Christmas Reflections Part 8

According to an old story, a traveller walked into a country store in the hills of Kentucky one wintery day in 1809 and asked, “Anything new happen around here lately?” The proprietor almost laughed. “Around here, stranger? Nothing happens around here. A baby was born in the Lincoln cabin last night, that’s all.

Who knows the eventual impact of a life? Simeon knew. (See Luke 2:25-35). Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple when He was eight days old, fulfilling the requirements of the law of Moses. Simeon was there with a prophecy of good news and bad news from the Lord. The good news was that this baby Messiah would save not just the Jews; He would be a light for all people. The bad news was that many of his own people would reject Him, and Mary would experience great sorrow as a result. Simeon would say “Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Saviour you have given to all people.” For Simeon to hold that baby in his arms was to have death revealed to him, not as an ending, but as deliverance. The great and glorious fact that would emerge was that Christ would abolish death by gaining victory over it. 
Simeon’s words could serve as an outline for the rest of the New Testament. Jesus’ ministry glorified God within Israel at first. He was accepted by some and rejected by others. The message of His death and resurrection spread like lightning throughout the world. So, Simeon was standing at the turning point of all history, and he knew it.

Today, don’t let the significance of Jesus’ birth pass you by. Celebrate this season of His entry into the world, and remember the day you first met Him. Because of Jesus, nothing else will ever be the same again.