediately, “Why it says, ‘Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine,’”
She expressed the peace those who believe in Jesus Christ have:
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of His Spirit, washed in his blood.
Like Simeon if you believe that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah who came to die for your sins, then you can have real peace in your heart knowing your sins have been completely forgiven through him.