When the infant Lord was brought to the temple in Jerusalem, He was seen by Simeon, an old man who had been waiting and hoping for His birth (Luke 2). The Holy Child was born not only for those who actually saw Him thousands of years ago. He can be born for us as well, if we will open our minds to receive Him with joy.

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Simeon and the Baby Lord

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus…he took Him up in his arms and blessed God… (Luke 2:25-28).

The Lord had promised that He would come into the world. And He kept that promise and came as a baby, like other babies, yet even then there were a few people who knew that this Baby was really the Lord. Mary and Joseph knew this, for the angel Gabriel told them. The shepherds knew it, because Gabriel had told them the “good tidings.” And the shepherds were so happy that they told everyone they met, but perhaps only a few people believed them.

Now when the Baby Lord was forty days old, Mary and Joseph took Him on His first journey. They went to the temple in Jerusalem, “to present Him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22). Why do you think they did this? Long before, the Lord had told the people of Israel that the first boy baby a husband and wife had should be taken to the Temple and presented to the Lord. The baby’s parents would also take along a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons, or even a lamb as an offering. Then the Lord would give the baby back to the parents, who would take him back home. Mary and Joseph loved the Lord, so they obeyed all His words and did all things He had taught. So they took the baby Lord to the temple.

And there, in the Temple, a very old man, named Simeon, was waiting for them. He had waited every day patiently for many years, for he had been told that he would not “see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” This meant that he would not die until he had seen the Baby Lord. And this came to pass! For Simeon knew that the Baby who Mary carried into the Temple was the Lord. Simeon took the Baby Lord in his arms and spoke a beautiful blessing. And Joseph and Mary were amazed at Simeon’s words.

After this, a very old woman named Anna saw the Lord too. She loved the Lord so much that she came to His Temple every day. On this day, she at once knew that the Baby held by Simeon was the long-promised Lord. So she, too, gave thanks for having seen Him, and she told others about Him also.

After going to the Temple and doing all things according to the law of the Lord, Joseph and Mary took the Baby Lord back to Bethlehem, and eventually to their own city of Nazareth. There, we are told that the Lord “grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40). 

 
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