A Personal Gift from God
Depart In Peace
Luke 2:26
26 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.
SIMEON [SIM ih un] ([God] hears) — the name of four men in the Bible:
A devout Jew who blessed the infant Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:25, 34). The Holy Spirit had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the long-awaited Messiah. Simeon recognized the child as the Messiah when Mary and Joseph brought him to the Temple to present Him to the Lord.
Luke 2:21
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Leviticus 12:3
3 ‘And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
Circumcision of the Jewish male was required as a visible, physical sign of the covenant between the Lord and His people (Gen. 17:11). Any male not circumcised was to be “cut off from his people” (Gen. 17:14) and regarded as a covenant-breaker (Ex. 12:48).
Eight day- New beginning
Circumcision- Sign of the covenant between the Lord and His people (reminder)
Notice that child wasn’t given a name until after the circumcision because the covenant came first. Remember the words of the Lord
Genesis 17:11
11 “and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you
Luke 1:31
31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
Luke 2:22
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
Luke 2:22
22 Then it was time for the 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.
What is the purification offering all about?
Leviticus 12:2-8
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean.3 ‘And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.4 ‘She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.5 ‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.
6 ‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.7 ‘Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.8 ‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ ”
The women is unclean for total of 40 days, 33 days until the final days. She could not appear before the Lord until she was cleansed.
Luke 2:23
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),
Deuteronomy 18:4
4 “The firstfruits of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.
Jesus was the first fruit offering to the Lord.
Luke 2:24
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
The parents of baby Jesus could even afford the proper offering for the King of Kings, pigeons where worth about $1:00 the cheapest sacrifice. Can you hear what was being said at the temple. They must have been considered nobodies with a child that could save everybody. Hold on to your promises from God.
Luke 2:25
25 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.
To comfort His people
Luke 2:26
26 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.
Hebrews 11:5
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Luke 2:27
27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
Note: They were not in the temple sanctuary but standing at the temple complex at this time preparing for the cleansing.
Luke 2:28-32
28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
The One New Man mentioned here!
Acts 26:17-18
17 ‘I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,18 ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Luke 2:36-39
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;37 and this
woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
Note: God reveals his secret purpose in history to humble servants who continually live in his presence
Amos 3:7
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
Luke 24:53
53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.