Luke 2:28
Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God, saying:
Simeon
The name "Simeon" is of Hebrew origin, derived from "Shimon," meaning "he has heard." Simeon is a devout and righteous man in Jerusalem, eagerly awaiting the consolation of Israel. His presence in the temple at this moment is divinely orchestrated, fulfilling the promise that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Simeon's role is significant as he represents the faithful remnant of Israel who longed for the Messiah's coming.

took Him in his arms
This phrase captures a moment of profound intimacy and fulfillment. The Greek word for "took" (δέχομαι, dechomai) implies a welcoming or receiving, suggesting Simeon's readiness and eagerness to embrace the Messiah. Holding the infant Jesus symbolizes the physical manifestation of God's promise. It is a moment where the divine intersects with the human, and Simeon, representing the old covenant, embraces the new covenant in Christ.

and blessed God
The act of blessing God is a response of worship and gratitude. The Greek word for "blessed" (εὐλογέω, eulogeo) means to speak well of or to praise. Simeon's blessing is an acknowledgment of God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises. This moment is a testament to God's sovereignty and the unfolding of His redemptive plan through Jesus. Simeon's blessing is not just personal but also prophetic, recognizing the significance of Jesus for all humanity.

saying
The word "saying" introduces Simeon's prophetic declaration, which follows in the subsequent verses. It indicates that what Simeon is about to express is not merely his own thoughts but is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This sets the stage for a profound revelation about Jesus' identity and mission. Simeon's words are a divine proclamation, affirming Jesus as the light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. This moment encapsulates the essence of the Gospel, bridging the Old Testament prophecies with their New Testament fulfillment in Christ.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Simeon
A devout and righteous man in Jerusalem who was waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him, and he had been promised that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

2. Jesus
The infant Jesus, who is brought to the temple by Mary and Joseph for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses.

3. Temple in Jerusalem
The central place of worship for the Jewish people, where significant religious ceremonies and rituals were conducted.

4. Mary and Joseph
The earthly parents of Jesus, who were obedient to the Law and brought Jesus to the temple as required.

5. Holy Spirit
The third person of the Trinity, who revealed to Simeon that he would see the Messiah before his death.
Teaching Points
Faithful Waiting
Simeon's life exemplifies the virtue of patient and faithful waiting on God's promises. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's timing and faithfulness.

Recognition of Jesus
Simeon's ability to recognize Jesus as the Messiah is a reminder of the importance of spiritual discernment and being led by the Holy Spirit.

Praise and Worship
Simeon's immediate response to seeing Jesus was to praise God. This teaches us the importance of worship and gratitude in our spiritual lives.

Fulfillment of Prophecy
The event underscores the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, reinforcing the reliability of Scripture.

Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit's role in revealing Jesus to Simeon highlights the Spirit's work in guiding and revealing truth to believers today.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Simeon's example of waiting on God's promise challenge or encourage you in your current life situation?

2. In what ways can you cultivate a deeper sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's leading in your life, as Simeon did?

3. How does recognizing Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises impact your understanding of God's faithfulness?

4. What are some practical ways you can incorporate praise and worship into your daily routine, following Simeon's example?

5. How can the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus' life strengthen your confidence in the reliability of Scripture and its promises for your life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 40:1-2
This passage speaks of comfort and consolation for God's people, which Simeon was waiting for in the form of the Messiah.

Psalm 98:3
This verse highlights God's faithfulness and salvation, themes that are echoed in Simeon's recognition of Jesus as the Savior.

Hebrews 2:14-15
These verses discuss Jesus' role in delivering humanity from the fear of death, a fulfillment of the hope Simeon held.
The Circumcision and Presentation of JesusR.M. Edgar Luke 2:21-40
A Satisfied Human SpiritW. Clarkson Luke 2:25-30
A Representative ManJ. Parker, D. D.Luke 2:25-35
Aged EvangelistsC. Stanford, D. D.Luke 2:25-35
Christ Our ConsolationH. Alford, M. A.Luke 2:25-35
It is Hard to Wait, and Few Can Do it WellStopford A. Brooke.Luke 2:25-35
Patient WaitingBishop Wm. Alexander.Luke 2:25-35
Readiness for God's WillNew Cyclopaedia of AnecdoteLuke 2:25-35
Scripture Biography of SimeonC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 2:25-35
Simeon and AnnaA. Whyte, D. D.Luke 2:25-35
Simeon and the Child JesusE. D. Rogers, D. D.Luke 2:25-35
Simeon: a Sermon for ChristmasE. Bersier, D. D.Luke 2:25-35
Simeon: Saint, Singer, and SeerF. Hastings.Luke 2:25-35
Simeon's Blessed HopeC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 2:25-35
The Consolation of IsraelG. Swinnock.Luke 2:25-35
The Consolation of IsraelJ. Jowett, M. A.Luke 2:25-35
The Expectant SimeonCanon Hoare.Luke 2:25-35
The Same Man was Just and DevoutStopford A. Brooke.Luke 2:25-35
The Waiting ChurchC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 2:25-35
Waiting for the ChariotLuke 2:25-35
Waiting for the LordAugustus Hare.Luke 2:25-35
Waiting is Good But Hard ServiceH. C. Trumbull.Luke 2:25-35
Waiting is Harder than DoingSunday School TimesLuke 2:25-35
People
Anna, Aser, Asher, Augustus, Cyrenius, David, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Phanuel, Simeon
Places
Bethlehem, Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea, Nazareth, Rome, Syria
Topics
Arms, Blessed, Praise, Praised, Received, Saying
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Luke 2:28

     2033   Christ, humanity
     5126   arm
     8667   praise, examples

Luke 2:1-40

     5652   babies

Luke 2:22-35

     2520   Christ, childhood

Luke 2:25-28

     8665   praise, reasons

Luke 2:25-32

     6704   peace, divine NT
     8352   thankfulness

Luke 2:26-32

     2206   Jesus, the Christ

Luke 2:27-28

     3218   Holy Spirit, and praise

Luke 2:28-32

     2039   Christ, joy of
     2324   Christ, as Saviour

Library
December 25. "I Bring You Glad Tidings" (Luke ii. 10).
"I bring you glad tidings" (Luke ii. 10). A Christmas spirit should be a spirit of humanity. Beside that beautiful object lesson on the Manger, the Cradle, and the lowly little child, what Christian heart can ever wish to be proud? It is a spirit of joy. It is right that these should be glad tidings, for, "Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people." It is a spirit of love. It should be the joy that comes from giving joy to others. The central fact of Christmas is
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Was, Is, is to Come
'... The babe lying in a manger...'--LUKE ii. 16. '... While He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven...'--LUKE xxiv. 51. 'This same Jesus... shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go...'--ACTS I. 11. These three fragments, which I have ventured to isolate and bring together, are all found in one author's writings. Luke's biography of Jesus stretches from the cradle in Bethlehem to the Ascension from Olivet. He narrates the Ascension twice, because it has two
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Boy in the Temple
'And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me! wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?' --LUKE ii. 49. A number of spurious gospels have come down to us, which are full of stories, most of them absurd and some of them worse, about the infancy of Jesus Christ. Their puerilities bring out more distinctly the simplicity, the nobleness, the worthiness of this one solitary incident of His early days, which has been preserved for us. How has it been preserved? If you will look over
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Simeon's Swan-Song
'Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: 30. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.'--LUKE ii. 29,30. That scene, when the old man took the Infant in his withered arms, is one of the most picturesque and striking in the Gospel narrative. Simeon's whole life appears, in its later years, to have been under the immediate direction of the Spirit of God. It is very remarkable to notice how, in the course of three consecutive verses, the operation of that divine Spirit
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Shepherds and Angels
'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. 10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Angel's Message and Song
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD . And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

December the Nineteenth the Sun of Righteousness
"A light to lighten the Gentiles." --LUKE ii. 25-40. That was the wonder of wonders. Hitherto the light had been supposed to be for Israel alone; and now a heavenly splendour was to fall upon the Gentiles. Hitherto the light had been thought of as a lamp, illuming a single place; now it was to be a sun, shedding its glory upon a world. The "people that sat in darkness" are now to see "a great light." New regions are to be occupied; there is to be daybreak everywhere! "The Sun of Righteousness
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

December the Twenty-Fifth Christmas Cheer
"Good will toward men!" --LUKE ii. 8-20. The heavens are not filled with hostility. The sky does not express a frown. When I look up I do not contemplate a face of brass, but the face of infinite good will. Yet when I was a child, many a picture has made me think of God as suspicious, inhumanly watchful, always looking round the corner to catch me at the fall. That "eye," placed in the sky of many a picture, and placed there to represent God, filled my heart with a chilling fear. That God was
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Religious Joy.
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."--Luke ii. 10, 11. There are two principal lessons which we are taught on the great Festival which we this day celebrate, lowliness and joy. This surely is a day, of all others, in which is set before us the heavenly excellence and the acceptableness in God's sight of that state which
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Wilderness: Temptation. Matthew 4:1-11. Mark 1:12, 13. Luke 4:1-13.
The University of Arabia: Jesus' naturalness--the Spirit's presence--intensity, Luke 2:45-51.--a true perspective--- the temptation's path--sin's path--John's grouping, 1 John 2:16.--the Spirit's plan--why--the devil's weakness--the Spirit's leading--a wilderness for every God-used man, Moses, Elijah, Paul. Earth's Ugliest, Deepest Scar: Jesus the only one led up to be tempted--the wilderness--its history, Genesis 13:10-13. 18:16-19:38.--Jesus really tempted--no wrong here in inner response--every
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

Joy Born at Bethlehem
In our text we have before us the sermon of the first evangelist under the gospel dispensation. The preacher was an angel, and it was meet it should be so, for the grandest and last of all evangels will be proclaimed by an angel when he shall sound the trumpet of the resurrection, and the children of the regeneration shall rise into the fullness of their joy. The key-note of this angelic gospel is joy--"I bring unto you good tidings of great joy." Nature fears in the presence of God--the shepherds
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

"Nunc Dimittis"
We shall note, this morning, first, that every believer may be assured of departing in peace; but that, secondly, some believers feel a special readiness to depart now: "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace;" and, thirdly, that there are words of encouragement to produce in us the like readiness: "according to thy word." There are words of Holy Writ which afford richest consolation in prospect of departure. I. First, then, let us start with the great general principle, which is full of comfort;
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

Christ About his Father's Business
But now I shall invite your attention, first, to the spirit of the Saviour, as breathed in these words, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" and then, secondly, I shall exhort the children of God, with all the earnestness which I can command, with all the intensity of power which I can summon to the point, to labour after the same spirit, that they too may unfeignedly say, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? " I. First, then note THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. It was
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

The First Christmas Carol
Let us turn aside, having just thought of angels for a moment, to think rather of this song, than of the angels themselves. Their song was brief, but as Kitto excellently remarks, it was "well worthy of angels expressing the greatest and most blessed truths, in words so few, that they become to an acute apprehension, almost oppressive by the pregnant fulness of their meaning"--"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men." We shall, hoping to be assisted by the Holy Spirit,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Christ's Boyhood
LUKE ii. 52. And Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour both with God and man. I do not pretend to understand these words. I preach on them because the Church has appointed them for this day. And most fitly. At Christmas we think of our Lord's birth. What more reasonable, than that we should go on to think of our Lord's boyhood? To think of this aright, even if we do not altogether understand it, ought to help us to understand rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

The Christ Child (Christmas Day. )
LUKE ii. 7. And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapt him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. Mother and child.--Think of it, my friends, on Christmas day. What more beautiful sight is there in the world? What more beautiful sight, and what more wonderful sight? What more beautiful? That man must be very far from the kingdom of God--he is not worthy to be called a man at all--whose heart has not been touched by the sight of his first child in its mother's bosom. The greatest
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

Music (Christmas Day. )
LUKE ii. 13, 14. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. You have been just singing Christmas hymns; and my text speaks of the first Christmas hymn. Now what the words of that hymn meant; what Peace on earth and good-will towards man meant, I have often told you. To-day I want you, for once, to think of this--that it was a hymn; that these angels were singing, even as
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

Of Having Confidence in God when Evil Words are Cast at Us
"My Son, stand fast and believe in Me. For what are words but words? They fly through the air, but they bruise no stone. If thou are guilty, think how thou wouldst gladly amend thyself; if thou knowest nothing against thyself, consider that thou wilt gladly bear this for God's sake. It is little enough that thou sometimes hast to bear hard words, for thou art not yet able to bear hard blows. And wherefore do such trivial matters go to thine heart, except that thou art yet carnal, and regardest
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Birth of Jesus.
(at Bethlehem of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke II. 1-7. ^c 1 Now it came to pass in those days [the days of the birth of John the Baptist], there went out a decree [a law] from Cæsar Augustus [Octavius, or Augustus, Cæsar was the nephew of and successor to Julius Cæsar. He took the name Augustus in compliment to his own greatness; and our month August is named for him; its old name being Sextilis], that all the world should be enrolled. [This enrollment or census was the first step
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

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