The Long Awaited Promisr!

The Long Awaited Promise!

 

 

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 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.  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, Simeon was there.  He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let Your servant die in peace, as You have promised.  I have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared for all people.  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the glory of Your people Israel!”------Luke 2:25-32

 

 Mary and Joseph came to the Temple to offer their purification offering, as was required by the law of Moses  after the birth of a child, and they came also to present baby Jesus to the Lord.  Which also was a law of the Lord, and it states:  “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.

After the giving of the purification offering and dedication of baby Jesus.  Mary and Joseph met a man by the name of Simeon, who was a righteous and devout man and was up in age, who had waited for a LONG time to be able to see the Lord’s Messiah.  At some point in time, the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would NOT die until he had SEEN the Lord’s Messiah.  And at just the RIGHT time the Spirit led him to the Temple, where he met with Mary and Joseph.

Simeon took the Baby in his arms and PRAISED GOD, What a THRILL must have FILLED that PRECIOUS, old man’s heart to not ONLY SEE, but to actually HOLD the LONG AWAITED MESSIAH.  At this time, Simeon was ready to go ahead and die.  He proclaimed “I have SEEN Your SALVATION, which You have PREPARED for ALL people.  Now, before this statement of Simeon, the acclamation by the angel was, “He will save HIS people from their sins.”  Which I believe is indicating that Jesus came FIRST to the JEWS and then because for the most part, the JEWS rejected, and as a matter of fact, most of them are STILL rejecting Jesus Christ as the MESSIAH, it was part of God’s SALVATION plans that the JEWS would take the GOOD NEWS to ALL people. But because they FAILED TO BELIEVE that Jesus was/is the Messiah, God has ALLOWED the GENTILES to be “grafted” or “adopted” into Abraham’s family, when they come to Him in FAITH.  THANK YOU, LORD!!

My question for God’s Child is; are you like Simeon, does the MERE THOUGHT of Christ dying for YOU THRILL your HEART?  It SHOULD, just the thought that the King of kings and Lord of lords thought ENOUGH  of YOU  to SUFFER SHAME and DISHONOR, not to mention the EXCRUCIATING PAIN and AGONIZING DEATH of the ONE who knew NO SIN  and yet He BECAME SIN, by taking on ALL THE SINS of ALL MANKIND.  He did it for ME and for YOU!

If you are a JEW or GENTILE, and you have not COME to Jesus with a BELIEVING HEART, then you are not part of His family, but the GOOD NEWS is that He is offering you the opportunity to be adopted into His family if you will, like Simeon,  ALLOW yourself to be LED  by God’s Holy Spirit to the TRUE MESSIAH, you can do this by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your Heart that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE, in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting!!!