Luke 2:28-32
"Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant to depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel," Luke 2:28-32. Simeon had been delivered from the fear of death. He had a biblical understanding of Who God is; therefore, he had no reason to fear death. Simeon's faith was in the God of the Scriptures. The word "depart" in verse 29 means to dismiss from life, let depart, die. Simeon was finished with life, and now earnestly awaited death. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith," II Timothy 4:6-7. Not long after Paul wrote these words he went home to be with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We do not know how long after Simeon said this in Luke 2 that he went home to be with the Lord, but we know that he was ready. He was more than just ready, he longed to depart this life and be with his Lord.
The bible tells us in verse 28 that Simeon "blessed God". This is the Greek word "eulogeo" and means to praise, speak well of with praise and thanksgiving. This is what men give to God, and this is toward God. We give God glory as we praise Him and worship Him. This is known as ascribed glory. We praise God for His grace; mercy; longsuffering; salvation; faithfulness; we praise God for Who He is. This ascribed glory comes from His intrinsic glory. We give ascribed glory to God, but we have no impact on His intrinsic glory. The intrinsic glory of God is Who He is; His natural attributes. God is: Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Immutable, Eternal, Righteous, Holy, Infinite, Grace, Mercy, Wrath, etc. When we dwell upon our God, we dwell upon Who He is. This causes us to worship, bless, God. We bless God when we pray, sing, preach, teach, and simply talking to God as we drive or walk, etc. He is worthy of our praise, all the time. How different would our lives be if we dwelled on Who our God is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He is going to do? All this is according to His Word.
Simeon has picked up the child Jesus, blessed God, and is now ready to depart. "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation." "Salvation" in verse 30 simply means the Saviour. Simeon is holding and is looking at the Saviour of the world; Immanuel, God in the flesh. He cannot help but to praise God. God did what He said He would do. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons," Galatians 4:4-5. Notice the last part of verse 5, "that we might receive the adoption of sons". The only way to become an adopted son of God is through the redemptive work of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. This is for the Gentiles, and the Jews. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me," John 14:6. There has always only been one way of salvation, and there has always only been One Saviour. His name is Jesus, He is the Christ, the Saviour of the world. This is Who Simeon is holding and looking at as he is praising God. His focus is on the Saviour. What a small glimpse of heaven.
"Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people," Luke 2:31. It is God that has made ready, prepared. This is according to God's plan, and on His timing. The necessary preparations have been made. The Eternal Son of God has become flesh. The plan of salvation was made by the Triune God before time as we know it (Revelation 13:8). No one was there to give their input, no, God planned this before the foundation of the world, for His glory. Turn to Ephesians 1:3-14. This salvation that God has prepared is for all people. "All people" means all people, nations, tribes, etc. This salvation is not just for the nation of Israel, but for all people (Ephesians 2:11-22). "For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," Acts 13:47-48. Out of every nation on the face of the earth, God will save some.
"A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel," Luke 2:32. The word "Light" in this verse is the Greek word "Phos" and is used especially of Jesus as the great Teacher and Saviour of the world Who brought life and immortality to light in His gospel. The Gospel is His. Israel had been given the oracles of God, the Scriptures, and they were to evangelize the world, but instead they took the laws that God gave them and used them to build a figurative wall between them and the rest of the world. The Jews formulated their own way to heaven (Romans 10:1-4), which was not God's way. The gospel that Jesus Christ proclaimed dealt with the sins of the heart, not just the actual committing of sin. Christ also proclaimed that salvation was only through Him alone, not by the works of the law.
Christ is the light to lighten the Gentiles. "Lighten" in this verse is the Greek word "Apokalupsis" and speaks of the removal of the veil of ignorance and darkness by the communication of light and knowledge; illumination, instruction. It is a supernatural work of God to reveal His Son to those who are dead in trespasses and sins. One of the means He uses is instruction from the Scriptures. Jesus Christ said this in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." The Scriptures reveal to us Who Jesus Christ is, what He has done, is doing, and is going to do. We are commanded to preach the scriptures, to test all things by the scriptures, and to live according to the scriptures. "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus," II Timothy 3:15.
The Old Testament prophesied about the coming Messiah. Who would He be, what would He do, how would He live, what would He teach, and Who would He reach? Jesus Christ is the Apokalupsis. All without distinction may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus. "A light for revelation means for enlightening the Gentiles; Hence we infer, that men are by nature desitiute of light, till Christ, "the Sun of Righteousness," (Malachi 4:2) shine upon them. With regard to Israel, though God had bestowed upon him distinguished honor, yet all his glory rests on this single article, that a Redeemer had been promised to him." John Calvin. Have you seen Christ through the lens of scripture? He is truly the Light of the world. Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
