Luke 2:27–30: “So he [Simeon] 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, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, / According to Your word; / For my eyes have seen Your salvation.”

February 13th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Patiently waiting for God to answer prayers is difficult for most believers. In Luke 2, we find a believer, Simeon, who had been waiting in confident expectation for many years to see the Messiah in the flesh because “it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). Although the waiting interval is difficult, it makes the arrival all the sweeter. This occasion, as Simeon held the baby Messiah in his own hands, was the most thrilling moment of his long life.

Simeon made an incredible prophetic announcement about Jesus’ life and death, but before he did, he spoke of his own personal gratitude to God: “My eyes have seen Your salvation.” He clearly understood that this tiny infant was God’s plan for salvation, both for himself personally and the whole world. The word for salvation Simeon used in this text is very interesting. The Greek word soterion means, “one fitted to save.” He was literally saying, “My eyes have seen one fitted to save others.”

How did Simeon have this kind of insight? We only need to look carefully at his song to see that it contains numerous quotes from the Old Testament. Simeon was a serious student of the Scripture. He had loved and spent a great deal of time studying and memorizing the Word of God, so when the moment came, God’s Word was ready on his lips. Sometimes having to wait adds to the blessing, as was the case for Simeon, who appears to be 1 of only a few who clearly recognized Jesus as the Messiah. The waiting seems to have been good for his spiritual discernment.

“LORD, please help us to wait on You this day, and be ready to share Your word with others.”