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. 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. 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,
An older man who had anticipated the coming of the Messiah appeared on the scene in 2:25-35.
2:25
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just [righteous] and devout [reverent], waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
We find Simeon’s prophecy in verses 25-35, referring to Jesus as the One who would save Israel. This righteous and reverent man waited for the “Consolation of Israel,” which is the anticipation of the salvation of the nation Israel or the inauguration of the messianic age. This event would happen with the coming of the Messiah.
2:26
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 was sure the Messiah would come in his lifetime because the Lord promised he would not see death before He came. His confidence was because the Holy Spirit had revealed it to him. The words “the Lord’s Christ” refer to Jehovah.
2:27
So he came by the Spirit into the temple.
The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple court at the very time that Joseph and Mary were dedicating baby Jesus to the Lord.
And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
The parents of Jesus followed the law carefully according to the custom of the Mosaic law.
PRINCIPLE:
Anticipation of what God will do in the future is a core principle of Christian living.
APPLICATION:
There are Christians today who do not anticipate the coming of Christ. They do not look forward to what God will do in the future. God had given no revelation for hundreds of years before the first century and the coming of Christ. Many lost their sense of the Messiah’s coming, much in the same way as the church today does not look for the Rapture of the church (Tit 2:13-14).
