There are Many Witnesses to the Birth of Christ

A Video Supplement for
Come, Follow Me Lesson 3:
We Have Come to Worship Him

Transcript

Luke 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was

Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the

consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not

see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents

brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

33 And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.

This is a neat episode and sets off several important themes that will

occur throughout the Gospel of Luke. Simeon’s story of course bears

testimony that Jesus is the Messiah. As I read this and see Simeon’s

choice of words, “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,” I wonder if

Mary and Joseph had yet told him the child’s name and I partly suspect

they had. His name means something along the lines of help,

deliverance, rescue or simply salvation, or more specifically, the

Lord’s salvation.

The second theme that comes out is that, because of Jesus, the Gospel

will go to the Gentiles, “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the

glory of thy people Israel”. Now, he will minister to some Gentile

persons during his mortal ministry, but it is through his atoning

sacrifice for all that he truly brings the blessings of the Gospel to

the Gentiles.

Now, in giving his prophecy, Simeon appeals to themes from an earlier

prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah 49:6 states, “And he said, It is a light

thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of

Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee

for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the

end of the earth.”

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