Eight
days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given
him by the angel even before he was conceived. 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. ... 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
2:21-22, 25-32
Model of the Temple.
Jerusalem, Israel
This was where Simeon held baby Jesus...
...and praised the Lord!
Meditate. Consider Jesus’ birth and life as a baby.
Joseph
and Mary followed the Jewish ritual with the baby Jesus. Circumcision. That ritual
was initiated by God with Abraham as a sign of keeping God’s covenant (see Genesis
17), but it seems to have been a custom even before that time. It is a procedure
that has continued in many places in the world, being considered medically
healthy for men.
Obedience
to the word of God brought Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus from Bethlehem to the
Temple in Jerusalem. There, Simeon waited for the Savior. Can you imagine his
devotion to the Lord to have waited for the Savior most of his adult life? Is
that the same as the passion some people have today as they wait on the Lord to
rapture His believers or return? Simeon praised the Lord for keeping His
promise by providing salvation for all people. Amazing that he recognized that
Jesus was the light of the world, just as Jesus later declared.
Jesus spoke to the people once more
and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have
to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12
What can
we learn from the obedience of Joseph, Mary, and Simeon? Are you praising God
for the promise of His salvation? Is it dark or light in the world of your
life?
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, thank you that even as a baby, You were seen as the light of the
world providing salvation to all mankind. I praise You.
Verse
of Salvation ~ I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all
people. Luke
2:30-31
What
are you doing today to unclutter your life…physically, mentally, and
spiritually?
Are
you listening to God?
© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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