21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.
22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the LORD.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
We studied the circumcision ceremony when we looked at John, Zechariah and Elizabeth, which occurred eight days after the baby’s birth. There is another “ceremony”, a purification offering. I don’t know the exact time table of Mary, Joseph and Jesus leaving Bethlehem, or where the circumcision ceremony was performed. Or when they traveled to Jerusalem to the temple. All I know is there was a lot of traveling going on in the first couple of years of Jesus’ little life. This offering would have been made when Jesus was 40 days old, and the purification offering was for the purification of the mother. Also, according to Jewish law, if her first child was a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord. They were required to sacrifice two turtledoves for this. This shows Mary and Joseph's poverty, for that was the sacrifice required of poor people. Those with wealth would have been sacrificing larger animals.
Most interesting of all to me was that they had to redeem him, or “buy him back” from the Lord with a certain sum of money.
How interesting that Mary and Joseph took their child after 40 days to the temple in Jerusalem. What an ironic picture that they “bought back” and sacrificed for the very One who would buy us all back with the sacrifice of his own life, his own blood. And all the while the Redeemer of them all was in their presence!
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there.
And yet again we have another person filled with the Holy Spirit. It honestly had never entered my mind that there was this much activity of the Holy Spirit until I studied this story more closely – how active the Holy Spirit was during this whole process. You think of him being there on the day of Pentecost and from there on out, but you don’t really stop to realize he’s been at work all along. It’s like watching an orchestra of divinely coordinated events.
A man named Simeon was eagerly looking for, and expecting, the Messiah. He was a devout and righteous man. Because of his relationship with God, earnestly seeking the Messiah, the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he actually got to see the Messiah. So on this day that day Jesus was being brought to the temple, the Spirit led Simeon go to the temple also. So that when Jesus came into the temple, Simeon was already there. When he saw Jesus, he recognized this child as the Messiah. The Holy Spirit revealed it to him. He opened his eyes. Simeon took Jesus in his arms, and as he held his newborn Messiah in his very own arms, he praised God with the blessing that you see here:
He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Why did Simeon see the Lord, the Messiah? Because he had so earnestly sought him with all his heart. Everybody quotes Jeremiah 29:11, but have you read further? Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” What a promise! God wants to be found. But your heart must seek for him like you look for a lost treasure. Daily.
Why is it we complain we can’t see God at work, we don’t hear him, it doesn’t feel like he’s there? Maybe we haven’t searched for him with all our hearts. Maybe finding Jesus isn’t the foremost concern in our life, the thought that wakes us up in the morning, the consuming passion of our life. Do you honestly even want to find him this week, during all the Christmas commotion? Is that on your list of things to do? Maybe our spirits are never quiet enough in his presence to hear the Holy Spirit tell us where to go, how to position ourselves, where to wait, to be there waiting when Jesus shows up!
Matthew 6:33 says “seek FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you”...
Simeon had been seeking Jesus, so intently so, that he had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would get to see him before he died. Simeon saw what the shepherds saw, that the Messiah had been born. He held the very Messiah in his arms and worshiped his God, saying “now let me die in peace, because I’ve seen your salvation”. Jesus was the desire of Simeon’s heart. And God was pleased to bless Simeon with seeing the Messiah for himself before he died.
We are all seeking something. What is it every day that you are seeking, that consumes your waking and sometimes sleeping thoughts, that takes your extra time, that asks for your money, that you think about the moment you wake up, that you ponder about, make plans for, study about, watch? What is your primary focus? What is the desire of your heart?
Excitement? Fun? Retirement? Your stock and 401k recovering? Your team making it to Superbowl? Fantasy Football? Your weight? Your looks? The acceptance of your peers? Your paycheck? Your house and car? And on and on your list might go...
Let me say this - You WILL find what you seek for, in one way or another. It just might not be exactly how you thought it would be.
Luke 11:9-10 says “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
So, what is it that you really are seeking deep in your spirit? I think if you are quiet long enough and brutally honest with yourself you will have to admit that what you seek, no matter what form it seems to be taking, is peace and contentment, and that can only be found by seeking one thing – a person - a savior - Jesus. Just as Simeon did. Seek him with your whole heart. Everything else will take care of itself. And while you live here on earth you will also get to see Jesus – every day.
Can you say like Simeon did "I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people?" It is my hope that you can.
Praying for open eyes to see.
Love, Teresa
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