25 And behold, there
was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout,
waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the
Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So
he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the
Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God
and said: 29 “Lord,
now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of
all peoples, 32 A
light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people
Israel.” 33 And Joseph
and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary
His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of
many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own
soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Commentary
Vs. 25-26 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Now when Jesus was going to be presented to the Lord in the Temple there was a just and devout man in Jerusalem named Simeon. This was man was waiting for the Consolation of Israel, that is God’s salvation coming to us in the Person of the Messiah or Christ. Now the Scripture says that the Holy Spirit was upon him, and it had been revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ! God then had chosen Simeon, an obscure man amongst all the priests and religious and political power brokers in Jerusalem at that time to be the one who would see His Son in the flesh. An incredible honor and privilege, to be granted his own life until his own eyes would see the Christ! Now Simeon would not just see the Christ in the flesh, but he would see Him in the Spirit, that is by the Holy Spirit of God he would absolutely know and believe that he had seen and been brought into the Holy Presence of God’s Person and Salvation, not only for Israel, but all of believing humanity. For many in Jerusalem will later see Jesus in the flesh, but how many of them will see Him as He truly is, the Son of God and Savior of the world! Simeon did, do you?
Vs. 27-32 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Simeon then being moved by the Holy Spirit now comes into the Temple around the time when Jesus’ parents came in to do for Him what was required under law and custom. And so it was when Simeon saw Him that he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” Simeon then being filled by the Spirit of God and upon seeing the Child now takes Him up in his arms and breaks forth into an unrehearsed and heartfelt praise and thanksgiving to God, saying: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation” vs. 29-30 Simon then is so thankful for God keeping His Word to him, for now he can go to his grave in peace, because God has granted him to see and believe in His Son, as he says: “For my eyes have seen Your salvation” (vs. 30). A salvation which is not just for him, or the Jews, or the religious, but for all people everywhere, as he rightly declares that God has prepared before the face of all peoples, “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (vs. 31-32). Jesus Christ then is the Light of the World (John 8:12) sent to bring true revelation of God’s Person and Salvation to all Gentiles. Jesus Christ then is the glory of Israel because through that little nation and its humble origins, through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God not only raised up a nation for Himself, but a nation whose purpose in being raised up by Him was to serve Him and prepare the way for Him, that is His Son’s coming to bring eternal salvation to all of believing humanity. True Israel then will (in the latter days) glory in God for fulfilling His Purposes in bringing His salvation to and through them (Isaiah 44:21-23, 45:18-25; 46:12-13; 49:1-56:8; 59:15-60:22; 61:1-65:25 etc.).
Vs. 33 “And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.”
Joseph and Mary then upon hearing Simeon’s declaration marvel at the things spoken by him, because both they, and more specifically the Christ Child, was up until then unknown to him. Now we already know that Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit, and so what he was speaking he was not speaking on his own accord, but as the prophets of old also spoke, as he was moved by, and given these things to speak by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).
Vs. 34-35 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Simeon now blesses Joseph and Mary, but he now says to Mary (because before these things that he is about to declare are fulfilled Joseph will have died) and so she holding the Child in her arms must take these things to heart. Therefore, he says to Mary: “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
New King James Version. (1982): Thomas Nelson
Commentary
Vs. 25-26 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Now when Jesus was going to be presented to the Lord in the Temple there was a just and devout man in Jerusalem named Simeon. This was man was waiting for the Consolation of Israel, that is God’s salvation coming to us in the Person of the Messiah or Christ. Now the Scripture says that the Holy Spirit was upon him, and it had been revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ! God then had chosen Simeon, an obscure man amongst all the priests and religious and political power brokers in Jerusalem at that time to be the one who would see His Son in the flesh. An incredible honor and privilege, to be granted his own life until his own eyes would see the Christ! Now Simeon would not just see the Christ in the flesh, but he would see Him in the Spirit, that is by the Holy Spirit of God he would absolutely know and believe that he had seen and been brought into the Holy Presence of God’s Person and Salvation, not only for Israel, but all of believing humanity. For many in Jerusalem will later see Jesus in the flesh, but how many of them will see Him as He truly is, the Son of God and Savior of the world! Simeon did, do you?
Vs. 27-32 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Simeon then being moved by the Holy Spirit now comes into the Temple around the time when Jesus’ parents came in to do for Him what was required under law and custom. And so it was when Simeon saw Him that he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” Simeon then being filled by the Spirit of God and upon seeing the Child now takes Him up in his arms and breaks forth into an unrehearsed and heartfelt praise and thanksgiving to God, saying: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation” vs. 29-30 Simon then is so thankful for God keeping His Word to him, for now he can go to his grave in peace, because God has granted him to see and believe in His Son, as he says: “For my eyes have seen Your salvation” (vs. 30). A salvation which is not just for him, or the Jews, or the religious, but for all people everywhere, as he rightly declares that God has prepared before the face of all peoples, “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (vs. 31-32). Jesus Christ then is the Light of the World (John 8:12) sent to bring true revelation of God’s Person and Salvation to all Gentiles. Jesus Christ then is the glory of Israel because through that little nation and its humble origins, through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God not only raised up a nation for Himself, but a nation whose purpose in being raised up by Him was to serve Him and prepare the way for Him, that is His Son’s coming to bring eternal salvation to all of believing humanity. True Israel then will (in the latter days) glory in God for fulfilling His Purposes in bringing His salvation to and through them (Isaiah 44:21-23, 45:18-25; 46:12-13; 49:1-56:8; 59:15-60:22; 61:1-65:25 etc.).
Vs. 33 “And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.”
Joseph and Mary then upon hearing Simeon’s declaration marvel at the things spoken by him, because both they, and more specifically the Christ Child, was up until then unknown to him. Now we already know that Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit, and so what he was speaking he was not speaking on his own accord, but as the prophets of old also spoke, as he was moved by, and given these things to speak by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).
Vs. 34-35 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Simeon now blesses Joseph and Mary, but he now says to Mary (because before these things that he is about to declare are fulfilled Joseph will have died) and so she holding the Child in her arms must take these things to heart. Therefore, he says to Mary: “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Three things then
are given in this prophecy about Jesus’ Person and the Impact He will have on
people. First is that Jesus Christ is destined (been predetermined) by God to
be the cause of the fall and the rising of many in Israel. To those who fall
Jesus Christ then is the Stumbling Stone and Rock of Offense who makes
unbelieving and unrepentant humanity fall under the judgment of God. But to
those who believe, who do repent and believe in Him, Jesus Christ is the cause
of our rising to new and everlasting life! There is then nothing neutral about
the Lord Jesus Christ, for what one believes about and does with Him will
determine one’s own eternal fate. Now the second thing that Simeon says about
Jesus is that He shall be for a sign which will be spoken against. Jesus Christ
then will not have the same positive effect on everyone. For those who believe
and receive Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords He will be our only Lord
and Savior, the only One to whom we give all our praise and honor and lives and
hearts too! However, to those who do not believe, who hold to their ungodly
ways and lives, yes even their own useless “religious” traditions and
practices, Jesus Christ will be the One whom they will speak most vehemently
against (consider Matt. 12:22-37;
James 2:5-7; Jude 15-26 etc.). Now Simeon briefly
interjects and says to Mary, that “yes, a sword will pierce through your own
soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Thus, he is
foretelling of her own deep grief at Jesus’ Crucifixion, before returning the
Sign purpose of Christ which will not only be spoken against, but in being
spoken against (or defended) Jesus Christ will be the One through whom the
hearts of many will be revealed (John 4:42; 7:12, 40; 8:52; 9:24, 29, 31 etc.).
Now the most important sign that Jesus Christ has given all of humanity is His
Resurrection from the dead. For what one believes about that His Crucifixion
and then Resurrection will result in either one’s salvation or eternal
condemnation.
Scripture Quotations
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