“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.” Luke 2:29-32
Ever heard anyone say, “Now I can die happy”? Perhaps people are joking when they say that because there’s certainly nothing that could spoil a happy moment more than death itself. Simeon wasn’t joking, but then his expression of praise for God is much deeper than mere trivial emotion. While God had promised that Simeon would see the promised Christ before he died, Simeon wasn’t just happy that his own Savior had been born, he was praising God that this child, Jesus, would be the Savior for all people.
This was not a private pleasure for Simeon alone. As he testifies, God had prepared this in the sight of all people. God didn’t hide what He was doing. The term “middle” is still used when describing the location of Israel in the world, and from that “central” location God sent messengers to reveal God’s plan of salvation to the entire world. Though our eyes have not yet seen what Simeon saw, we have the promises of the Holy Scripture that we can believe until we behold Christ with our own eyes.
Like Simeon, we may live, and die, in peace because God keeps His promises and we have seen His salvation in Jesus.
Prayer: Lord God, we praise You that through Your Holy Word You have shown us salvation through Your Son, Jesus, that we may live our lives in perfect hope and trust in Your gracious forgiveness. Amen.
© 2006 Lutheran Hour Ministries
These devotions have been written by Rev. Paul and Kaye Wolff. Rev. Paul Wolff is a 1996 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He has served as a pastor in the Detroit area for 10 years. He and co-author wife, Kaye, live in Southfield, Michigan.
Kaye Dumas Wolff is Chairperson of the Black Ministry Church Planting Task Force and a Mission Affiliate of LCMS World Missions where she serves as a training facilitator for laity in evangelism and mission work. Kaye serves on the Advisory Council of the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and she is a presenter for Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Equipping to Share Workshop.
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Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 7-9 Matthew 3
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