“…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, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen YOUR SALVATION WHICH YOU HAVE PREPARED BEFORE THE FACE OF ALL PEOPLES, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)
In baby Jesus, Simeon sees THE FULFILLMENT of all the hopes and dreams of the Jewish people across the centuries. To call Jesus “THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL” takes us back to the time of Abraham when the Lord said, “I will make your name great…and through you all the nations of the earth SHALL BE BLESSED…” (Genesis 12:1-3).
- STILL LATER God told Moses that one day a great prophet would come who would be unlike any other prophet before Him.
- STILL LATER God promised David a son who would reign on His throne forever.
- STILL LATER God spoke through Isaiah and promised that a son would be born of a virgin, and that His name would be called Immanuel—GOD WITH US.
- STILL LATER Micah predicted that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
For generations the promises were repeated—from father to son, from mother to daughter, from family to family, from the older to the younger, and Jewish children were taught to PRAY FOR THE MESSIAH’S APPEARANCE. Some Jews thought the Messiah would be a great political leader who would overthrow Rome and restore Israel to its rightful place in the world. Others thought the Messiah would be God himself. Still others expected a second Moses or a second Elijah. So, there was and still is, a lot of confusion mixed with a general sense of expectation. By the time Christ was born, one question above all others was on the lips of every expectant Jew: “WHY DOES MESSIAH DELAY HIS COMING?” UNFORTUNATELY, THE JEWS IN ISRAEL ARE STILL ASKING THAT QUESTION TODAY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT ACCEPT JESUS AS THE MESSIAH! WE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS AND HAVE ACCEPTED HIM IN OUR LIVES ARE WAITING FOR THE RAPTURE!!!
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham