The Light Has Come for All Generations

Christmas Theme: The Light Has Come.

Title: The Light Has Come for All Generations.

[This reading is recored and will be played as a a part of our Christmas Advent devotions, Given].

Luke 2: 22-38:  When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

One of the things that really annoys me a Christmas is when people say it is for children. Obviously, it is but not exclusively. The light has come! But He has come for everyone!

John 3: 19-21: This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Today’s passage in our ‘Given’ advent series tells us about encounters with Jesus that an older generation had. We are going to learn some stuff from one of them today. 

The Light Shines So We Can See

25-26: Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. … 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation….”

Waiting is hard. Sometimes we want God to our clock. Simeon is old. We are not told how long he has been waiting but it seems like he felt time was running out. He says, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation….”

Simeon had lived long enough with God to recognize the season of fulfilment. Some lessons in life are learnt over time. 

Story: Have you ever been looking for something and cannot find it? When our boys were young we wanted to get them the Narnia Chronicles books and at the time they had been republished as a boxset of seven books. It was Christmas and the shops were packed. I went into the book shop and looked high and low. Could I found them? Nope. So I went the to tills to ask, resting my hands on the display, and said, “Please tell me you have the Narnia Chronicles Collection Set! I cannot find it anywhere.” The guy looked at me as though I was loopy and pointed to my hands. I was leaning on a pile of them, four feet high and six feet long!

You see until you see Jesus, Jesus does not make sense. How many of us, when we become Christians, thought it’s so obvious now!

Matthew 4: 16a: the people living in darkness have seen a great light…. (See Isaiah 9:1-2)

John 3:19b: …but people loved darkness instead of light…

Spiritual sight comes from a life consistently walked with God. Simeon saw salvation wrapped in weakness.

Are we spiritually alert—or spiritually distracted?

Some see problems; others see promises.

The Light Shines So We Can Move

27: Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.… 

When the light of Jesus is shining we can move with confidence. It is when the normal and routine becomes supernatural. 

How many times had Simeon been to the temple courts? We are not told, but probably this was a daily event for him. But that day he was prompted by the Holy Spirit. 

How do you know it is the Spirit?

[Following four sub-points adapted from Stephanie Gass]

- An Unshakable Thought

Holy Spirit tugging starts as a tiny little thought that comes into your mind and begins to poke at you. 

Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Normally this thought cuts across the normal course of life. 

Thoughts come and go, but an unshakable thought, whether unshakable for a week or years, if it keeps coming back, is worth looking at.

They can come very powerfully, or they can come as a whisper. Something that you feel compelled to do. 

- Doubt and Fear

Why would it come with doubt and fear? Because we are human, and we don’t know the outcome. It is typically outside of your comfort zone, something that causes you to do something disruptive in your own life, the start or stop of something new or old. It’s uncomfortable.

Here is where we need the check of Scripture. Gd will not contradict His word, the Bible. Simeon was a devout man who knew what we would call the Old Testament well. How many times had he seen parents bring their young sons into the temple for circumcision (Luke 2:21)? How many times had he thought, “Is this the one?” Or perhaps he was looking around the adult males, listening to teachers debate the scriptures in the temple courts, wondering if he could discern the Messiah. Maybe he was not expecting a baby and frailty of that first Christmas.

– Heart Repositioning

Your heart is pulling, and doors start opening where you see this is possible. Heart repositioning is where your heart aligns with Holy Spirit’s heart and now you are working together.

Galatians 5: 25: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

- Holy Spirit Prompts You to Take Action

You will feel prompted to act. You are spiritually being convicted to move.

Although these promptings are strong from the Spirit, they may not last forever! Sometimes they are fleeting, maybe lasting a few minutes. Sometimes the Lord comes and asks us to move repeatedly. Sometimes we will never understand the outcome.

We must also be willing to be accountable to these promptings too. Do not think what we say/do cannot be tested (1 Thess 5:19-22).

[To know more about how God speaks and finding God’s will for life, why not get my book, Surrendered Warriors, available at Amazon].

Simeon didn’t argue with the prompting—he moved. Divine appointments require immediate obedience.

Missed promptings can mean missed miracles.

The Light Shines So We Can Speak 

28-29: Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

Imagine seeing smoke in a building but staying silent. Silence would not be humility—it would be neglect.

When Simeon saw salvation, he spoke up. The Good News of Christmas is not broadcast and Christians are scorned by our loud silence.

The light is shining. Truth needs speaking. The truth that there is a God and he loves us. And people are curious. They are hungry and thirsty, filling that with the spiritual ‘junk food’ that world offers. 

Simeon knew revelation demands expression. Praise becomes prophecy when spoken aloud.

Your testimony may be the confirmation someone else is praying for.

Christmas Wrapping This Up

The Light shines so that you can see, be moved and speak up. Don’t hold back. If you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, the Light lives in you. Don’t hide it - Him. 

Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.