Luke 2:25-35
Simeon the Elder
25 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 on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 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, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
John 17:3
Now This is Eternal Life
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Simeon was a man in the Temple in Jerusalem who was righteous and devout...The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon...And when He met the Baby Jesus for the first time, he spoke to Mary and Joseph and said, “Sovereign LORD, as You have promised, You may now dismiss your servant in peace...For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: a Light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of 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 too.”...
Simeon an elderly man, who had the Holy Spirit on him, had been waiting on the Consolation of Israel...The Consolation of Israel was another name for the Messiah...So Simeon believed Jesus to be the Messiah...And he says that the Messiah will be in the sight of all nations, and not just Israel...Jesus will be a Light for the Gentiles and be the Glory of the people of Israel...A day would soon be here when the God of Israel, would be the God of all nations...God would send His Son to all people and all nations around the world...And the would worship the Father and the Son of Israel...The Gentiles would receive the blessings of God, just as the people of Israel had received...Jesus would be this Messiah for all nations...
And then Simeon told Mary and Joseph more compelling thoughts of their Young Son....He said that their Baby was destined to cause the falling and rising of many people in Israel, and He would be a sign that would be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed...And a sword would pierce their own souls too...Strong words for a mother and father over their very young eight day old Baby...Words that parents, I think, would never forget about their Child, as they listened tho this in the Sacred Temple...What would be going through these parent's heads as they listened to Simeon speak these words?...And when he said that a sword would pierce their soul's too, how could they not?...A Loving Child who would take on the world's sins and die on a cross, yet, all the while, still a mother and father who would have this deep love and family emotional attachments for their Son...
And in holding Jesus, Simeon must have felt His Glory, even at such a young age...And Simeon being quite the elder and maybe nearing his years felt the Spirit, and was moved by the Holy Spirit -and now could be dismissed in peace by God...Holding the Savior of the World in his arms, he would get to know what it felt like to hold Someone who is so Sacred and so Holy...And as Simeon said, Jesus shows us for who we are...Jesus sometimes reveals our hearts not only to others, but to ourselves...Jesus shows us for who we are...He shows the goodness in us and shows what is in our hearts...And as the Pharisees and teachers of the law, and the different religious officials heard Him speak, He brought out what was in their hearts too...And some of it was evil, and so we did see the rising and falling of many in Israel...And this remains true today...Jesus, when discussions are brought up about Him, there is this feeling of goodness, while evil tries to dismiss Him or not talk about Him...And these are matters of the heart...We will be judged by the thoughts in our hearts...So when we die, if we have belief and love for God and His Son in our hearts, we will have eternal life...