A Wonderful Meeting in the Temple

When the Lord Jesus was still a tiny infant, his parents brought Him to the temple at Jerusalem for the first time in order to make the required redemption-sacrifice there.

In the Mosaic Law God claimed the first-born boy in every family for Himself, but He permitted the parents to redeem him, or to buy their first-born freedom from that obligation by offering up a sacrifice in his behalf. In the case of poor parents the sacrifice was two turtledoves. Jesus was the first-born of Mary, and as such He might rightfully have been claimed for God’s service in the temple, had not His parents bought Him free by making the customary offering.

As they entered the temple, a rather amazing incident takes place. There was a man whose eyes seem to be searching the crowd of parents. He appears to be waiting for someone. Then, seeing the child Jesus, he takes Him in his arms to bless God for His unspeakable gift.

Who was Simeon? Our text clearly gives the answer: “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.”

Here was a man who had experienced the grace of God in an abundant measure. His heart, by nature just as sinful, deceitful, and wicked as the heart of any other person, had become the indwelling place of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God had enlightened the heart of Simeon and had revealed the promised Messiah to him as the true Consolation of Israel. We can only imagine how the heart of Simeon leaped for joy and how he rejoiced in Christ as his Savior. God the Father always fulfils His own promises, as we read in Isaiah 51:3, “For the Lord shall comfort Zion.” And remember what is written in Isaiah 52:9, “Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.”

Simeon was one of God’s faithful few who, in Jerusalem, clung to the scriptural revelation, to the Messianic promises, in an evil and degenerated day. He understood by grace the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, the promises given in the Psalms and Prophets, promises of a spiritual Deliverer who by the sacrifice of Himself would bring heaven’s blessings to lost people. He was waiting with a holy longing for the day that he might see His Savior. God would prolong his life until his bodily eyes would be privileged to look upon that dear, long-promised Messiah.

Just that morning he had been led by God’s Spirit into the temple, and his long wait came to an end. What a great and blessed day! Have we seen Christ as our Savior, or do we continually try to help ourselves?

The aged Simeon was in the temple. He was there in the spirit of David’s psalm, “Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth” (Ps. 26:8). When he saw Joseph and Mary with the holy Child, immediately his attention was directed to Him, the promised consolation for his heart and for all God’s true people’s hearts. “It is He” — that Child must be the One who was promised to him with promises from heaven. Now the promise was fulfilled.

If we have had a promise, that is great; but are we looking for the fulfilment as Simeon was? If God works through His Holy Spirit in our hearts, then Christ alone will fulfil the promise. Oh, that sighs to the throne of grace may be multiplied for more lessons, and for the knowledge that Christ Himself is the fulfilment for the longing heart!

Simeon saw in this six-week old Child not merely a pretty Jewish baby to be admired for a while and then forgotten. Perhaps others saw no more than just that, but Simeon, filled with the Spirit of God, saw in this Child the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh. Simeon saw God’s salvation. Though nothing of royal pomp and splendor was to be seen, yet Simeon saw in the Child the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Although the Child needed the careful attention of a poor, but truly rich, sinful mother, Simeon saw in this Babe the mighty God, the everlasting Father. Others saw only a weak and helpless child of poor people. Simeon saw “the Lord’s Christ.”

Jesus Christ is God’s salvation, not a salvation conceived by human minds and carried out by human efforts, not the fanciful salvation for some philosophical system, nor the salvation for which the scribes and Pharisees looked, but the Lord’s salvation.

God’s Holy Spirit had assured him that in Christ his sins were forgiven. This divine assurance had given him peace even in trials and tribulations. This Simeon knew: if I am now dismissed from my service on earth, it will not be a dismissal in anger on the part of the Almighty God, but a dismissal of peace, a dismissal from my sinful body and a dismissal from my imperfect service on earth to a perfect and much more glorious service in heaven. Calmly he could face death, for he had in faith seen his Lord Jesus. Therefore, he might say, “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou has prepared before the face of all people.”

And as there was with Simeon a definite moment of recognition of the Savior as his Savior, so there must come a moment that we might know that He alone can be our salvation through saving grace. But before Christ will reveal Himself, there must come a morning hour of awakening to realize by the light of the Holy Spirit that we are sinners and stand in need of salvation in Christ alone. If the Lord begins His work He will usually do that step by step. But may it become our need, if it never has been, that He, the Redeemer, alone can cleanse us from all sin. Oh, what a wonder if we may experience, not only once, but often, “Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation!”

Simeon saw in the Christ-Child not only his salvation, but he saw in Him also “a Light to lighten the Gentiles,” so that they might be called from the east and west, and south and north, yes, from the uttermost parts of the earth. Christ is the Light that came from heaven to be the Light for those who sit in darkness and under the shadow of death.

Since salvation is of the Jews, the appearance of the Light is the glory of His people Israel. Though the darkness comprehended it not, though He came to His own and His own received Him not, yet let us not forget that God is able to work wonders and miracles in that people, having been told from olden days that a remnant of Israel will be saved.

There is much more to tell about that wonderful meeting in the temple. Simeon did not forget the mother nor Jesus’ foster father. He blessed them too. He invoked heaven’s benediction over those whose task it was to bring up the Child. Then, turning to Mary, he

pronounced a word of prophecy in reference to the born King: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against.” And elsewhere: “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

You can understand that there is much more to say about this, but may the Lord apply these words to all our hearts, yes, the hearts of old and young, the hearts of fathers, mothers, and children. It is even necessary that the Lord repeatedly explain this precious story in the hearts of His children, to God’s glory and their benefit.

Finally, “the thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed.” The all-important question is: To what people do we belong?

Rev. A. W. Verhoef is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Chilliwack, British Columbia.

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